My calm oasis in an apple orchard

CHARLOTTE CLEVELEY, 40, is single and runs the family farm near Stratford-upon-Avon. She says: On SUNDAY afternoons, with a book, I love sneaking over to my 7.5m bell tent — the largest UK version available — for a snooze.

The tent is pitched in our seven-acre apple orchard, where I have three smaller ones, and it is my oasis of calm. I paid £800 for it from Bell Tent Boutique and it’s so vast you can wander around. It accommodates several double beds.

Recently, the tent was the venue for my cousin’s 13th birthday sleepover party with 12 of her giggling girlfriends.

When I looked into buying a tent I found bell tents are the new thing, so I bought four. It means friends can sleep over in comfort and I can also rent them out to ‘glampers’.

Each one has a chandelier suspended from the roof with LED tealights — you can’t have naked flames in a tent — and they are bedecked with bunting.

Last month I had friends over from Australia and we had a wonderful time camping beneath the trees and laughing about old times. I love to lead friends through the trees to my gigantic tent because the general reaction is: ‘Wow!’

It really is a magical spot.