Where To Go Glamping This Summer
FOR FAMILY FUN:
Summer Camp by The Good Life Society, Wales
The Good Life Society is hosting its annual Summer Camp experience, bringing American-style camping to the UK. In a walled garden on the Hawarden Estate in north Wales, the camp takes place across four three-day weekends in July. Groups are kept small (with space for only 125 people) so you can easily secure spots at the workshops, expeditions and craft sessions, as well as author talks, foraging sessions and pottery classes. Other activities for adults and kids include abseiling from Hawarden Castle, wild swimming, paddleboarding and dips in the hot tub. Each night, communal dinners are cooked by top chefs like Romy Gill, Valentine Warner and Damian Clisby. Accommodation ranges from rooms in the main house and shepherd’s huts to bell tents or campervans – you can also pitch your own tent.
From £312 per person
Visit TheGoodLifeSociety.co.uk
FOR A LUXURY WEEKEND:
Hives at Callow Hall, Peak District
Callow Hall in the Peak District opened its doors last summer. Within a few months it had been named The Sunday Times hotel of the year thanks to its excellent facilities and characterful interiors by Isabella Worsley. It recently opened a collection of treehouses and 11 woodland ‘Hives’ where guests can stay in wooden cabins tucked away in the trees. Each has a king-sized bed, a modern en-suite with shower, and a kitchenette with fridge, microwave and sink. Guests can relax in fluffy robes and slippers, and make use of the ‘chef’s cupboard’ filled with handy ingredients. Thoughtful extras mean you won’t be off grid – think Roberts radios, smart TVs and Nespresso machines.
From £345 per night
Visit Wildhive.uk
FOR SAFARI-STYLE GLAMPING:
The Nest, Lincolnshire
The Nest offers luxury lakeside glamping at its safari-inspired lodges in Lincolnshire, just a 90-minute drive from London. Ideal for families who want to switch off but still enjoy some home comforts – like comfy beds with plush linens, wood-burning stoves and freestanding baths – there are three dog-friendly lodges to choose from. Each has a king-size room with lake views, as well as a twin room and separate king-size cabin bunk. The hub is the open-plan living room/kitchen with a wood burner and sofas for taking in the views, while a deck for al fresco meals awaits outside. Guests can add on extras like picnic hampers, outdoor film and fire pit evenings and hot tub hire. Relax at the lodge with its boardgames, use its kayaks on the nearby lake, or explore family friendly attractions like Rutland Aqua Park and Ferry Meadows.
From £750 for four-night stays
Visit TheNestGlamping.co.uk
FOR A GIRLS TRIP:
Home Farm Glamping, Hertfordshire
A weekend with Home Farm Glamping on its beautiful estate in Hertfordshire would make for a fun girls trip. Only 13 miles from central London, it’s the ideal spot for a bit of short-term R&R. Guests can choose from a range of yurts or bell tents with double beds and luxury linens, and an outdoor seating area with a fire pit and barbecue. You can pre-book cooked breakfasts, afternoon tea hampers and BBQ meal boxes, all of which are freshly prepared on site by a catering team. Home Farm can also organise activities like outdoor yoga, wine tastings, wellbeing workshops, drawing classes and even bespoke massages. This summer, there are new nature-inspired workshops and classes led by SouLand Yoga.
Four-person tents start from £100 per night; five-person yurts start from £130
Visit HomeFarmGlamping.com
FOR HOME COMFORTS:
Malting Farm, Essex
In the village of Little Bentley, near Colchester, Malting Farm is a working family farm with a collection of cabins in a secluded wildflower meadow. Offering a peaceful, rural break without compromising on home comforts, all three cabins sleep four to six in two bedrooms and feature hot tubs, decking areas, fully equipped kitchens and feature baths. Cabins come with a welcome pack of locally sourced treats and homemade cake, and guests have access to Malting Farm’s communal areas, including a zip wire, nature trail and honesty shop. You can also choose to stay in one of four glamping bell tents or two treehouses.
From £140 per night
Visit MaltingFarm.co.uk
FOR A FOODIE RETREAT:
Bert's Kitchen Garden, Wales
This eco campsite on the Llŷn peninsula in north Wales was made for foodies and families. Pitch up on wildflower meadows or in orchards next to streams on the private estate – bring your own tent or campervan, or stay in one of two glamping safari tents. The site has shower blocks with eco-friendly toiletries, composting toilets, BBQs for hire and a small kitchen with washing-up facilities and fridges. Little ones will love the treehouses and rope swings, while adults will appreciate the kitchen garden restaurant which serves seasonal food made from produce grown on site. This summer, Bert’s will open two huts – designed to look like retro railway carriages – in a private paddock next to the kitchen. The huts will sleep two with king-sized beds, a marble-tiled shower room with hot water, and a shared firepit for alfresco cooking. The site is wi-fi and car free so expect to be off grid and transfer your equipment to camp by wheelbarrow.
Camping pitches start from £22 per night; huts start from £90 per night
Visit BertsKG.com
FOR AMERICAN CAMP VIBES:
Camp Wildfire, Kent
This summer, Camp Wildfire will pitch up on an estate in Sevenoaks, Kent, just 40 minutes from London by train. This party destination offers adults an all-American summer camp experience with over 100 activities to choose from, including quad biking, jewellery making, horse riding, calligraphy, yoga, cocktail making, and drama and dance workshops – there’s even a radio station tent for budding broadcasters. Try food and drink from the various street food stalls and bars, then head to the main stage where musicians perform every night. You can pitch your own tent, or stay in boutique bell tents, emperor tents or airstream trailers, which come with luxury facilities like pamper rooms and separate lounges. There’s also an on-site spa with wood-fired hot tubs.
Tickets start from £245 plus accommodation costs
Visit CampWildfire.co.uk
FOR A RUSTIC BREAK:
Feather Down Farms, Various Locations
Want to reconnect with nature and go back to basics? Feather Down has 29 farms around the UK including in Sussex, the New Forest, Norfolk, Somerset and Cornwall. Guests can stay in canvas hideaways that don’t have any electricity, and are instead kitted out with candles and oil lamps for a rustic experience – think starlit skies, roasted marshmallows under blankets by the fire, and cooking over a warm stove. Some have access to nearby lakes with family friendly activities like den building, painting and foraging, while others include wood-fired hot tubs overlooking rolling hills. A great option for kids, little ones can visit animals at the farms, spot wildlife and play in the woodland playgrounds.
Two-night stays start from £344
Visit FeatherDown.co.uk
FOR AN ECO STAY:
Top Of The Woods, Pembrokeshire
Top of the Woods is an eco-friendly site in south-west Wales. Here, it’s all about reconnecting with nature and appreciating a slower way of life. Families can choose from boutique safari lodges set in their own wildflower meadow with remarkable views of Pembrokeshire National Park. Around and about, there are woodlands, nature domes (which kids will love) and Pioneer Camps, complete with wagon-style kitchen-dining areas. Adults can relax in hammocks, while kids play in the Hide & Seek Garden. Order bacon baps or shakshuka from the breakfast bar and a pizza from the on-site pop-up for supper. Every Tuesday, the camp runs a fishmonger stall where families can barbecue their own seafood.
Camping pitches start from £16 per night; tents start from £100 per night
Visit TopOfTheWoods.co.uk
FOR SLOW LIVING:
Campwell, Bath
Campwell is in Cherry Wood, near Bath. There are two types of accommodation on offer: Campwell Woods is an eco-village where guests stay in log cabins, yurts, cob roundhouses and shepherd’s huts with access to compost toilets, warm showers and kitchens; Campwell Farm comprises nine bell tents with wood-burning stoves. All come with comfortable beds, hot showers and a wood-fired sauna, as well as a communal BBQ area. If you’re travelling as a large group, book the Chief’s Den, which is three adjoining yurts on a wooden sundeck. Sleeping up to four people across two bedrooms, it has a large living space, private bathroom and kitchen. In terms of activities, glampers can sign up for archery classes, woodwork courses, foraging-to-fork sessions, outdoor yoga classes, wild swimming and paddleboarding.
Accommodation starts from £100 per night
Visit Campwell.co.uk
FOR A DIGITAL DETOX:
Unplugged, Various Locations
For busy city workers in need of total escape, Unplugged opened its first digital detox cabin in Essex a few years ago. It now has cabins in Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Sussex and the New Forest. Guests can book in for tech-free, three-night detoxes – you’ll have to hand over your devices to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Eco-friendly cabins have everything for a comfortable stay, including hot showers, a kitchenette with a kettle and gas hob, a small living area with an indoor wood burner, and outdoor space with a fire pit and chairs. Guests are also given a welcome box with an old-school Nokia (in case of emergencies), a compass and a lockbox to store their everyday phones; an Instax camera with film; a cassette player with music; and boardgames for evening entertainment.
Cabins start from £130 per night
Visit Unplugged.Rest
FOR A PRIVATE CHEF EXPERIENCE:
Penhein, Wales
Penhein offers guests a slice of luxury with bespoke experiences at its glamp site in Monmouthshire. Groups or families can stay in one of eight tents, each sleeping up to five, with bohemian décor, a firepit, wood burner and access to a communal kitchen. Groups will also have their own luxury bathroom, complete with fluffy towels, candles and even Jo Malone toiletries. This summer, the site has introduced a range of experiences including a ‘Gourmet Feast & Forage’ option that sees guests forage for their dinner before chefs cook it over the fire; firepit fine dining with private chefs; and woodland banquets for long dinners under the stars. Other activities include archery, cookery classes, raft building and paddleboarding.
Two-night stays start from £295 for five
Visit Penhein.co.uk
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