PITCH PERFECT
With glamping sites booking up fast, Natalie Paris picks 15 top spots that still have availability
e’ve all heard the call of the wild this summer. From the moment tourist accommodation was cleared to reopen from July 4, our lockdown-weary brains fired up with thoughts of finding an idyllic patch of countryside in which to run free and reawaken our numbed senses. For very good reason, glamping has become this summer’s most sensible holiday plan.
While a nation yearns for freedom, there has never been a better time to embrace the space and stylishly curated outdoor living that glamping offers. Camping offers space, too, but glamping lets you kick off your shoes and relax as soon as you arrive, filling your days with nothing but fresh air and exploration.
Glamping also lets you treat yourself – perhaps with money saved by forgoing flights abroad – to indulgences ordinary campers can only dream of. Extras such as private hot tubs, copper baths and waterside terraces are now as likely to be found on a glamping site as in a five-star hotel.
Glamping sites set log cabins, yurts and shepherd’s huts far apart, to create a feeling of privacy and being alone in the wild. Helpful, now that social distancing is all the rage.
Happily, it is also likely that the magical feeling of communing with nature will be magnified this summer, with glamping sites limiting guest numbers in order to comply with government guidelines.
The vast majority of sites are adopting safety measures that include portioning off communal areas to facilitate social distancing; adding handwashing stations; deep-cleaning lavatories; and sanitising communal furniture.
In addition, the best ones promise to go the extra mile. Campwell, which has handcrafted huts in the woods of Wiltshire, is telling visitors which local restaurants are open for takeaway. Other camps offer contact-free check-in.
Some sites have gone above and beyond the Government-required cleaning measures. Hot tubs in the Wild Spa at Coastal Cabins, in Devon, will be sanitised, refilled and reheated daily after a single family’s use.
Amber’s Bell Tents, pre-erected in various locations around England, have a dedicated lavatory each and are already at least 10m apart. “There’s no risk of hearing your neighbours snoring,” Amber, the owner, said. Despite all the rules, she did not think her guests would be put off visiting. “The space here creates a great opportunity for socially distanced gatherings, which people are desperate for,” she added.
Those booking a break need to be quick about it, as sites have been flooded with enquiries. Each is unique, but generally, if you would like a private kitchen and bathroom, try to bag a cabin, lodge or hut. Yurts and bell tents are more likely to have shared facilities – not that this is a problem, as the Government has declared these are fine as long as they are cleaned regularly.
We have selected 15 sites here that offer beautiful, back-to-nature experiences in England, while uncertainty remains about the closure of sites with shared facilities in Scotland and Wales. All have new safety measures in place and – at the time of going to press – availability at weekends in August. log burners with a hotplate for cooking on, gas hobs, futon beds, Moroccan rugs, fairy lights and a games chest. Lavatories are shared.
local food produce will be available, reducing the need for supermarket trips luxury-yurt-holidays.co.uk
Glamping lets you kick off your shoes and relax as soon as you arrive