The average person checks their phone more than 200 times every single day, one in four people spend more time scrolling through the internet than they do asleep and teenagers send approximately 3400 messages per month from the comfort of their beds alone. For every day we spend glued to social media, there’s a scientific paper concluding that the less time we spend in the great outdoors and talking to the people we love, the more unhappy and unhealthy we become. Connectivity to our screens is in overdrive, so is it any wonder that the need to run far from technology is gathering so much steam?
With this in mind, here we round up some of our remotest homes, spread far and wide across the United Kingdom, where the WiFi teeters on weak at best and gatherings, both large and small, are guaranteed to lift the soul. Counter those days hunched over a keyboard or behind the glow of the television and allow the mind to breathe into clarity once more.
Maberly, Devon
Tucked right down near Devon’s southernmost point, Maberly is a true tonic for busy city dwellers and those who simply cannot switch off. Immersed in nature and just a short drive from the rugged headland of East Prawle, this large home will calm even the most hectic of minds. Throw out blankets and cloud watch in the orchard, gather around a smoking barbecue on the al fresco dining area and revel in time spent together as phones get forgotten at the bottom of suitcases.
Little Bear, West Sussex
Ensconced in acres of woodland, this remote cabin is an idyllic getaway for couple's craving time away from the screens with complete disconnection from technology. Relish in nature with evenings spent around the fire pit listening to sounds of wind whispering through the trees or tiptoe to the hot tub for a soak underneath the stars.
Supernova, Isle of Skye
With a bath for two overlooking glassy Loch Harport and the towering mountains behind, you won’t even notice the crawling speeds of 3G or lack of WiFi connection at this gorgeous Isle of Skye escape. Spend days rambling the peaks and cliffs of this magical island before enjoying a glass of red in front of Supernova’s enormous windows, clouds shifting over the Munros ahead.
Sugar Ray, Dorset
A home made for the daydreamers in our midst, Sugar Ray, with its sea views and sweet interiors, will encourage shoes and laptops to be left at the door. On summer days, mix fresh mojitos in the pool house and swing feet in the cool blue of the outdoor swimming pool, or, when the heavens open, light the woodburner and snuggle on the daybed in the shepherd’s hut with a novel and enormous mug of tea.
Faraway House, Brecon Beacons
Faraway by name and faraway by nature, this Brecon Beacons home is as far from the beaten track as one can possibly get. Complete with a garden brimming with herbs to make summer salads zing and berries for comforting home-baked puddings, Faraway House will leave guests scrabbling for a mountain retreat where life in faded old jeans and cosy knitted jumpers is the only thing on the cards. Surrounded by hills and with a real sense of being in the middle of nowhere at all (yet just a short drive from cutesy Crickhowell - named the best place to live in Wales by the Sunday Times), an escape here will refresh and restore.
Ellesmera Mill, Devon
This 400-year-old millhouse is a scene straight out of a storybook with patchy signal and limited Wi-Fi adding to the old-world charm. Surrounded with enchanted gardens peppered with delicate wildflowers and Dartmouth's coast right on your doorstep, the modern world will soon fade away and guests are instantly taken back to a time when technology was not at the forefront of everyone's thoughts.
The Cinders, The New Forest
With not a soul around other than roaming deer, settle into the sounds of the forest at The Cinders, where barefooted wanders across dew-soaked grass will enliven guests fatigued by a life of computers and deadlines. With cycle trails, hiking routes and quaint thatched inns with roaring fires all in abundance closeby; this is quintessential England at its finest.
