Is this the perfect spot for a Winchester getaway?
The Pigsty looks inviting from the moment you set eyes on it
Winchester has a new short-break destination set to raise the bar for rural retreats. Learn why the first official guests to the Pigsty, James and Kelly West, are already planning a second visit.
Winchester is rightly famous for its abundance of postcard (now Instagram) worthy vistas and historical significance. However, its popularity with tourists and as a place to live/work means it is a bustling and often hectic place.
Therefore, planning a visit that delivers the required jolt of ancient city with tranquility is difficult. In fact, the only way guarantee quiet is staying quite far from the city, necessitating a traffic-heavy journey that can take the shine off your visit to Winchester.
The quality of the Pigsty build is matched by the timeless interior design
Step forward The Pigsty. Built in conjunction with Boon, the Pigsty is owned and managed by the delightful husband and wife team Min and Sam. Located at their working farm in Pitt, The Pigsty is the adults-only getaway bolthole of your dreams.
Despite being within walking distance of the city, the Pigsty indisputably fulfils your requirement for solitude. There is NOTHING anywhere near you. I sit here writing this at rush hour on a Tuesday evening, yet the silence is so absolute that I could be on a remote island off the coast of Scotland.
“The Pigsty is the adults-only
getaway bolthole of your dreams.”
Fully equipped kitchen - no ‘slumming it’ at the Pigsty!
That particular box ticked, let’s talk about the accommodation itself. You’ll see from the pictures that it is delightful. What might not be so apparent is the quality of the finish. Every facility and requirements is catered for, and the finish is outstanding.
It’s clearly a labour of love - from the quality of the build through to the design finish that could grace the best modern hotel. It is a joy to behold and the sort of place where you can’t wait to get cosy for the evening.
How to categorise the Pigsty? ‘Glamping’ is insultingly reductive - it’s too well equipped and luxurious for that. There’s LED lighting, full central heating, good wifi, Bose sound, Smeg fridge and Netflix. There’s soap and coffee from local suppliers (The Great British Bee Company and Green Bean Coffee Roasters)and even bath salts which use poppy seeds grown at the farm. And when did you last see a glamping destination with a roll-top bath?
Amazing amenities at the Pigsty
‘Boutique getaway’ sounds better, but unlike other on-trend destinations, you won’t be sharing the space with anyone else. With just one Pigsty surrounded by trees, hedges and wildlife, there won’t be anyone walking past, playing music or blocking your view. You just park your car next to Pigsty and say goodbye to the world.
You can however easily get back to reality when it suits you. Just across the field from the Pigsty’s verandah is Clarendon Way - the ancient pathway linking Salisbury and Winchester. From the path, you can walk straight into Winchester or in the other direction to Beechcroft Farm Shop and Tea Rooms open at the weekend. It’s an amazing feeling to be connected - if you want to.
Overall, the Pigsty is the perfect place for a couple to firstly escape the world and secondly visit Winchester. My ordering is deliberate. Because while Winchester has endless appeal, in this instance, the Pigsty is truly the star of the show.
Bookings being taken soon, please visit www.the-pigsty.co.uk to register your interest. Best get booked in before we do!
Thank you to Min and Sam for allowing us to stay as their guests in The Pigsty.
Amazing views of the Hampshire countryside from The Pigsty verandah