It's great to hear that a COVID vaccine is on its way. Great Farm will be open and ready for guests from mid-March 2021 by which time I am hoping things will be heading towards normality again.
A quick internet search will soon reveal a long list of essential items for a successful camping trip. Here’s a summary of the things that are most often included on these lists...
Shelter and bedding
Lighting
Entertainment
Fuel – logs or gas – or both
Firelighting equipment - and possibly firefighting equipment?
Cooking equipment
Condiments such as cooking oil
Tea and coffee
Food
Washing up equipment
Towels
Tea towels
I absolutely LOVE camping, and have done since I was a child, but the packing of the car, unpacking, set up, take down, repacking of the car and putting away of everything, not to mention the space required to store it all, can be a bit of a bore!
This where glamping comes in. A holiday at Great Farm will instantly make your list so much shorter! Really, you just need yourselves, your clothes and personal effects, and some food. In fact, you can even take food off the list if you like, and leave us to supply you with a delicious breakfast hamper or perhaps a lovely grazing platter. Many of our guests travel so lightly that they arrive on foot or by bike!
Book Your StayThe start of a few days in nature can go a couple of ways... if you are camping, you will arrive at the campsite, choose a spot, unpack the car, pitch your tent, set up your stove and cooking area, make your beds, set up a seating area, and then hopefully have a cup of tea. Or if things haven’t gone well, down a glass or two of wine and wonder who to blame for the fact that the tent poles aren’t in the bag with the tent!
With a glamping holiday you can pretty much head straight to the last step – everything is ready for you, a bed with crisp linen to jump in to, and a selection of tea coffee and biscuits ready to tuck in to. I am a huge fan of camping, and still like to dust the tent down a couple of times a year, but it really is hard to beat turning up at a lovely glamping spot to experience all the best things about camping with none of the hard work!
Another huge advantage of glamping is that it makes for a very comfortable holiday in spring or autumn when the days are shorter and the nights are colder. I really love the thought of cosying up next to a fire or woodburner with a good book, or wrapping up in a blanket to watch the weather in a warm and dry place. Glamping holidays in the rain are actually the perfect excuse to have a guilt free shut down – too wet to go for a walk? Never mind, how about a board game next to the woodburner?
Book Your Stay
I am assuming that as you are here, you are already keen on the idea of a glamping holiday, perhaps you have already been on one, or are keen to try something new for 2021. I have always loved camping, and many years of disasters, from wet sleeping bags, to blown away tents and stoves that keep blowing out, have slowly converted me to the joys of sleeping in a slightly sturdier structure!
When we first started offering glamping holidays here at Great Farm, camping was the bedrock of everything we did, and we tried to offer the things that we enjoyed most about camping, and take away the most irritating and boring things! I have always been of the view that facilities do not need to be shared with anyone else (who wants to have to book a hot tub slot, or make small talk in the queue for the shower!?). To help you find the glamping holiday that suits you best, I would recommend using the following ‘three whats’ as a starting point. I love chatting to guests, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about glamping in general, or about Great Farm.
In the 10 years since the first glamping guests came to the farm, the choice of glamping holidays has grown exponentially, with ever more interesting and unusual places to stay popping up around the country. It is easy to be seduced by the structure, rather than the experience, and I have always felt that the first question to ask is what activities you would like to do during your stay. Answers can range from as little as possible, to a full programme of activities and events. It’s also worth having a think about the weather, and the time of year you plan to visit – outdoor cooking facilities are great fun when the days are long and the weather is kind, but if you plan a visit in autumn or winter, this may not be so much fun!
This boils down to the area you would like to visit, the places you would like to go during your stay, and the site set up – would you like a car friendly spot where you can park next to where you are staying, or are you happy to wheelbarrow your gear in order to enjoy a car free environment? Would you like neighbours to chat to? or maybe you would prefer splendid isolation? Would you prefer to be close to civilisation, with well lit and marked paths, or are you an adventurous type who likes to be off the beaten track?
This is an important one – a back to basics site is great fun, but can also be hard work, particularly if you need to burn logs for heating and hot water. Is mains electricity important to you? Are you keen to be off grid? If there is a hot tub, would like to just turn up and jump in, or would you enjoy the fun of heating a wood fired tub? if you are travelling with children, glamping is the stuff dreams are made of....look out for woods to explore, ponds to dip, and rivers to paddle in.
Great Farm GlampingIt's great to hear that a COVID vaccine is on its way. Great Farm will be open and ready for guests from mid-March 2021 by which time I am hoping things will be heading towards normality again.
Is anyone else feeling that Christmas shopping could be based online more than ever this year?? A voucher for Great Farm makes a great present, and I can be really flexible – you could choose a specific date or camp, or leave it up to the recipient to choose for themselves. All vouchers will have a two-year use by date, but this can be extended if necessary. If 2020 has taught me anything it is that flexibility is key! Get in touch to buy a voucher
In order to comply with the latest lockdown, we have now closed. This means that we have reached the end of the 2020 season, and now it is time to undertake some maintenance and make plans to make our sites even better for 2021. The 2021 booking calendar is open and ready for bookings, I can’t wait to start welcoming guests again.
I really love November, it’s so interesting to watch the landscape open up as the trees lose their leaves, and it always seems to be a great month for spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I also find the shortening days a great excuse for baking cakes, lighting the fire and curling up with a book!! Glamping in November is a joy; cosy log burners, steaming hot tubs and great walks all add up to a dream holiday. It’s such a good time of year for nature spotting, the birds are still singing in the mornings, the deer are active, and the foxes and badgers are much easier to spot as they go about their business.
Book 2021