A far cry from childhood camping trips, today’s glamping retreats offer the best of both worlds: real immersion in nature and luxurious lodgings. Across the UK, idyllic fields are dotted with yurts and impressive tents kitted out with hotel-worthy furnishings and amenities, beautifully blending the rustic with the modern. From the romantic safari-style tents along the Southampton coast to quirky domes in a Welsh farm, these British glamping spots are a tempting escape after months of lockdown. Discover our edit of the most picturesque glamping staycations to reconnect with nature in style.
The Best UK Glamping Retreats
Cadland Estate x The Pop-Up Hotel, Southampton
This summer, the historic, family-run Cadland Estate, which spans the nature reserves of the New Forest National Park and the coastal Solent in Hampshire, is partnering with The Pop-Up Hotel to create a beachside glamping retreat. An assortment of tents will be dotted across the beach and surrounding meadows, offering an extremely rare opportunity to camp on the British seaside. Lodging options range from the basic Classic, a Glastonbury-style tent for four, to the Safari Suite, a romantic two-person canvas tent with king size bed, to the Raj Tenthouse Suite, an elaborate 3-4 bedroom accommodation with furnished living room and ensuite shower.
From £499 per 3 or 4 night break for 2 people, thepopuphotel.com
Fforest Farm, Cardigan, Wales
Set amongst 200 acres of farmland along the river Teifi gorge and marshlands, the Fforest domes add a surprising touch to the Welsh countryside. There are two types of dome available — the four original Bathhouse Domes are constructed on wooden floors and feature individual touches to respond to the particular location in which it’s set. Each comes kitted out with a king-sized bed, wood-burning stove and deck, and is assigned a private bathroom in the Scandi-esque Bathhouse, a short walk away. The four Onsen Domes take inspiration from the Japanese hot spring bathing tradition and have a cedar-insulated private bath-house attached to the dome tent, which includes a sunken tub.
From £469 for 3 nights for 2 people, coldatnight.co.uk
Chester’s Estate, Scottish Borders
Nestled in the woodland grove of the 18th century stately Chester’s Estate are four stylish canvas tents. Each comes with two bedrooms, a kitchen and dining area and a canopied terrace, as well as a separate Discovery Tent complete with telescope, fishing nets, paints and games. Glampers have full access to the Chester’s Estate grounds and activities, including The Secret Garden’s croquet lawn and the River Teviot which is home to salmon and brown trout to fly-fish for. Visitors can even pick fresh fruit and vegetables from the Estate’s garden to cook on their tent’s BBQ or wood-burning stove, and there’s a nearby restaurant and farm shop selling local produce, too.Â
From £420 for 2 nights for 4 people, featherdown.co.uk
Longlands, Devon
Dotted in the North Devon countryside with sea views, the Longlands estate features five safari-style tents-meet-lodges. Designed to suit couples or families, each of the glamorous lodges sleep six (and allow up to two dogs), with a king, double and twin bedroom. Each lodge comes with two bathrooms and an impressive kitchen and dining area, where guests can curl up with a book or serve an impressive meal using the fresh herbs that are grown on the kitchen windowsill. Outside, take advantage of living beneath one of the few Dark Sky Reserves and sit out on the deck’s cosy wicker seating, or head to the private BBQ area and cook up a storm.Â
From £595 for 4 nights for 6 people, longlandsdevon.co.uk
Cornish Tipi Holidays, Cornwall
For tents with a little more character, opt for the tipis surrounding a crystal clear lake in the depths of a woodland valley. Home to everything from bluebells to Red Admirals, the environment is wonderfully wild, while the lake is perfect for taking cooling dips on warm summer days. The 20 North American style tipis are made of cotton canvas and come in medium or large sizes. Each is fitted with Turkish rugs, candle lanterns, a cooking stove and cool box. The tents are lined to guard against the elements, but they are not entirely wildlife or weather-proof, so just be sure to pick a calm, warm time of year if you’re not after too wild a nature experience.Â
From £160 for 2 nights for 2 people, cornishtipiholidays.co.uk
Alexander House, Scotland
Housed on the hillside of the dramatic Scottish estate are three luxurious yurts with panoramic views across Gleneagles and Perthshire. Each yurt is equipped with indulgently soft king sized beds, stove top wood burner and a private en suite bathroom with a roll top bath. Sizes range from Heather, a romantic two-person with wood-fired hot tub for stargazing, to the grander Rowan, with extra single beds for up to four more guests and a full washing station in a converted pony trailer. If you’re after something a little more structured, the estate also has two glamping cabins made from converted horse lorries, Juniper and Thistle, with rolling views and luxe bathrooms.
From £150 per night for 2 people, alexanderhousescotland.com
Cloud Nine Glamping, Cotswolds, Devon and Norfolk
The luxe family-friendly glamping company has set up camp in three idyllic locations. In Devon, there’s a family-friendly retreat in the grounds of St Giles House, with an assortment of bell tents, tipis, safari tents and event airstreams to choose from. Over in the Narford Hall estate in Norfolk, bell tents surround a stunning 52 acre lake for paddle boarding and wild swimming, and an alfresco dining site for dinner under the stars. Meanwhile in the Cotswolds, The Bathurst Estate offers the same selection of accommodations as the Devon Site in the middle of verdant parkland, with activities ranging from horse riding to yoga.Â
From £132 per night for 4 people, cloudnineglamping.com
Luxury Yurt Holidays, Windermere, Cumbria
A truly secluded getaway, these Scandi-style yurts are tucked on Moss Howe Farm, a picturesque farm on the Witherslack hills, close to the Windermere river — which is ideal for wild swimming. Built on wooden floors, each yurt comes decorated with Moroccan rugs and Solar-powered twinkling fairy lights. There’s a fully functional kitchen and cosy futon bed from which you can gaze through the tent’s skylight to stargaze or watch morning arrive. A bath house is a short walk away from each tent, and now visitors can book private use of the wood-fired hot tub. Build a fire, sit back in a deck chair, and watch the world pass by from your hillside perch.
From £225 for 4 nights for 2 people, luxury-yurt-holidays.co.uk
The Orchard Retreat, Devon
Set in 15 acres of meadows, woodland and, of course, an orchard, this glamping site offers three yurts, all handmade locally. The Bramley, Pippin and Russet yurts each sleep four, with a charming wrought iron double bed and daybed inside the wooden post-lined circular frame. The carpeted floor is dotted with an eclectic assortment of rugs and antique furniture, including a small chest of drawers and dressing table mirror. A wood burning stove keeps things cosy in cool evenings, while a large skylight at the top of the yurt lets you watch the stars up above. Each yurt is assigned its own bathroom in the washhouse, and visitors have access to a pizza oven and large fire pit to gather round in the evenings.Â
From £110 per night for 4 people, theorchardretreat.co.uk
