The Journal

Notes from the countryside.

Walks, pubs and slow weekends near the cabin. The places we love in this quiet corner of Berkshire, and how to make the most of a few days here.

Wisteria climbing the timber-clad country house at Squirrels' Nest in the Berkshire countryside

June 2026 · 5 min read

A Slow Weekend in the Berkshire Countryside

A morning on the Downs, a long pub lunch, an afternoon at Highclere, and a quiet evening back at the cabin. How we would spend two unhurried days.

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A cosy corner at Squirrels' Nest, the kind of warmth you find in a Berkshire country pub

June 2026 · 4 min read

Our Favourite Country Pubs Near the Cabin

From a Georgian inn on the canal at Kintbury to rosette-winning food and roaring fires, the pubs we send guests to. All an easy drive from the cabin.

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The countryside setting around Squirrels' Nest on the edge of the North Wessex Downs

June 2026 · 5 min read

Walks from the Doorstep: The North Wessex Downs

Three walks we come back to, from the highest chalk hill in England to a flat, easy amble by the canal. Big skies, ancient tracks, and not many people.

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Country house grandeur near Squirrels' Nest, close to Highclere Castle in Berkshire

June 2026 · 4 min read

Highclere Castle: The Real Downton Abbey on Your Doorstep

The grand house from Downton Abbey is a short drive from the cabin, with a thousand acres of Capability Brown parkland and an Egyptian exhibition hiding a Tutankhamun story.

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A quiet corner of Squirrels' Nest, a short drive from the market town of Newbury

June 2026 · 4 min read

Things to Do in Newbury, Our Nearest Town

The market town down the road: a free museum in a 17th-century cloth hall, an Elizabethan manor, the canal at the Wharf, racing, and a proper market three days a week.

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A warm, sheltered corner at Squirrels' Nest, made for a rainy West Berkshire afternoon

June 2026 · 4 min read

A Rainy Day in West Berkshire

It does rain, even here. When it does: antiques in Hungerford, a farm-shop lunch, murals by a war artist, and a tropical glasshouse to warm up in.

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