Why autumn is the new glamping season | Travel | The Sunday Times – The Times

Not so long ago any damp bell tent in an unloved corner of a farm could be called a glampsite, but in recent years there has been a dramatic upgrade of rustic accommodation across the UK a trend that was accelerated by the pandemic. Holidaymakers craving the outdoors are now willing to pay more for a back-to-nature experience, but we want our nature accessorised with a wood-fired hot tub, stargazing deck or oak-barrel sauna.

This new breed of yurts, treehouses, pods, gypsy caravans and safari tents are simply too sumptuous to confine to the summer months. Many sites have responded to increased demand by extending their seasons into winter, shutting only for a few weeks of maintenance.

The glamping and rustic-accommodation specialists Canopy & Stars says that it has seen a trend towards all-season camping properties, with bookings overall 42 per cent higher during September and October than in 2019, the year before the emergence of Covid. So heres our selection of glampsites worth booking beyond the summer months open year-round unless otherwise stated.

Wantisden Park is 15 minutes from the sea

Hidden away on a private estate near Suffolks heritage coast, a 15-minute drive from the sea, these sleek, modern pods, train cabins and cottages overlook ancient woodland, rivers and lakes. Many are equipped with kitchens, bathrooms and outdoor hot tubs, while the on-site farm shop and caf is another upgrade for campers who want their winter camping to be heavy on the holiday element.Details One nights self-catering for two from 140, with a two-night minimum stay; closed Dec 21-27 and Jan 3-Feb 13 (wantisden.co.uk)

The Quiet Site is an award-winning campsite

JO CROMPTON

This award-winning campsite has been offering a tranquil Lake District base to lovers of the outdoors for more than 50 years. Near Ullswater, it was one of the UKs first zero-waste campsites, but its luxury credentials are as inviting as its eco credentials. The on-site bar, housed inside a 17th-century barn, is the perfect village pub, with exposed low beams and roaring open fires. The 15 Glamping Burrows partially buried underground and reminiscent of hobbit homes, with underfloor heating are perhaps the best winter option, with views over the lakes.Details One nights self-catering for six from 80 (thequietsite.co.uk)

Sperrinview is perfect for stargazing

Dramatically positioned in the foothills of Northern Irelands majestic Sperrin Mountains are four dinky but stylish pods, featuring a viewing window for stargazing in this designated Dark Sky Park. Theres a communal hub with a library and larger kitchen facilities, while the A-frame cottages are heated and have private bathrooms. With your own outdoor barbecue and fire pit, solitude and staring at the skies are the main pastimes here.Details One nights self-catering for five from 110; closed Dec 25-26 and Jan 1 (sperrinviewglamping.com)

Get cosy in a Trecombe Lake heated lodge

These heated lodges and pods occupy a woodland waterside setting less than five miles from Falmouth, making it perfect for campers who like to balance out the bucolic back-to-nature vibes with all the delights of a seaside town the proximity of indoor attractions is a real bonus out of the summer months. The lakeside setting makes this a delight for wild-swimming fans, plus you can return to a breakfast hamper full of the best Cornish produce.Details One nights self-catering for five from 145, with a two-night minimum stay (trecombe-lakes.co.uk)

Lawnsgate Camping has on-site llama-trekking

LAWNSGATE CAMPING

A lovely yurt, gypsy caravan and cabins Lawnsgate Camping in the North York Moors offers options that stretch the season. This has been a family-run working farm for generations, so its the real deal. On-site llama-trekking and picturesque nearby villages means that there are plenty of activities outside the peak summer months. The farm shop vending machine isnt to be missed either. Logs are provided for the wood-fired stoves in all cabins.Details One nights self-catering for two from 85 per night, with a two-night minimum stay (lawnsgatecamping.com)

Best luxury glamping in the UK

Loveland Farms geodome is ideal for families

Inspired by hanging tree pods that are a fixture in the forests of Canada, Loveland Farms eco pods are a treat for design-loving, eco-minded travellers. The owners, Jeff and Karina, are successful designers who abandoned London for north Devon, and their credentials are on show everywhere in this six-acre farm on the idyllic Hartland peninsula. The large geodome is the best out-of-summer option for families a futuristic glass and canvas structure perched high on a wooden platform and heated by wood-burners; theres even a projector screen so you can host your own cosy film nights on the wall of the pod.Details One nights self-catering for two from 149, with a two-night minimum stay; closed Nov 21-Apr 5 (lovelandfarmcamping.co.uk). Note it closes for much of winter and early spring

Fforest Farm is set in 500 acres

Fforest Farm, an ecologically minded site on the Pembrokeshire-Ceredigion border, sets the standard for modern British glampsites. The collection of crofter-style cottages (crog lofts), domes, bell tents and shacks around an old farmhouse set in 500 acres is owned by a design-obsessed local family. The most winter-friendly options have private onsen baths, wood-burning stoves and underfloor heating. Communal areas are a highlight, with a spa, cedar-barrel sauna, huge lodge with a deck and even an atmospheric pub a 200-year-old snug cosied up with rugs and lanterns.Details One nights self-catering for four from 171, with a two-night minimum stay; closed January and some February dates (coldatnight.co.uk)

Brook House Woods has an outdoor cinema

BRUNA BALODIS/SAWDAYS

With an outdoor cinema, tennis court, in-room massages and home-cooked-meal delivery service, this is as swish as British glampsites come. The cluster of luxury treehouses, cabins and handcrafted wooden huts some with underfloor heating, others with wood-burners makes a charming base for exploring the nearby Frome Valley and Malvern Hills. A roster of events including gin-botanicals foraging, yoga and chocolate making adds to the appeal for families, groups of friends and individual campers.Details One nights self-catering for two from 127 (brookhousewoods.com)

Swap Sussex for Scandinavia at Downash

SAWDAYS

An hour from London, this collection of five treehouses and cabins is set on 33 acres of secluded farmland near Ticehurst. Outdoors there are all-season touches such as Swedish baths and hot tubs, plus fire pits and log-burning barbecues; indoors expect underfloor heating, plus projector screens and popcorn makers for cosy film nights. The Scandi-style interiors also feature wood-cladding, unique lampshades, well-equipped kitchens and picture windows to make the most of the views.Details One nights self-catering for two from 155 (canopyandstars.co.uk)

A treehouse at Beudy Banc

SAWDAYS

For hikers and mountain bikers, Beudy Banc is a sort of utopia a converted barn sleeping up to eight and a duo of treehouses (with wood-burners), offering uninterrupted views of south Snowdonia and immediate access to a series of world-class biking trails crisscrossing the undulating landscape. The owner is an architect, and it shows in the sleek, contemporary design details, but the zero-carbon status is equally impressive; the installation of a wind turbine provides clean renewable power throughout the year with minimal environmental impact.Details One nights self-catering for two from 110; closed Jan 10-Feb 20 (beudybanc.co.uk)

Enchanted Glade is a collection of bell tents and converted wagons

BETH MERCER

Lying back in a steamy wood-fired hot tub looking up at autumnal treetops, then skipping across the leaf-strewn ground into the barrel sauna is the big sell at this hippyish site in the rolling West Sussex countryside near Ardingly. As well as the wild spa which is open for day visits (from 15 for a two-hour hot-tub experience) this collection of bell tents and converted wagons (all with wood-burners) has a heated treatment room for massages and often hosts events such as therapeutic womens circles.Details One nights self-catering for four from 145, with a two-night minimum stay; open until the end of October, then group bookings over Christmas and new year (enchantedglade.co.uk)

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Why autumn is the new glamping season | Travel | The Sunday Times - The Times