British summer is shaping up to be one you’ll want to spend mostly outdoors.
A plush glampsite with pre-pitched tents is the perfect al fresco alternative to a conventional hotel, with comfy beds, proper loos and the chance to convene with nature (without it all feeling too rustic).
Here’s our pick of the best glamping sites to book for the sunshine season.
Pumla, Herefordshire
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 a marbled shower to the al fresco 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 £139, canopyandstars.co.uk
Rest+Wild, Shropshire
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 £175, restandwild.co
Wild Luxury, Norfolk
Location, location, location. At these comfy safari-style tents you’ll get epic coastal scenery via 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
Sleeping up 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.
Book it: From £280 for two nights. coolstays.com
Honeydown, Devon
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 pizza in the designated oven. The Tarka Trail is on hand for cyclists, and there’s a deli and farm shop within walking distance too.
Book it: From £300 for two nights. honeydown.com
Kip Hideaways, Lincolnshire
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.
Book it: From £188. kiphideaways.com
Moonshine, Cornwall
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.
Book it: From £499 for two nights. trecombe-lakes.co.uk
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