I ll carry on camping
Finds a site that takes the damp out of canvas
Karen Rockett
should really confess from the off: I hate camping. But my 11-year-old son adores it, as do many of my friends so I was determined to give it another go.
It is more than a decade since I last slept under canvas at a rain-logged festival but the memories of the cold linger like a damp sleeping bag that never quite dries out.
So the new Embers site in Knowlton, Kent, seemed like a good place for a wuss to restart her camping adventures.
First off, there are already pitched bell tents for hire with large inflatable beds. But this isn’t just for the lazy. It’s for first timers who may not want to invest in a big tent until they know whether or not camping is for them.
And it’s for those looking to grab a quick weekend away who may arrive in the dark, or those with a very small car (me) and, yes, the lazy ones (again, me).
You can, of course, put up your own tent but these bell tents are very spacious abodes you can stand up in, complete with a warm, soft groundsheet and, best of all, inflatable beds.
After dumping your stuff inside you can concentrate on lighting that all important fire, essential for an August Bank Holiday Weekend in the UK – or any other weekend in 2021.
Logs, kindling and eco-fire lighters are available from the little camp kiosk.
Most campers at the site – one of two new ones to join the Embers family of seven across the South East – light a fire. And there is something cheering about a huge field dotted with huddles of little groups around their fire pits, toasting the likes of marshmallows.
In our case it was lamb chops coated with rosemary in a skillet (yes, not a total camping novice thank you very much). And if you can drag yourself away from the fire, the campsite itself is located on a large local estate called Knowlton in a parkland with large oak trees, open spaces and dotted woodland.
There are a couple of gastro pubs in picturesque villages within walking distance of the site – and the Kent coastline is only 10 miles away.
Having exhausted my camp cooking skills on the first night, we opted for Embers’ famous wood-fired pizzas on our second evening.
You can pre-order these five days before your arrival, and there are big meaty burgers too, all cooked fresh on site by the friendly staff.
“What we are trying to offer is not quite camping, not quite glamping but somewhere in between” said Embers manager Christian, as he made me a nice hot latte worthy of any big city barista.
“We’ve got proper flushing toilets, piping hot showers and, if that’s what people want, the bell tents have decent inflatable beds because if you’re not clean, warm and comfortable you’re not happy.” This man gets me.
On Day Two we decided to take advantage of the site’s proximity to the Kent coast and headed to the pretty seaside town of Deal. After a very breezy stroll on the pebbly beach (empty on a Bank Holiday!) we walked the concrete pier to the glass cafe at the end which seemed familiar. I looked it up and realised they filmed the ITV drama Liar here. I knew I recognised it.
The town itself is a patchwork of pastel-painted Victorian buildings, plenty of traditional pubs, chippies, nice shops and a few foodie delights too. With a very hungry 11-year-old in tow we opted for Sea View, a proper fish and chip cafe. Great food, fast service and enough fancy options like salt and pepper squid and crayfish and mango salad to keep adventurous visitors happy.
The 17-year-old found solace on our family break in Smugglers, an independent record shop and label with a vast collection of vintage vinyl where she picked up a Charlie Parker jazz album.
If you’ve done Deal, and you will in a day, then Dover, Sandwich Bay and Ramsgate are all within a half hour drive of the campsite. So there are plenty of options for days out, not to mention the endless country and woodland walks through the peaceful Kent countryside.
But for us it was back to camp to get the second fire of the weekend going and crack open the marshmallows... and, for me, a glass of wine to toast a rare successful adventure under canvas.
Embers is for people who arrive in the dark and yes, lazy campers like me