THROWING back the curtains on our glass fronted log cabin it is clear we are not the only visitors to this select venue.

A pheasant is perched on our private, wooden verandah, nodding his head and blinking at us. Soon he is joined by a grey squirrel scampering across the decking and a bee which insists on gently headbutting the glass.

We are in the heart of Keldy Forest, in the North York Moors National Park. The huge glass doors are thrown open and our visitors disappear sharpish. There is only the sound of the rain against wet leaves. Blissfully, there is no mobile phone signal here.

We are staying in a two-bedroom superior cabin in Keldy run by Forest Holidays, a joint public/private partnership co-owned by The Forestry Commission and The Camping and Caravanning Club. The cabins have been built using timber from Forestry Commission managed forests, which operate a sustainable replanting policy. They each blend in with the forest and are sited with discretion so you don't feel overlooked by your neighbours.

The site has the splendid feel of isolation, surrounded by towering trees, like we're staying at Grizzly Adams' joint, only inside the cabin it is more Ideal Home, decorated in mossy greens and rustic terracottas with brown leatherette seating.

The beds are comfy, are complete with bedding and the site can also provide cots and high chairs for hire. There are full cooking facilities (including a dishwasher and microwave) and a television and DVD player if you or the kids fancy an evening curled up on the sofa or if Britain's summer continues to be the wash-out it is. (If you want to up the luxury the VIP cabins have hot tubs on their verandahs and log fires.)

Then the rest is up to you. There are miles of woodland trails around Keldy for walking and cycling with bike hire from the on-site shop. There's also horse-riding available at nearby Helmsley Riding School.

We head off for a ride on a steam train courtesy of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway with a station only seven miles away at Pickering. Once aboard, it is the windows which steam up as the rain pours outside and we chug-chug our way along the line to Whitby.

At Whitby, we queue in the torrential rain for a fish and chip lunch at the famous Magpie Café where the owners have considerately left umbrellas for their would-be patrons. But the wait is worth it as always. The chips are chunky. The moist cod has been cooked in the lightest batter and the four of us devour our ample portions. We return to the cabin with a 'light picnic tea' consisting of enough food to satisfy the contestants of an American 'all-you-can-eat' pie contest.

Keldy has the feel of a campsite but without having to listen to the rain pitter-pattering against canvas all night long, which means a restful night's sleep. The next morning husband Mike asks "can I put some music on please?" and says it's terrible but it's a little too quiet for him. "Think we'll have a bit of Moby, how does that sound?"

I have already been awake two hours and, inspired by the silence, have drafted an outline for a novel. But the music is a welcome addition. And our friends on the verandah are back, as we will be one day.

TRAVEL FACTS

Forest Holidays has standard, superior and VIP cabins for weekend or week-long breaks. Some are adapted for disabled guests. Keldy is one of three sites in Forestry Commission woodlands with others at Deerpark, Liskeard in Cornwall and at Scotland's Trossachs National Park at Strathyre.

Prices at Keldy range from £137 for a standard, two-bedroom cabin for a three-night stay. For more information contact 0845-130-8223 or log onto www.forestholidays.co.uk.

For more information on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway log onto www.nymr.co.uk or contact customer services on 01751-472508