World treehouse list - Europe

John Berdan
London, UK
13 February 2008

Since we built the treehouse in 1989 it has changed from a great play area for the children to a two storey party palace for the adults.

Lots of fun.

Matthieu Stettler and family
Switzerland
5 November 2007

Our treehouse was constructed in a remote and isolated forest area of the Swiss countryside. Approximately 7 meters above the ground, we built a large platform that supports a two storey high treehouse with a panoramic deck. Beech and spruce trees were used to support the entire structure and offer a peaceful environment. From up there, the magnificent panorama of the Swiss Alps can be appreciated, as well as the quiet woods surrounding the treehouse.

David Robinson
Wiltshire, UK

20 November 2006

I come from Wiltshire in England, I started making the treehouse when I was about 15, now I'm 16. It was originally going to be just a platform, but turned into a small hut in a tree with 3 different floors with ladders connecting them. This cost me about £20 (for nails), I stole and was given all of the wood to build it.

Matthew Williams
Bangor, Wales, UK

31 October 2006

I'm building this treehouse to cater for four children, it's halfway through finishing stages. It has a balcony, eventually a swing between the posts, clad with 12mm ply, rubberoid felt, and tanalised 'D' rail timber for a 'log cabin' effect.

Rone
East Sussex, UK
21 August 2006

Due to all the Oak trees having "Tree Preservation Orders" on them, I built the structure on stilts next to and under the trees.

Matthys Jules
Wanze, Belgium
23 June 2006
  

I'm 72 years old and I finally realize my dream: having a treehouse! The big terrace of 4m x 4m50 stand at 3m50 from the ground and give me a fabulous view on the surroundings. I'm sitting and dreaming there during hours, looking at birds, hearing the wind, and, when the rain fall, I go inside the treehouse, looking the nature thru the windows ... great moments !

Paul Gorrad

Fareham, Hampshire, UK
30 May 2006

Hi everyone,

I've been thinking about building a treehouse for a couple of years or so. The first woodland I was offered (owned by a friend, private, perfect!) has come under the builder's hammer and will be developed soon, so I backed out just in time! Now I have a small undisturbed wood that belongs to a friend and I can do as I wish with it. It has a spring, 3 wells somewhere in the undergrowth, and to one side of the main clearing is a wonderful old beech tree, with a massive trunk, and a crown about 14 feet up that is screaming out "BUILD HERE!"

It's quite close to the boundary with next door but he's fine about it, bottom of his land, 300 yards from any houses, and I'm planning to more or less let it evolve as it goes along, having done lots of homework first of course!

The platform will be in a single tree, in the crown, about 14 ft up, the branches are big, this is a mature tree! I thought solid fixings would be the way to go, surely it can't move much, but having read the various build techniques, I'm not sure now... Any suggestions much appreciated, I've done lots of woodwork but never anything like this, so any help much appreciated!

The woods are in a village near Fareham, Hampshire, England... In a valley, quite sheltered.

I'm planning to set up some solar/wind power, and live here, at least some of the time, this is marvellous old undisturbed woodland, shin deep in leaf mold and untouched for 100 years or so, the water from here used to be pumped up to the local manor house, so it's good stuff! Really secluded, but 1 mile from a big town, any tips much appreciated.

Greetings to tree folk everywhere, keep up the fantastic work you're all doing!

Regards, Paul.

Luxury countryside
Dijon, Burgundy, France

23 October 2005

Our treehouse is built in an ash-tree, that has four branches. This house is in lost French countryside, near a little pond spring. We built it entirely with recovery materials: pallet boards...

Paul Flatman
Goleen, Co.Cork Ireland

27 August 2005

This treehouse is half finished. The more time I spend on it the grander the design seems to be becoming. The basic shape is octagonal, about 14 feet across, and is 12 feet up in a very large ash tree.

Guy Mauchamp
Flavigny sur Ozerain, Burgundy, France

15 June 2005

Photo 1 | 2

I have build a hut in a cedar of my garden in a small medieval village of Burgundy. It is intended to my children but I also dream to build other huts to live there and work there.

Adam Willis
Woking, UK
20 March 2005

I've got a wicked tree house that me and my dad built its great!

Neil Blackburn
UK
ferniecastle.co.uk/treehouse-2/
19 January 2005

Fernie Castle Treehouse perched in six lofty sycamores, the first glimpse of the house is through the pines, rowans and elderberries, the sun glinting on copper roof tiles. It appears to grow out of the trees with the sycamores bursting right through the floor and up out of the roof.

Entry is via a flight of stairs to a fairy light-festooned balcony where double doors with striking stained glass lead you into the bedroom. The bedroom has a huge elm kingsized bed and other specially designed furniture all hand made with total comfort in mind including electricity, plumbing, heating, an alarm, telephone, flat screen TV, DVD, CD player and coffee maker, plus a fridge full of champagne, chocolates and other goodies.

Climbing up what appears to be the inside of a hollow tree, one emerges into an octagonal bathroom with walls painted twilight blue and a frieze of fairies who flit among trees overhanging pools of water. The ceiling is awash with stars and a pale moon shines onto grazing unicorns, in the centre sits a huge slipper bath under a chandelier of leaves and flowers.

Bert Houtman
Meerle, Belgium
31 March 2003

My treehouse is constructed in an old oak tree and situated 42 feet above the ground. 250 square feet give us some possibilities to sit around and enjoy the views. Unless the leaves are there.

Prokop
Prague, Czech Republic
16 January 2003

I have built a treehouse in oak tree on a hill close to Vltava river. Slovak settlement, an oppidum (10th century), took place here. Its equipment is very modest. I wanted to use natural materials only. I have made experiments with roof from bark and pitch, but it wasn't very successful. There are almost no nails in the tree. A very nice sight on the river over the forest is available.

Bireloze François
Duhort-Bachen, Landes, France
16 January 2003

When we were kids, about 8 years ago, me and two of my friends started to build a treehouse in a forest owned by one of them. We went there every week-end but one day we quarreled and let it rot. This didn't last, for when I met my friend again (the one who owns the forest), we decided to carry on as before. Now, the treehouse is not yet finished but it is a place where we come as often as possible with some other friends and it is our favourite place to party.

Kabak Natural Life
Fethiye, Mugla, Turkey
13 January 2003

At Mediterranean coast, 200m to the beach, takes place in the pine forest, everything is natural, also food. Open buffet (breakfast, dinner), swimming pool, trekking in the forest, waterfall, mitological mountain trekking, diving, and paragliding. 18 treehouses, fully protected against insects in the houses. Friendly service.

François-Xavier Redier
La Lucerne d'Outremer, Normandy, France
2 Jan 2003

It's a simple House (2m x 4m - 6.6 feet x 13) built for the kids on a 20 x 13 feet platform (4m x 6m). It's a 4 trees made with things we have on site (very rustic). The platform is 9 feet above the ground. There is another platform (radiant) 10 feet above the platform. It's covered by a roof and it's more like an observation platform.

I'm looking for advices to prevent the rain to damage the wood and to make the platforms slipery.

Nilufer-Levent AKAD
Faralya Village, Fethiye, Mugla, Turkey
27 November 2002

A wildlife spot with treehouses, for international friendship.

Wolfgang May
Nuernberg, Germany
12 October 2002

I'm an artist and I built a 25 square meter wide treehouse, two floors, kitchen, bath and porch.

It is in a height of 6.5 meters and 3.5 meters high.

David Readman
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England
26 September 2002

I built our tree house for Lucy 8 and Harry 6. It's in a leafy plum tree so only about 6' off the ground. I used rustic garden poles and sawn planks with bamboo for the roof so it would not look out of place in the jungle. Furniture - just 2 benches and a wooden box. The children love it but after they go to bed I love to take a bottle of red wine up and watch the sun go down.

Warren Pickes
Cork, Ireland
4 July 2000

Currently under construction! I've got a palette at 7m in an ash tree in my garden. Accessible via a rope ladder up the adjacent ash, then a bridge. Descent by abseil. Roof and floor the next step. No nails or bolts used - sorry guys but I think nails are wrong - I've seen that they definitely do kill branches. Rope is the way. I can advise on rope ladder construction, with the usual disclaimers.

[Editor's note: In most cases nails or bolts can be used safely in a tree. However, as with any action to a living thing, caution has to be taken and sensible limits set on the amount of damage you can expect a tree to survive. Rope can, and generally is, more harmful than these methods because it can either strangle branches or rub away sensitive bark. See my page on attachments for more information.]

Greg Vickers
Colchester, Essex, England
17 December 1999

Just built a tree house 12.5 m high by 8 m wide by 8m deep. Tree house is supported by four 4x4 posts to which is attached a rectangular frame with joists. Attached on top of this are screwed floor boards. There is a set of steps and a balcony 2.5m high and a 6ft by 6ft house with a felt roof. To give extra support the four main post have two additional pieces of wood in a cross pattern for rigidity. The wood cost £570. It took two weeks to build.

Conor Maguire
Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland
14 September 1999

My Treehouse is built in a Chestnut tree in my back garden. It was built (mark 1) for my two children in '88 but, as the tree grew, it forced the planks apart and had to be rebuilt. Mark 2 is about 8ft. X 7ft. X 6ft (H). and the floor is about 10ft. above ground level. It's reached by way of an iron spiral staircase. Although not completed, my son and I have slept in it (there is a couch and a single bed, and mains electricity with ELCB installed!). We have had parties in my house where all the children were indoors playing computer games and all the adults were in the treehouse sipping their beers and having a great old time.

We hope to complete the project this year, but are having problems waterproofing the roof, where the tree trunk passes through. Because the trunk is continually growing, it is difficult to put a tight waterproof seal around it.

Franco
Abruzzo, Italy
22 August 1998

It's a fantastic and large house, up on a beautiful hill. I've built it in 4 years. It's 3 mt x 2 mt, and it's height is 1.85mt.