We are thrilled to announce that our sister company Rusty Sheds has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious ‘Glamping Business of the Year’ award in the 2024 Devon Tourism Awards. Home to two luxury self-catering cabins nestled in the unspoilt Devon countryside on the Flete Estate, Rusty Sheds has earned a well deserved reputation for excellence within the rural tourism industry.
The Devon Tourism Awards celebrate the very best of Devon’s tourism industry, recognising businesses that demonstrate excellence in both their offering and service. To be shortlisted as a finalist in the highly competitive ‘Glamping Business of the Year’ category is a huge honour for the team.
The winner of the Glamping Business of the Year award will be announced at the Devon Tourism Awards ceremony on 21st November, watch this space for further updates.
Want to build your own award winning cabin? Get in touch with the team and we can help bring your ideas to fruition.
Shortlisted in two categories- the South West Best Rural Start-Up Business and the Best Rural Professional Services Business.
In 2019 we were thrilled that Life Space Cabins was named as a South West Regional Finalist for Rural Business Awards 2019/20.
We were shortlisted in two categories- the South West Best Rural Start-Up Business and the Best Rural Professional Services Business.
Founder and Director Jamie Wilson said “We are delighted to be a regional finalist at the 2019/20 Rural Business Awards and to represent our region amongst some other strong rural businesses. We are passionate about where we live and work but also how we can work with those wishing to diversify and create glamping or domestic small spaces that will complement their own landscapes no matter where they are in the country”
The aim of the Rural Business Awards has not changed over the years with the aim to give recognition to businesses operating right across the Rural sector, to acknowledge the breadth and depth of opportunity presented by the Great British countryside, as well as to celebrate the achievements of our rural businesses, from engineering through to artisan food producers and professional services organisations.
Reconnection, Motivation and Dedication
Life Space Cabins are working with inspiring couple Jeremy and Michelle who have made the leap to turn their vision of creating Rosemere Cornwall – a magical slice of heaven on earth in Cornwall, where people will be able to come to recharge, relax and reconnect into a reality.
What was it about Cornwall that made you want to move back from Australia?
We felt that Cornwall really called to us. We were ready to leave Australia for a couple of years and were discussing where to next. I was at a retreat in the South of France (whilst Jeremy was visiting family in the UK). Whilst in a meditation I saw Cornwall appear before me as an option. This surprised me as I hadn’t been there since I was about 7 years old on holiday. Later on that day, Jeremy received a phone call from a friend who lived in Cornwall who had heard of someone wanting to sell a piece of land quickly and he thought of Jeremy. You can imagine my face when I received a text that afternoon saying ‘what do you think of this?’ with a link to the ad and I clicked through and saw it was in Cornwall!! It was just meant to be and we said yes, before we had even seen the place in person. We felt 100% sure it was meant for us. Cornwall is one of the most magical and beautiful spots in the UK. Its wild location at the end of the country is a nature lover’s paradise, combined with all the legends of giants, mermaids, pirates, talented creatives and sacred sites. What’s not to love?
Tell us a bit about your business venture concept and how you see it evolving?
Rosemere will be our home and also an eco-friendly nature retreat where visitors can relax, take in the beautiful surrounds, reconnect with themselves and what’s most important to them. We envisage a small number of beautiful eco cabins and a central space for intimate events, where people can enjoy the lake and surrounding views. It’s the ideal location, very close to both Falmouth and Redruth and will be perfect for either a personal getaway or for a small group who want to visit and have their own retreat or a special celebration. We would like to collaborate with the local creative community in different initiatives and have lots of ideas to explore in the future. There are so many amazing small business owners in Cornwall and we look forward to showcasing some of their work and creations, in what we do and having pop-up events.
What advice or top tip would you give to someone else thinking of taking the leap similar to yours?
Make sure you’ve won the lottery and have inexhaustible amounts of patience and finances. Have a deadline in mind and then times that by 10….
Ensure that you have a knowledgeable consultant on your side as you navigate the minefield of requirements, that seem to be specifically generated to create delays, confuse and frustrate you as much as possible!
It’s essential to manage your expectations and realise that everything will happen in stages, very very slow stages…and that for the most part, it’s out of your control. Rosemere is a very unique site though as it used to be a quarry, so we’ve had some specific aspects to take into consideration.
What have been the hardest lessons and/or bravest moments so far?
The biggest frustrations are how long everything seems to take (have I mentioned how long everything takes? :-), the hoops we need to jump through and how expensive everything is, as part of the development process. Maybe it was naïve but we had no idea that everything would be so complex, involved and lengthy. We’ve had numerous discussions about ‘if we had realised we would be spending in excess of 6 figures, after the sale, for various eco reports and explorations (such as, soil, tree, flora and fauna, water, building, engineering-related, landscaping etc etc) before we’re even living there, would we still be doing this?’ Let’s just say there have been several wistful conversations over episodes of ‘Escape to the Chateau’ and ‘George Clarkes Amazing Small Spaces’.
It’s depressing to see how much money is being spent and have nothing tangible to show for it. However it’s essential, foundational work that must be completed, so it’s not a case of not doing it. However, we are so far along the process now that there is no turning back and we are 100% committed.
Why is self-belief so important and how do you keep yourselves motivated?
Rosemere is a vision that Michelle had about 20 years ago but never knew where it would be. Jeremy had a similar vision of returning to the countryside and creating something special on a beautiful piece of land. We’re very much on the same page in what we want to create. Having congruent values and ethics is essential when in a partnership, wanting to create something that will be there long after we are gone. We want to contribute to making the world a better place in a sustainable way, supporting our environment. We’re currently planting 220 tree saplings from the Woodland Trust and this has been a wonderful process of reminding us of what’s important. Planting for future generations and forming a close relationship with the land keeps us motivated. Nature has seasons and it’s a great reminder that everything in life has its own time frame and process.
To follow the Rosemere journey find them on Instagram @rosemere.cornwall
If you are looking or have a vision for a similar business venture then give the Life Space team a call. 01364 705057 or email [email protected]