TAKE IT OUTSIDE

Pick a quirky campsite in South Wales this summer for outdoor cinema screenings and nights spent in castle grounds

Is your back-to-basics family camping trip in need of an upgrade? You’re not the only one. The trend for glammedup camping has taken off since the first yurts started popping up in the early noughties — so much so that ‘glamping’ (a portmanteau of ‘glamorous’ and ‘camping’) was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016. As for where to go, head to the picture-perfect glamping hotspot of Monmouthshire, on the WalesEngland border. Accommodation can range from vintage shepherd’s huts with fitted kitchens to grand safari tents with four-poster beds or high-end treehouses with wraparound balconies. And that’s only half the fun: a glamping getaway is mainly about the experiences that come with it, whether those are sunrise yoga sessions or wild swimming.

Away from the glampsite you’ll discover a county of historic woodland, rolling hills and crumbling castles. Many of the latter are free to visit, too, including Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth and

Raglan Castles. Pick of the bunch is the former Middle Ages stronghold of Caldicot Castle. This summer, it’s hosting outdoor cinema experiences, and you can catch the likes of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (22 July) or Mamma Mia! (23 July) on large screens at the medieval fortress. Run in collaboration with outdoor cinema events specialist Adventure Cinema, it’s part of a nationwide tour of iconic venues.

Elsewhere around the country, a number of operators, including Quality Unearthed and Original Cottages, have added flexible Covid-19 terms to their bookings, and with adventure playgrounds, stream-paddling and enchanting boltholes in the mix, the kids are sure to love their stay, too. qualityunearthed.co.uk originalcottages.co.uk adventurecinema.co.uk HELEN WARWICK

An Iranian alachigh tent at Penhein Glamping ABOVE: Interior of an alachigh tent, Penhein Glamping