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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Alicia Miller

16 of the best glamping sites in the UK

Even if the weather hasn’t yet got the memo, British glamping season is here. At these stylish stays, you’ll find nature and pampering in equal measure.

Plush Tents, West Sussex

Get into the yurt lifestyle at Plush Tents (Plush Tents)

Channel your inner bohemian at this collective of yurts in the South Downs, where the going is cushy with Egyptian cotton sheets, memory foam mattresses, Moroccan rugs and wood-burning stoves. Whether you plump for one tucked in woodland or one among fields — or even an Airstream caravan — you’ll get a communal vibe with shared coolboxes, firepits and access to a hot tub. Bring 60 mates and hire the whole thing for a birthday bash.

From £120, plushtentsglamping.co.uk

Pumla, Herefordshire

You needn’t leave bed to get great views at Pumla (Pumla)

The stargazing is first-rate at this yurt-cabin hybrid set between the Wye Valley AONB and the Brecon Beacons— but to see it only by night would be to miss out on its fabulous design. From the chic Scandi-style bathroom with marbled shower to the alfresco dining area fringed in glowing bulbs, owners Emily and Malik clearly have an eye for detail. Walkers love hikes up the Cat’s Back ridge while lazier travellers find respite in the deep tin tub or bed overlooking the rolling Herefordshire hills.

From £140, canopyandstars.co.uk

Rest+Wild, Shropshire

Sheep and outdoor baths: the entertainment at Rest+Wild (Rest+Wild)

Glamping at its chicest. Rest+Wild’s four black clapboard cabins look plucked from a moody Scandi interiors shoot, with rich Farrow & Ball-esque tones on walls, metallic accents and nut-brown woods. Perfectly sized for a coupley weekend away, they invite kicking back and connecting with the Clee Hills. Blissfully, there’s no wifi; the entertainment is watching sheep graze.

From £195, restandwild.co

Wild Luxury, Norfolk

Ready for a feast at Wild Luxury Thornham Bay (Wild Luxury Thornham Bay)

Location, location. At these comfy safari-style tents you’ll get epic coastal scenery: a meandering walk through orchard and wetland to a beach nature reserve. But you’ll also get all the culinary comforts of a chichi North Norfolk town, as a goodie-filled farm shop, gourmet fish and chips, and an excellent fishmonger, Gurneys, are all only a few paces away from the canvas. The Lifeboat Inn, an atmospheric old pub for lazy Sundays, is hardly much further.

From £295, wildluxury.co.uk

Malting Farm, Essex

Campfire o’clock at Malting Farm (Malting Farm)

Sleeping from four to six people, the eclectic bundle of cabins, lodges and tents at this serene glade is perfect for families. The rustic-chic aesthetic is nailed with tables made from log, rattan-style pendant lights and minimalist wood panelling — plus curated touches like a furry throw here or a bloom of floral fabric there. The upcoming project is a treehouse stay built around sturdy old oaks: watch this space.

From £320, maltingfarm.co.uk

Honeydown, Devon

Sleep in a giant truffle at Honeydown (Honeydown)

Don’t fancy the usual tent set-up? This collection of unique wooden domes (dubbed “truffles”), scattered across 15 acres of oak woodland, gives you a different kind of experience. Slink into a hammock with a good book, or make a DIY Domino’s in the pizza oven. The Tarka Trail is on hand for cyclists, and there’s a deli and farm shop within walking distance too.

From £150, honeydown.com

Kip Hideaways, Lincolnshire

Room for a crowd at this safari tent by Kip Hideaways (Kip Hideaways)

For family glamping, safari tents are a fabulous option — they allow enough sectioned-off space to give everyone privacy, while also housing the whole brood under one roof. This stay in Lincolnshire does the genre in style with a deep soaking bath and enough sleeping spaces for six. When the family dynamic gets a bit OTT, happily you’re also walking distance to a pub.

From £300, kiphideaways.com

Moonshine, Cornwall

Dreamy set up at Moonshine (Boutique Retreats / Matthew Heritage)

The romance is dialled up to 11 at this cool shepherd’s hut and Bedouin tent combo in Truro. With the hot tub, pretty kitchen and cosy sheepskin rugs, you and your beau might imagine you’ve decamped to a boutique hotel snuggled in woods. Spa treatments can be ordered to the Bedouin tent.

From £463, boutique-retreats.co.uk

Oastbrook Estate, East Sussex

View over the vines at Oastbrook Estate (Oastbrook Estate)

They have their priorities right at this Rother Valley spot: each cosy bell tent comes with a wine cooler. And should you run dry on refreshments, no stress — with a vineyard and tasting room on the estate, you can top up. Start your day with a breakfast box of granola and fresh fruit, then head to Bodiam Castle.

From £137.50, oastbrook.com

Creekside at The Lazy T, North Yorkshire

Style meets function at Creekside (Creekside)

Nature’s own sound bath — a babbling stream — sets the scene for relaxation at this stay in the North York Moors National Park. The 5m dome has soaring ceilings and a king-size bed, as well as a spacious indoor-outdoor bathroom overlooking the trees. Bring a good book, kick back and exhale.

From £258, thelazyt.co.uk

Elmley, Kent

Sunset hour at Elmley’s tents (Rebecca Douglas Photography)

Just 40 miles from London in a 3,300-acre National Nature Reserve, Elmley’s seasonal bell tents are the ideal spot for taking in wildlife — from owls to woodpeckers, dragonflies to butterflies. You’ll be immersed in woodland or meadow but definitely not roughing it, with sustainably sourced meals served up in the Kingshill Barn and bathrooms stocked with Verden toiletries. There’s a new spa menu with facials from Votary, too.

From £130, elmleynaturereserve.co.uk

Lilypod, Devon

Lilypod is about as unique as glamping gets (Lilypod)

Consider this Britain’s answer to the Maldivian overwater villa: a floating pod on a serene lake in Devon. It comes with plenty of aquatic allure, from the architecturally daring structure to the floating terrace for sundowners and barbecues. Add to it surrounds of blooming wildflowers and dense trees; a skylight above the bed for stargazing; and an onsite vineyard with a bottomless supply of zippy white wine. All you need for the full paradise vibe is a blast of summer sun.

From £220, coolstays.com

Bubble Domes at Finn Lough, County Fermanagh

Double bubble fun at Finn Lough (Rob Durston / www.durstonphoto.com)

Get seriously immersed in nature with a stay in these two-person bubble domes, where panoramic views via transparent walls let you enjoy the surrounding forest 24/7. The smallest come with a four-poster bed — perfect for stargazing à deux — Nespresso machine and a small seating area for serene brekkies. Premium domes also feature a free-standing bath, so you can soak while watching birds flutter or forest leaves rustle in the breeze.

From £340, finnlough.com

Chapterhouse Cathedral View, Somerset

Lie back and look at Wells Cathedral (Chapterhouse Cathedral View)

Somerset views don’t get much more iconic than Wells Cathedral — and this cute pod with hot tub and BBQ puts it perfectly into frame. Amble into Wells to explore the restaurants and shops, or book a hot air balloon ride, departing from right outside your door. Note for Glastonbury-goers: the site can arrange a chauffeur service.

From £638, luxurycoastal.co.uk

Trecombe Lakes, Cornwall

Inside a lodge at Trecombe Lakes (Trecombe Lakes)

Set in woods and clustered around a little lake, this clutch of wooden pods feels truly remote, despite the Google maps coordinates just outside Falmouth. Families book in for evenings toasting marshmallows by firepits or flipping burgers on BBQs, and days in the forest play area, complete with rope swings. For full style points, plump for the larger, sleeker lodges, raised on stilts and furnished with log-fired Swedish soaking tubs.

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