Cottage accommodation in the Vale
Our family own a small 16th century conversion in Barkestone-le-Vale – Cherry Tree Cottage – available to rent as holiday accommodation via Sykes Holiday Cottages. We clean and maintain the house and garden and get a 4.8 star rating from our guests. Sleeping six people in three double rooms, cosy with a log burner for the winter, somewhat eco-friendly with solar panels on the roof and dog-friendly with an enclosed garden its ideal for long weekends, Belvoir Castle event attendees and overflow accommodation for local family get-togethers. Bookings are via the Cherry Tree Cottage link above.
Exclusive wild camping
You can camp at Kaleidoscope Field, a mix of woodland, fen, pasture and orchard where wildlife habitat is prioritised and humans are occasional visitors. Hares, red kites, buzzards, barn owls, field voles, butterflies and pheasants are regular sights and if you’re lucky and quiet there’s a chance you’ll see muntjac deer, a kestrel, fox, stoat or even an otter (though we’ve only seen otter poo). In spring you’ll hear a LOT of birdsong: blackbird, robin, wren, whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff, chaffinch, great tit, skylark, reed bunting and goldfinch were all heard this year (2026). We also counted 80 butterflies in just 15 minutes! The field is adjacent to Scalford Brook, listed as a Leicestershire Local Wildlife Site.
Camping is limited to 60 nights a year and you will have your choice of spot for your tent. If you book with us we guarantee you’ll be the only guests for your stay. It’s more or less wild camping, with compost loo and outdoor solar shower the only conveniences, so only really for practical types. On the plus side you’re ten minutes walk from our excellent local pub the King’s Arms and a short drive from Twin Lakes, Belvoir Castle and Melton Mowbray, the pork pie capital of the world. Booking is essential and starts with a conversation with Jonny. You can get in touch using the details on the Orders and enquiries page.
Coaching
Jonny offers sessions of coaching in the form of a ‘thinking partnership’ with you. This can be as a one-off or for multiple sessions, whatever works best for you, and online or face to face at Kaleidoscope Field or somewhere else local. The idea is for you to use Jonny to help explore and develop change in your life. This could be for anything from what’s going on in your work life to dealing with or bringing about personal change. Jonny’s training is in the transformative coaching approach championed by the Animas coaching school and he is qualified to senior practitioner level with the International Coaching Federation. It starts with a free call or meeting to discuss what you’re interested in. Contact details are on the Orders and enquiries page. If you’re interested in checking out Jonny’s background first his LinkedIn profile is at linkedin.com/in/jonnygutteridge/. His fun fact is he once helped Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn record an album in Africa.
Shiatsu
Charlotte has been a shiatsu therapist for 27 years working in private practice and through projects working with vulnerable people and she is able to offer home visits in the Vale of Belvoir. Shiatsu is a Japanese massage therapy with physical bodywork that uses manipulation and stretching. It’s great for managing long standing conditions and chronic pain and helps you keep healthy and mobile. If you would like to give it a try please contact Jonny initially via the details on our Orders and enquiries page.
Volunteering and conservation activities
If you’re interested in helping grow fruit and veg, in developing and maintaining wildlife habitat or just spending time keeping fit in the outdoors please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Working with other people is much more fun than doing it alone, especially when it’s wet and windy! If you’d like to have a go we’ll give you a choice of things to do and we’ll help you learn the skills you need, going at your own pace and in your comfort zone. In return we can offer cups of tea or coffee, one of the finest farmland views in the area, job satisfaction and respect for your wellbeing 🙂 You can get in touch via the Orders and enquiries page.