Martin Dunford | 17 May 2022
9 enchanting woodland glamping sites in the UK
Discover some of the best glamping pods, shepherd huts and treehouses for a magical woodland escape in this edited extract from Cool Places' new book 'Glamping Getaways'...
Discover some of the best glamping pods, shepherd huts and treehouses for a magical woodland escape in this edited extract from Cool Places' new book 'Glamping Getaways'...
Want to swap pitching a tent for a more luxurious option this summer? In the new book Glamping Getaways: Britain’s Most Stylish Glamping Stays published by Cool Places, author Martin Dunford takes a look at some of the top glamping breaks around Britain. Here, he suggests nine magical woodland glampsites around England and Scotland, so you can be at one with nature from the comfort of your cosy pod, shepherd hut, yurt, tipi or treehouse.
Escape to Elmley Nature Reserve (Cool Places)
Tucked away in a remote corner of Kent, Elmley Nature Reserve is one of southern England’s hidden gems, a seemingly endless expanse of sky and water that also hosts some very comfortable glamping accommodation. As well as a selection of beautifully appointed shepherds huts overlooking the reeds and marshes, the reserve is also home to a number of summer woodland bell tents – well spaced out, very cosy and each one comfortably sleeping 4 people. It’s a wonderful place for glamping – full of wildlife (you can spot marsh harriers, lapwings, herons, owls and much more); trails lead to different bird hides, and they run organised tours, guided walks and residential wildlife photography courses. They also serve great breakfasts and delicious dinners!
Bell Tents £125 a night, £135 with electricity.
More information: Elmley Nature Reserve
Escape to East Sussex with the Original Hut Company (Cool Places)
A short drive or train journey from London, this is a perfect retreat from city life, an enchanting woodland that bursts with bluebells in spring and hosts a collection of sturdy shepherd's huts. Built from recycled and reclaimed materials, these cosy glamping abodes are eco-friendly but don’t compromise on comfort, with solar energy providing lighting, gas hobs for cooking and separate huts with pristine showers and eco loos. There are wood-burning stoves to keep you warm, fires are permitted in the designated firepits and in the autumn there's no sweeter smell than wind-fallen chestnuts roasting on the campfire. They also have a fab on-site café, shop and spa!
From £82–£100 a night.
More information: The Original Hut Company
Have a gypsy caravan break in the New Forest (Cool Places)
Just outside Ringwood on the edge of the New Forest, Fernwood Glamping is home to a good-sized shepherds hut that can be used as a romantic break or a family getaway, and a beautifully painted gypsy caravan, snuggled into a woodland area next to open fields, where deer and rabbits play. Both have wood burning stoves and electricity, and the gypsy caravan has sole use of a nearby summerhouse overlooking a pond, which has a handy mini fridge and kettle. Just walk out and you’re in the forest.
From £80 per night –minimum 3-night stay in high season.
More information: Fernwood Glamping
Hide away in rural Suffolk (Cool Places)
Woodland glamping doesn't come much better or more accessible than this wonderful glamping site deep in the heart of rural Suffolk, with a selection of rustic pods and lodges set in olive-green woods criss-crossed with paths and cycle trails. There are 4 distinctive and surprisingly roomy ‘megapods’, 2 woodland lodges and the so-called 'Pod Hollow’ – designed with Tolkien in mind and perfect for your very own Middle Earth adventure. It's the sort of place people return to again and again, and you may find yourself doing the same.
From £80–£90 a night (for 2 adults).
More information: West Stow Pods
Explore the Norfolk Broads from Clippesby Hall (Cool Places)
About a mile from the river at Thurne, this long-standing Norfolk Broads campsite was fashioned by local landowner John Lindsay out of the wooded grounds of his home at Clippesby Hall, and is a wonderful location for exploring the Broads National Park – on foot, by bike, or even by boat. Their very desirable shepherds hut and comfortable wooden lodges in the trees offer a taste of woodland glamping but with the extra benefit of having lots of creature comforts close at hand, from a brilliant shop and café to bike hire. And it’s dog friendly too!
Shepherds hut from £70 a night – 2-night minimum stay.
More information: Clippesby Hall
Rufus's Roost is a fairy-tale hideaway in North Yorkshire (Cool Places)
The guys at Baxby Manor have been hosting rustic pods and ‘hoggit houses’ at this off-grid and very peaceful North Yorkshire glamping site for a while, but they raised the bar a little higher a few years ago when they opened Rufus's Roost, a luxurious purpose-built yet almost fairy-tale structure whose turreted profile looks like something conjured from a dream, perched on a hillside in Baxby Manor's woodlands and reached by way of a raised boardwalk through the trees. Once here, you can enjoy pure peace and uninterrupted views through the trees across the Moors, have a soak in the terrace hot tub and basically commune with nature to your heart's content
Short breaks (Mon–Fri or Fri–Mon) £1450; pods from £50 a night, hoggit houses from £120 a night.
More information: Rufus's Roost
Glamping in the Shropshire Hills at Walcot Hall (Cool Places)
With a kaleidoscope of different glamping options spread around the hillside arboretum of this Shropshire country estate, this is woodland glamping at its purest and most varied. Walcot Hall is perfectly placed for exploring the beautiful Shropshire Hills, and, in addition to a number of comfy self-catering cottages, offers no fewer than ten different glamping hideouts spread around the 30-acre site that provide a true sense of woodland seclusion. Choose between five yurts, a couple of gypsy caravans and romantic shepherd's huts, even a converted fire truck. Then settle in and wander down to the estate’s very own pub for dinner.
From £120–£200 for a 2-night weekend.
More information: Walcot Hall Glamping
Stamford Cider Huts in Lincolnshire (Cool Places)
Surrounded by newly planted apple trees and a wildflower meadow, these two shepherds huts feel like quite an escape, yet they are very easy to get to – just a short drive from the A1 and close to the many and varied delights of Stamford itself. Supplied with super high quality fixtures and fittings, they ooze country charm, and it's hard to imagine glamping being more comfortable. Privacy is paramount too: you're shielded by the trees and flowers, while cars are parked 100m away. With a comfy double bed, wood-burning stove, fast wifi and a sumptuous fitted bathroom and shower, it's like having your own five-star en-suite hotel room in the woods!
Rates from £110 to £150 a night.
More information: Stamford Cider Huts
Book a tipi at Comrie Croft by Loch Lomond (Cool Places)
Situated a few miles north of the charming town of Dunblane, on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Comrie Croft is as good an introduction to the natural glories of Scotland as you would wish for – an eco-friendly Highland retreat with direct access to some fantastic mountain-bike trails and a wide choice of accommodation, including 7 tipis (or ‘katas’) that are provided with wood-burning stoves, throws, cushions and solar powered lighting. It’s a great location, with fabulous walking and cycle trails in every direction, and it’s extremely eco-friendly too, with an emphasis on self-sufficiency, recycling and rural regeneration – not to mention a brilliant farm shop stacked full of local produce.
Katas £99 per week night, £229 per weekend (Fri–Sun), £299 (Sun-Fri), £499 a week.
More information: Comrie Croft
All glampsites can be booked through www.coolplaces.co.uk
This third edition of Glamping Getaways (£18.99) is published by Cool Places and is available from all the usual online and offline outlets
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