Four extremely cool treehouses are coming to Norfolk

Treehouses have had a rebrand in recent years. No longer are they just garden shacks that keep kids entertained for several hours. They’re now luxurious accommodation. There are posh treehouses opening all over the country, with double glazing, hot tubs, pizza ovens, under-floor heating and mood lighting. Now, another set of bougie treehouses is on the way. 

Two years after plans were submitted, Architects Journal reports that North Norfolk District Council has given the green light for four epic treehouses in East Anglian woodland.

The houses (which will be available for holiday lets) are part of the second phase of a wider 14-home treehouse development at Swanton Wood on the 4,500-acre Astley Estate. All four properties will be built from timber that has been felled from the woodland and processed by the estate. However, each one has been designed by a different architect. 

One home (rendered up top) has been designed by Material Cultures and features two storeys built from local softwood and a rough-sawn green-oak frame.

Another thought up by Hudson Architects (from Instagram above) proposes a timber-shingle-clad pod, described as an ‘organic sculptural object hanging in the air’, inspired by nests, pine cones and chrysalises. 

A third property has been drawn up by Denizen Works (pictured above and below) and features a ‘simple black form’ sat behind timber posts.

Mole Architects has designed a fourth abode, which is a low, single-storey cabin screened by a curved timber-clad wall, enclosing a private forest garden. 

When plans were submitted, several officers in the council’s planning department called for them to be refused, arguing that they conflicted with policies aimed at preventing accommodation being built in the countryside. Supporters responded that the homes should go ahead because they provide ‘access to the countryside for tourism whilst at the same time achieving a scientifically developed funding plan that respects the ecological footprint’. 

It’s not clear when construction will begin, but you don’t have to wait until those huts are built before you can spend a night in Swanton Wood. The estate is already home to two incredible treehouses which both curve elegantly and take much of their design inspiration from the surrounding woodland. They’re available to book here now.  

Now, take a peek at all of the finest treehouses in the country.

ICYMI: Live like an aristocrat at Time Out’s best countryside hotel in the UK 2026.

Plus: A new Soho House will soon open in one of the UK’s poshest places. 

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