Hotels and Airbnbs across the country have been booked solid thanks to people holidaying closer to home, meaning that campsites (and glamp-sites) have become more popular than ever. There are loads of places where you can rock up and pitch a tent but if you prefer something slightly more luxurious, like a bell tent on the beach or an onsen dome, then check out these campsites.
Lusty Glaze Beach, Cornwall
Sleep right on the sand inside a luxury bell tent on this private beach in Newquay, and with 133 steps down the only way to access the site it really does have that exclusive feel. Designed to be a retreat rather than somewhere you just kip, at Lusty Glaze you can do sunset yoga, surfing and have jet-ski lessons, and you can get a seafood dinner and cocktails knocked up for you by the on-site chef.
Alexander House Glamping, Perthshire, Scotland
This site is set is set in the grounds of Alexander House, just minutes away from the Gleneagles Hotel. There are two luxury yurts complete with king-size beds, wood burners, roll-top baths and wood-fired hot tubs on the deck – perfect for relaxing with bevvy and enjoying the view over the Scottish countryside. There’s also a cabin on wheels amongst the trees that can sleep two adults and two children, with a BBQ area and hot tub.
Home Farm Glamping, Hertfordshire
If you don’t want to venture too far from London, Home Farm Glamping in Elstree is the one as it’s just five minutes from the end of the Jubilee and Northern Lines. The bell tents – with double beds, candle chandeliers, BBQs and fire pits – are set in 150 acres of woodland so you have plenty of space to recharge away from the city, and there are hot showers and loos on site too. You can also pre-book picnic hampers and BBQ boxes to have at your tent or cooked breakfasts and dinners to enjoy in the pop-up cafe tent.
Fforest Farm, Cardigan, Wales
The Fforest site is actually spread over three different areas of Cardigan – Town, Coast and Farm – but the latter is the one you want for rural retreat. The farm itself is on 200 acres and is next to the Telfi marsh wildlife reserve, and has a range of accommodation options from bell tents to kata cabins to onsen domes, complete with king-size beds, wood burning stoves and Japanese bath-houses. If you’re ready for a drink after your soaking sesh, head to the farm’s very own stone-built pub Y Bwthyn.
Cornish Tipi Holidays, Cornwall
As you can guess from the name, tipis are the prime choice of accommodation on this hidden woodland site in Bodmin. The 18-ft high tipis are scattered around the 20 acres, so you can choose to be near others or have your own private spot (there are also plenty of places to pitch your own tents), and they come with stoves and cool boxes. This is a place to get back to nature, so go swimming in the lake, fish for trout, canoe on the water or head to the coast for a long walk.
Camp Katur, Yorkshire
With bell tents, unidomes, teepees, hobbit pods, lodges and more, Camp Katur in North Yorkshire has pretty much every type of camping shelter covered. If you’re after a luxury stay, the geodomes have double beds, log burners and private toilets and showers. The site is close to the Yorkshire Dales, meaning there are lots of great walking routes to explore but if you’d rather take it easy, there’s an eco spa with hot tub and sauna and yoga and wellness dome in the camp itself.