Have you ever wanted to step straight into a movie setting? Because that is me literally all of the time.
I love planning and discovering travel adventures inspired by films and books. There is something so wonderful about bringing fictional worlds to life in the magical way that only travel can achieve.
And you don’t necessarily have to go to a film set across the world to do so, you can find inspiration in your own country’s backyard.
Today we’re embarking on a trip to the marshes inspired by the book and film Where The Crawdads Sing, to live like Kya Clark, the marsh girl, who loved her home in the North Carolina marshes more than anything.
It’s a little slice of southern America right here in the United Kingdom.
What location in England resembles the marshes that our heroine loved so much? Elmley Nature Reserve, which is only 40 miles outside of London.
So let’s celebrate the release of the film Where the Crawdads Sing – now available to Download & Keep to watch in the comfort of your own home. We had the best time exploring and enjoying our getaway at Elmley and all of its magical connections to the film Where the Crawdads Sing.
9 magical reasons to visit Elmley Nature Reserve
1. Isle of Sheppey’s marshlands
It might not be exactly like the marshes from the film setting in North Carolina, but England has quite a stunning landscape to rival it.
Located on the Isle of Sheppey, and only an hour away from London, is the Elmley Nature Reserve. It’s a vast 3,300 acres of wilderness with absolutely breathtaking scenery and wildlife in abundance.
The reserve is one of the largest homes to birds in England with around 30-40,000 birds there! It’s a bird watchers paradise and people flock (sorry, had to) from all over the country to visit this sanctuary. From lapwings to wading birds to even owls, there is plenty to see.
And the view from above is UNBELIEVABLE. I recently upgraded our drone and I cannot wait to share so much from our travel adventures. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know the moment (no spoilers!) but when Kya and Chase are in the Fire Tower and she sees the marsh from above for the first time…
“It’s like having a friend your whole life, but you never saw their full face. Now I see it.” – Kya
We don’t often get to experience things from a completely different perspective, like the birds in the sky, so we got our own Fire Tower moment from the ground below… with a little peek into what nature looks like from a bird’s eye view.
And it’s beautiful.
2. The Huts
Checking into your accommodation at Elmley Nature Reserve feels like a dream. We wandered the path to our very own personal hut for our stay.
It’s quite the bougie upgrade from living life quite like Kya in the marsh, but I think it’s absolutely more our style. We stayed in The Damson which includes all your necessities that you’d find at home… alongside an exceptional view out into the marshes.
Other huts on the property do include wood burning stoves to heat your property. You can really rough your stay much like in Where the Crawdads Sing… or you can slightly upgrade it a little bit! I like to think of our stay as what Kya does to fix up her home after her first pay check.
You can book into the Elmley Nature Reserve here, rooms start at £140 per night, but The Damson Hut which we stayed in is closer to £200.
3. Spotting all kinds of magical birds at Elmley Nature Reserve
The nature reserve is HUGE, so if you’re not up for a huge wander around the properly, then a private 4×4 Nature Safari tour around the reserve is the perfect thing to do! We spent two hours with our guide Abbie roaming the grounds and doing a spot of birdwatching.
I learned so much from Abbie who is bursting with information and can spot each and every bird about a mile away. It is amazing talent and we were completely enthralled learning about the wildlife on the reserve.
A small tidbit of information for you, did you know that sea gulls aren’t actually called “sea” gulls? They’re simply gulls. There’s no such thing as a seagull. Mind. Blown.
For bespoke private tours (any day of the week) which can be tailored to suit your interest and run for between 90 and 180 minutes are priced from £45 per adult.
4. Live off the land and cook your own food
Whether that’s cooking in your accommodation over your own fire pit or stove top… or taking a cooking class on the site, you can learn some amazing skills by cooking with fire.
On our first night, we enjoyed a workshop with our host Scott Ryan (from Wild Classroom) our at The Ferryman’s Shepherd Hut on the reserve. We spent the evening cooking and braving the windy elements outside to prep and cook our dinner on a big smoky fire pit complete with loads of freshly picked autumn vegetables. It made for a seriously cool experience.
We expanded our knowldge about food education from Scott who led us through everything, the process, the history, and most importantly, cooking with fire.
We cooked spelt or ‘speltotto’ with plenty of autumn veggies alongside fennel flatbreads. Followed by apple spiced pancakes for dessert. And marshmallows roasted over the fire, of course!
5. Or… have the Farmhouse chefs prepare your fare
Or alternatively another great option is dining in The Farmhouse where you won’t be working for your supper. The Kingshill Farmhouse is beautiful and it’s like dining in someone’s very beautiful home. They also have a seasonal menu with locally sourced produce to choose from.
However if you’re reading this before October 18th, then you’ve got a chance at an exquisite dinner inspired by Where the Crawdads Sing. A southern style private dining menu awaits. Starting with Mac and cheese and spicy prawns to a mouthwatering main of southern fried chicken, spiced green beans and creamed corn. Complete the evening with a spot of dessert, a buttermilk caramel cake to top it all off.
You can experience this by entering the competition here with Sony to win your very own stay on the Isle of Sheppey.
6. Practice mindfulness with an art class
Pick up your paints just like Kya and try your hand at painting some of the wildlife. I did a very poor painting of a crawdad, but it was so therapeutic to sit down and paint for a few hours. I hardly minded how it would turn out.
The reserve also offers a variety of mindfulness activities, such as yoga as well.
7. Disconnect from your daily life
Your technology might not work at peak performance out here. And while some might find a downside to that, I think it was incredibly refreshing to not worry about posting to social media or constantly checking emails.
It’s a chance to completely unwind and connect with nature. I felt so wonderful for taking the impromptu break.
PS. If you are desperate or need to get some work done, signal will pop in and out depending on your location on the reserve. And the Farmhouse has free wifi you can use if need be too.
8. Bask in the glow of the flame from a fire pit
I love the fact that we had our own little fire pit outside our hut. Our second night before dinner we lit the fire, opened a bottle of wine and enjoyed watching the sunset fade into darkness. It’s so tranquil and serene. I could have spent a full week enjoying our time there.
We even lit it again the next morning to enjoy our breakfast and coffee by the fire. PS. They deliver breakfast to your hut! Wherever you’re staying on the reserve, they deliver to you and it is delicious!
9. You might just spot an owl
On our final morning, we woke up and opened the curtains to enjoy the view and within moments we were treated to a once in a lifetime sight. A white barn owl swooped right past our window!!!
It was incredible. I can’t explain how magical that moment felt to me (also, Hogwarts vibes, anyone?!) Take a look at the owl! I’m so sad I didn’t manage to get a photo but I’ll never forget it!
It is truly magical experience in one of the most unique stays in the United Kingdom.
And of course, you can enjoy a stay at Elmley Nature Reserve just like I did! You can book into Elmley Nature Reserve here.
Kelly xox
‘Whenever I stumbled, the marsh caught me. At some unclaimed moment, at last, the heart pain seeped away, like water into sand. Still there, but deep.” – Kya
