Escape the city: The Coop, Coleman’s Farm

A family-owned oasis tucked away at the end of the Central line
Photo courtesy of Rob at Lighttrapper Photography
The Coop
Naomi May17 August 2020

After three months spent mooching around the confines of my home, I needed an escape. Working, living, sleeping and breathing in the same space had taken its toll.

Too scared to venture on a plane or risk it with a last-minute getaway, I looked for something a little closer to home which had the same elements of escapism but still abided by the rules.

On the advice of my artist friend whose life seems full of achingly cool snapshots, I began scrolling on glamping website Canopy & Stars (full disclosure: I am not a camping enthusiast, far from it, but its high-brow counterpart seemed like a fair compromise for a reprieve from the chaos of the capital.)

There was a renovated treehouse on a cliff in Cornwall, a beach shack on the shores of Devon and – the one which piqued my interest – The Coop at Coleman’s Farm, which could be mistaken for a hut at Soho Farmhouse.

The Coop at Coleman's Farm (Rob at Lighttrapper Photography)
The Coop

As the name suggests, The Coop is cosy, comfy and cool. It’s a four-by-four tiny den located on the Coleman family’s plot of 200 acres of land at the end of the Central line in Epping. The land has been in their family for 150 years and the whole operation really is a family affair; brothers Pete and Tim are in charge of daily operations, while their mum, who was born and raised on the land, still lives in the farmhouse where she oversees the arable-farmed fields.

That essence of kinship is clear from the offset. Both Tim and Pete welcomed us while their wives delivered freshly-prepared cakes and scones to The Coop upon our arrival. The following morning, they came again this time with brioche buns and organic bacon, sausages and eggs from nearby farms. When they say the devil's in the detail, the brothers really do have such intricacies nailed.

The decking at The Coop (Rob at Lighttraper Photography)
The Coop

The Coop itself is fully insulated and renovated to a standard that really would have Soho House's designers shaking in their boots. It's peak millennial bait; white, pared-back and peppered with wooden details, complete with a wood-burning fire at the foot of the marshmallow-like double bed.

Out on the decking is a BBQ, two comfy outdoor chairs and the unabashed highlight of the space: a wood-fired hot tub. All in a corner of the farm which nobody seemed to come near unless it was to deposit food to us. It was secluded and a truly delicious oasis, which made it hard to comprehend that it's only an hour outside of London.

The interior of The Coop (Rob at Lighttrapper Photography)
The Coop

The one and notable downside of staying in a hut on a 200 acre piece of land is finding food and wine (we ended up having to walk 25 minutes to the local pub and ordering a pizza from Deliveroo). You can't help but feel that this is a gap they're missing; a breed of delivery service operating on the farm, fuelling its guests with pizzas and wine or beer, anything that would've made it simpler for us as we didn't have a car with us.

After mentioning this to Tim and Pete, they told me that they're in the midst of working on it and there's talk of a Coleman's vineyard. I don't doubt that the food and wine offerings will be as warm and welcoming as The Coop itself. Until then, maybe just bring a couple of your favourite bottles of Primitivo.

The Coop sleeps two, from £100 per night, book here