Where To Go Glamping This Summer
Malting Farm, Essex
For Home Comforts
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 and nature trail, as well as access to the lake for swimming and paddleboarding. You can also choose to stay in one of four glamping bell tents or two treehouses.
From £140 per night
Visit MaltingFarm.co.uk
The Nest, Lincolnshire
For Safari-Style Glamping
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 the same home comforts – think 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 bedroom with lake views, as well as a twin room and separate king-sized 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 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
Hives At Callow Hall, Peak District
For A Luxury Weekend
Callow Hall in the Peak District opened its doors two years ago and within a few months had been named The Sunday Times hotel of the year thanks to its excellent facilities and characterful interiors by Isabella Worsley. It also has a collection of treehouses and 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
Feather Down Farms, Various Locations
For A Rustic Break
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
Tudor Farmhouse
For Camping & A Hotel Stay
Tudor Farmhouse is a small boutique hotel in Gloucestershire near the famous Forest of Dean and Wye Valley. This summer, the team has created a special two-night glamping package (available across a few weekends from Friday 21st June to Sunday 14th July), whereby guests can enjoy a night in a luxury bell tent followed by a night in the hotel. During the first night, you can wrap up with hot drinks, stargaze on the telescope, and enjoy a hamper of goodies for dinner – you’ll be given drinks and all the ingredients to cook it on the fire pit. After breakfast, guests can check into one of the cosy hotel rooms, complete with roll top baths, then tuck into dinner at the hotel’s two AA Rosette restaurant.
The Wild Sleeping package costs £620 based on two people sharing for two nights.
Bert's Kitchen Garden, Wales
For A Foodie Retreat
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. There are also four new huts, each varying in size, in a private paddock next to the kitchen. Each one has a modern en-suite 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
Top Of The Woods, Pembrokeshire
For An Eco Stay
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
Summer Camp By The Good Life Society, Wales
For Fun Workshops & Experiences
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 three three-day weekends in July and August. 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, while 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 £199pp.
Visit TheGoodLifeSociety.co.uk
Home Farm Glamping, Hertfordshire
For Family Fun
A weekend with Home Farm Glamping on its beautiful estate in Hertfordshire is perfect for a family staycation. 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. This year, there’s a new one-day family festival on Saturday 13th July with children's theatre, live music, storytelling, crafts, workshops, forest school activities, tree climbing, zip-lining, face painting, and more.
Four-person tents start from £100 per night; five-person yurts start from £130.
Visit HomeFarmGlamping.com
Campwell, Bath
For Slow Living
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
Penhein, Wales
For A Private Chef Experience
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 Jo Malone toiletries. The site has a range of experiences as well as numerous catering options, whether you’re after a special woodland dining experience, cocktail and coffee bar pitched up beside your tent, or hog roast. 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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