Chatting Rewilding & Disconnecting with Katie Rixon of Blyth Rise Stays

Blyth Rise Stays is a ten-acre rewilding site in Suffolk, where guests can find twelve stylish lodges (six lake lodges and six woodland iglu huts). Designed for those who want to surround themselves with nature and disconnect from everyday life without compromising on luxury and style, both the lodges and huts are perfect for cosy autumn getaways. Guests can cosy up inside their lodge or wrap up warm to relax outdoors by the fire pits. There are also on-site saunas, yoga classes and massage and beauty treatments to help you unwind. 

To celebrate our competition with Blyth Rise Stays, we caught up with Katie, owner of the Suffolk lodges to chat about their rewilding project and what a stay in one of their luxury lodges or igluhuts looks and feels like. 

Could you tell us the story behind Blyth Rise’s beginnings?

We are a small family-run business with a passion for sustainability and the planet, so we wanted to create something that tied in with these values. For us, Blyth Rise Stays is more than just a holiday business; it’s a passion project, conceived over many years as we worked to turn our family land in Laxfield into what you see today. Originally the plan was to build the six lake lodges as a family getaway – one for each of the five (grown-up) children and one for the parents. This quickly changed, with the idea to make it a countryside retreat where people can come and recharge surrounded by nature, while exploring some of our favourite places in Suffolk. 

We knew we wanted them to be minimal, screen-free places with a focus on reconnecting with the natural world, but without compromising on style or comfort. We also knew we wanted to tie in outdoor yoga (I am also the resident yoga teacher) and holistic therapies such a massage, saunas etc. We then went hunting for some smaller cabins which would complement the lodges, and immediately fell in love with the Igluhuts (and the saunas). With that, our accommodation offering was complete.

What rewilding work have you already carried out on site, and what plans do you have for the future?

Blyth Rise Stays is built on a ten-acre site, which is land that we have owned for over thirty years. It used to be farmland, and over the last two decades we have slowly rewilded, landscaped and planted to create what you see today. This includes digging out the beautiful lake and waterways and planting over 2,000 trees and hedges. The landscaping came way before the idea of creating the holiday business, which is something that has evolved very organically. 

All the trees we have planted are UK natives, and we have swathes of wildflower meadows, hills covered in pollinating flowers to keep the bees happy, and acres of wild grasses with paths cut through them for people to explore. The lake is a bustling hub of biodiversity with all sorts of wildlife calling it ‘home’: giant carp, ducks and moorhen who return year after year to breed, water-voles and even a visiting otter. The wildlife and birdlife is fabulous and part of our conscious decision not to allow pets, as we wanted to let the wildlife run free and take precedence. The same goes for the lake, which is not safe for people to swim in as it is left undredged to ensure it stays a haven for its residents.  

Our plans constantly evolve depending on the requirements of the site and also based on the weather. We built a vegetable garden last year with produce available for guests and would love to expand this, perhaps adding a greenhouse too. We plan on planting more fruit trees (a nod to Pam and Mark’s previous careers in the fruit industry) and are always open to new ideas as things evolve.

We love that you have no wifi and encourage your guests to disconnect. What activities would you recommend for guests who this concept is new to?

We have a book swap in our onsite honesty shop, along with loads of puzzles and additional board games (Backgammon is very popular) and all cabins have Scrabble and Rummikub (family favourites). Each cabin also has its own firepit and outdoor seating, along with telescopes to borrow, and we encourage star-gazing by night. We have almost zero light pollution so the views are fabulous! During the day there is so much to see; a beautiful village to explore, along with two great pubs, and bikes can be hired for those wanting to explore further afield or head to the Suffolk coast.

What do you most love about being surrounded by nature?

Feeling so connected to the changing seasons, the wildlife, and the flora and fauna around you is such a grounding way to live. Seeing all the flowers and trees in their seasonal cycles of growth and change is a good reminder to slow down, and that everything is constantly changing and evolving. But as we know that the final leaves will all have fallen by early December, we also know that the first shoots of Spring in early March start the cycle all over again and everything will return. It is lovely to have that certainty in a world where everything moves so quickly and can feel so uncertain. There is also nothing more calming than time spent by the lake watching the comings and goings of the butterflies, dragonflies, ducks and fish; and marvelling at the busy bees as they buzz about from flower to flower.

What are your top three tips for exploring the local area? 

Mix up how you explore and the speed you do so. Take one long walk to explore the local countryside. Spend a day hiring bikes to go to nearby towns such as Framlingham to explore the castle, market and pretty square there. And finally spend a day at the famous Suffolk coast – swim in the sea, walk along the beach and definitely don’t skip the fish and chips!

And could you recommend a favourite local walk?

The circular walk that starts and ends in Walberswick but goes via Dunwich has it all: across marshlands, through the forest and back along the beach. It’s about a three hour round trip but has two excellent pubs- one halfway and one at the end. Plus it gives you the opportunity to explore Dunwich, known as the “Atlantis of Britain” as it was once a bustling mediaeval port city and is now entirely underwater with just the village left with a church, a few houses and a pub.

Could you describe your ideal autumn evening at Blyth?

A walk down to our local pub The Low House for a drink in one of their cosy rooms by the fire, then walk back before dark, fire up the firepit and wrap up warm outside while stargazing and dining outside (BBQs are not just for Summer!), followed by cosying up in our cocooning beds in the Igluhuts with a good book. 

Find out more about Blyth Rise Stays here.