The Space

A quiet, architect-designed cabin I built with friends on the Shropshire Union Canal, set in over 0.2 acres of private, tree-lined garden on a working farm. Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Step outside and you're directly on the canal near Tyrley Locks — in summer, narrowboats pass through regularly, and watching them work the locks with a coffee in hand is one of the best things about staying here.

The cabin is a one-off — I designed and built it with friends in 2023, inspired by the plywood monocoque construction of the WW2 De Havilland Mosquito. The same logic runs through the cabin: curved ribs, stressed-skin plywood, and an interior where the structure is the finish. It's an award-winning design, selected for the Airbnb OMG Fund from over 250,000 entries worldwide.

Inside, it's a single open space. Ribbed timber walls, custom-built furniture, and warm plywood finishes throughout. Compact and considered — everything you need, nothing you don't. The layout flows naturally from sleeping to living to cooking, and the curved polycarbonate windows let in plenty of light and frame the treeline outside, making the cabin feel much larger than its footprint.

The Garden & Canal

The garden is peaceful and secluded, surrounded by mature trees, with the loudest sound usually being a narrowboat engine ticking past in the morning. It's generous for a cabin of this size and gives you somewhere proper to sit out.

You can't see the canal from the bed, but the plot connects directly to the towpath. In summer, the locks are busy with boats; in winter, it's still and quiet. You're welcome to fish along the canal during your stay.

Dogs

Well-behaved dogs are welcome to run in the garden — clean up after them, please.

Sleeping & Comfort

A solid timber bed with quality linen, extra blankets, and proper pillows. Side tables on both sides. Three electric heaters with Tapo smart plugs so you can control them from your phone, plus a biofuel fire for the evenings (we provide 1 litre of fuel to get you started). The cabin is properly warm in winter, even when it's cold outside. Eye masks are provided if you're a light sleeper.

Kitchen

Small but well-equipped: induction hob, air fryer, microwave, mini fridge, kitchen sink, and the basics you need to cook a decent meal — pots, pans, utensils, crockery, glasses, mugs, and a kettle. Tea, coffee, and a few essentials are provided to get you started. Designed for short stays rather than dinner parties, but you'd be surprised at what you can put together.

Bathroom

An integrated bathroom with a compost toilet, ventilated by a powered extraction fan and completely odour-free. Simple instructions are inside if you haven't used one before. Shampoo, body wash, hand soap, and clean towels are all provided.

Wi-Fi & Extras

High-speed Wi-Fi, strong enough for streaming and staying in touch. We've thought about the small things too: USB and 3-pin sockets where you actually need them, board games, a puzzle, a small collection of magazines and local guidebooks, and a quiet dehumidifier keeping the air fresh year-round.

Location

Market Drayton is a working market town with proper food shops, a weekly market, and pubs — 2 miles away by road (4 minutes), or about 40 minutes on foot along the canal path. The towpath walk is lovely in daylight, but it's not lit, so best kept for dry weather and earlier in the day. There's a proper pub a 5-minute walk from the cabin — good food and a warm welcome for evenings when you don't fancy cooking.

There's parking for one car directly at the cabin.

Further afield: Stafford is 15 minutes, Birmingham is about 55 minutes, and Manchester is roughly 85 minutes.

Good to Know

This is a rural, off-grid-spirited cabin on a working farm. That's what makes it special, but it comes with a few things worth knowing.

The garden isn't fully enclosed, so dogs that need a secure boundary may find it tricky.

During particularly dry summer periods, water pressure can occasionally drop out. It usually returns within an hour or two — just let us know if it happens, and we'll keep you updated.

Winter evenings are properly cold outside. Inside, the heaters and biofuel fire keep the cabin warm, but pack a decent jumper if you're planning to sit out.

The surrounding area is genuinely quiet. Public transport is limited, so a car is the best way to get here and explore.

Check-in & Support

Self-check in any time after 3 pm via a lockbox at the cabin. Detailed arrival instructions are sent the day before your stay. If you have any questions before or during your stay, call, text, or email — I'll get it sorted promptly.

A Note on Our Cleaning Fee

Our cleaning fee is higher than some listings because we pay our cleaner a fair, living wage — we think it shows in the standard of the cabin when you arrive.