MARSTON PARK, SOMERSET

Liz Morrell meets the owners of a glamping site where like-minded people can relax, bond and get creative

As a music producer and DJ, Michael Fennen (aka Fenna Rhodes) has travelled the world and seen many beautiful places. But before launching his glamping site with business partner and friend, Charlie Bonham Christie, the duo had never stepped inside a tent.

Today they're three years into the development of Marston Park, an events and hospitality venue that also comprises 30 glamping units set in woodland and around the edge of a beautiful lake near Frome, Somerset.

“We had the events and hospitality experience but the bit that neither of us had done was the glamping,” laughs Michael. “But we just started doing it. We started small and got on with it. As we felt we’ve got something people like we’ve tried to do more of it. There’s a lot of value in starting small and making the mistakes early on.”

The pair realised that they shared a dream to create a special place where like-minded people could relax and bond. Today they call the site “a playground for creativity”. Its appeal is broad – attracting everyone from silver surfers to people in their 20s, families and kids.

“We get creatives coming, too, including a lot of actors, writers and painters,” says Michael. Each tent has artist materials for visitors to be inspired to get creative when they stay.

“We knew there was something beautiful about the places where people make things,” says Charlie. “We also knew that changing your environment can be a very powerful way to get inspired and that to get out into the beautiful countryside and be around quirky, like-minded people can be a powerful way to get out of a rut – so that’s the premise of the idea behind Marston Park.”

The original idea of more permanent structures was impacted by the pandemic, so the camping site first launched in 2020 with an eight-week trial that included 10 fully furnished glamping tents, 10 unfurnished and 10 pitches for campers to bring their own tents.

“Rather than a big hit and then a massive jazz hands ‘we are open’, it’s been about starting with the temporary structures, the glamping, and adding stuff slowly," says Michael. "It’s more organic and authentic that way and it is an evolving thing.”

In the second year, the site had expanded and a series of collaborations with local artists also began, one of the most significant of which has seen the Futuro House brought on site. It's an iconic piece of 60s architecture of which only 68 remain and one of only two worldwide that people can stay in. The duo also run events with local communities and businesses.

Now in their third year, 2022 has seen Charlie and Michael hone their current offer. “We feel like we have the layout right and the size feels about right,” says Charlie.

So how has the dream turned out? Michael laughs. “Charlie and I have both found it to be a roller coaster. When you’ve got a full site and the weather is glorious and people are having a wonderful time and the food is running smoothly, that is all fabulous and it can be absolutely idyllic. Then on the other side are the challenges such as storms in the summer.”

And it’s been hard work. “Starting off, it was like we had eight arms – so we'd be doing a combination of pouring a pint, taking pictures, answering the phone, cooking and so on. This year we are falling more into a rhythm and that makes it all a bit steadier, there are less dramatic highs and lows.”

But there are still ambitious plans, including the restoration of on-site buildings, the lake and woodland. It looks like the pair might need those octopus arms for a while yet.

“To get out into the beautiful countryside and be around quirky, like-minded people can be a powerful way to get out of a rut”