Whether you are keen to make the most of British sunshine season or just desperately need a WiFi dead zone to wrench your children off their devices, these lovely rural glampsites are sure to keep your brood entertained.
These are the 20 best places to camp with all the mod-cons — some even come with farm animals, play parks or games galore…
Spot House Farm, Kent
Best for: Exclusivity
Family glamping hardly gets more idyllic than this plush off-grid site on the northern fringe of Romney Marsh. You can hire the whole thing for up to 10 people – ideal if you’re travelling with friends or wider family – then let kiddos loose among ancient pasture and mature woodland, where four canvas bell tents are equipped with linen-draped mattresses and wood-burning stoves.
A well-stocked camp kitchen and BBQ lets everyone muck in with making meals before munching them around a crackling fire pit.
Details: From £450, minimum three nights. spothousefarm.co.uk
Fforest Fields, Powys
Best for: Hills and lakes
Cosied between a serene lake and tree-flecked hillside – from which you’ll get sweeping views over verdant Welsh countryside – each of the yurts at Fforest Fields comfortably sleeps two adults and two littles, on blanket-piled beds and futons warmed by a wood-burning fire.
Families come mostly for the natural surrounds but the new on-site activities space, Fforwm, which hosts everything from pizza night pop-ups to meadow wreathmaking, is a welcome bonus.
Details: Two nights from £240. fforestfields.co.uk
Eweleaze, Dorset
Best for: Water views
If you’re waking with your toddler at 6am regardless, it may as well be to views of the epic Jurassic Coast. The four-to-six-person bell tents at Eweleaze near Weymouth, complete with mattresses, sheepskin rugs and fairy lights, put the spectacular panorama on show, and also provide respite in between days packed with activities.
Crafting sessions and fossil hunting, circus school and sandpit play, sauna sessions and giant chess games — it’s all here, all day, along with an onsite barn restaurant serving Lyme Bay fish and a farm shop with organic goodies.
Details: Base fee £105, then from £50 per night. eweleaze.co.uk
Moor Farm, Gloucestershire
Best for: Farm fun
With kiddos in tow, nothing beats a farm stay – and this rustic Cotswolds spot hosted by regenerative farmers Wendy and Richard is a gold standard example. There are cows, goats, ponies and lambs to meet on a tour, plus an outdoor playground, weekend pizza nights and indoor swimming pool for burning off energy on drizzly afternoons.
If you’ve got a pooch, they can join you in your off grid canvas hideaway, which sleeps up to six.
Details: From £131. featherdown.co.uk
Secret Garden Glamping Mole Hall, Lancashire
Best for: Glamp-phobics
Outdoor movie nights, marshmallow toasting sessions by the campfire – when it comes to the little details that take a family hols from good to great, this spot has it nailed.
Thinking outside the typical campsite aesthetic box, the four-to-six-person units come with plush extras like pool tables, hot tubs, outdoor bar and TVs. Even the most glamp-phobic families will be seduced.
Details: From £255. thesecretgardenglamping.uk
Longlands, Devon
Best for: Big groups
Want to get away with the entire family? This scenic stay nestled into hillside at Combe Martin caters well to multi-gen getaways, with the set of six-person safari lodges often snapped up for an exclusive hire of up to 30 people. Between wild swimming or row-boating at the stream-fed lake, sunset plunges in the hot tub and walks along sheltered trails, you’ll find days are quickly filled. Even the tiniest glampers are catered for, with cots and high-chairs available for use.
Details: From £185. longlandsdevon.co.uk
Wild Luxury, Norfolk
Best for: Foodies
For foodie families, this cushy glampsite set across two sites in North Norfolk is irresistible. Steps from your safari-style canvas tent in Drove Orchards – complete with outdoor terrace, wood burner, indoor toilet and enough beds to sleep six – awaits a village hub with pizzeria, gourmet fish and chips, bakery and ice cream stand.
There’s also a top-notch fishmonger and farm shop if you’d prefer to make use of your well-equipped kitchen (or private outdoor fire pit). Meanwhile the nearby Summerfields site is peaceful, coddled in woodland and within easy striking distance of local beaches for sandcastle-building.
Details: From £445 for two nights. wildluxury.co.uk
Wakestone & Wild Glamping, West Sussex
Best for: Stargazing
‘Magical’ is how guests describe this Bedham glampsite, set within the confines of a Dark Skies Reserve. Evenings spent stargazing with your minis are just the start; besides the sandpit pirate ship, fairy cottage with pint-sized dining area and stock of board games in the communal area, there are hours of on-site, off-screen fun to be had.
Fishers Farm Park, Goodwood and Arundel Castle are all nearby too, so you’ve plenty to enjoy before collapsing into a four-person bell tent, fitted with Egyptian cotton sheets.
Details: From £135, minimum two nights. wakestoneandwildglamping.co.uk
POD St Ives
Best for: Sightseers
Like the idea of glamping but don’t want to be miles from the action? These four-person glamping pods a five-minute drive outside beachy Carbis Bay and the tourist town of St Ives lets you get the best of all worlds. Cool and contemporary stylings (herringbone floors, slat wall panelling, deep green accent walls) break free of the typical rustic look, while a full kitchen, gated garden, high-speed WiFi and separate bedroom for kiddos give a real home-from-home vibe.
Details: From £225, B&B. podstives.co.uk
Secret Meadows, Suffolk
Best for: Wildlife
Whether it’s bow-and-arrow-making, goat walks or visits to a hen coop that floats their little boats, Secret Meadows ticks the boxes with its extensive range of activities for children. After rising from your choice of accommodation – horsebox, gypsy caravan, two-storey lodge tent – explore the 10 acres of nature trails, owned by a conservation charity and home to dozens of bird species, butterflies and dragonflies.
Details: From £155, minimum two nights. secretmeadows.co.uk
Swallowfields, Worcestershire
Best for: Wellbeing
Who said a family holiday couldn’t be restorative? Swallowfields, at the base of the Malvern Hills, has a spa with massages and facials, local wines available to purchase by the bottle and regular yoga sessions. For the kiddos there’s an adventure fort, nature hideout and a tuck shop stocked with ice creams. Safari tents with en suite bathrooms, mains electricity and private hot tub sleep up to six and are dog-friendly, too.
Details: From £865 for four nights. swallowfieldsretreat.co.uk
Unplugged Luna, Cheshire
.jpeg)
Best for: Privacy
Unplugged’s secluded cabins, scattered in countryside outside major cities, provide a digital detox retreat where you can connect with nature on a one-on one basis. Most stays are adults-only, but the family-friendly Luna cabin, sleeping up to four people an hour outside Manchester, provides the perfect excuse to wrestle older kids away from screens.
When you aren’t enjoying the sweeping views from the bedside panoramic window, peruse the book collection or use the free film camera to document your hiking adventures on the nearby Sandstone Trail.
Details: From £460 for four nights. unplugged.rest
CABÜ by the Sea, Kent
Best for: Seaside style
Part glampsite, part holiday park, and 100 per cent chic. Steps from the Kentish pebble coast, CABÜ by the Sea oozes fabulous Scandi-inspired style and cool amenities such as sundowners in a hot tub, a spritz-serving bar, outdoor pool and bikes for hire. The communal hangout area has a wood-burner, pizza oven and a social vibe, so kiddos and adults alike can schmooze and make new mates.
The on-site shop is full of tempting goodies, both edible and otherwise, providing a delicious helping hand with the self-catering.
Details: From £384 for two nights. holidays.cabu.co.uk
Gambledown Farm, Hampshire
Best for: Peppa
Even the most energetic young’uns will meet their match at Gambledown’s 270 hectares of regenerative farming landscape on the edge of the New Forest, which has fields for running in, a shorthorn cattle herd for meeting and chicken coups for collecting morning eggs.
Three-bedroom safari tents sleeping six have all the essentials, including hot water and fire pits, plus farm produce-stuffed hampers if desired. And if you need one more reason to visit? Peppa Pig World is only a 10-minute drive away…
Details: From £195. gambledownfarm.co.uk
Penhein Glamping, Monmouthshire
Best for: Paddling
With its heaving camping awards cabinet, Penhein – run by Helen Hearn, her two sons and their duo of black Labradors – is a natural pick for holidays to Monmouthshire, home of castles, nature reserves and lovely market towns. Reached via a mile-long winding drive, the Iranian-style alachigh tents, sleeping five above the Severn Estuary, are flanked by silver birches and wildlife like rabbits and deer.
Besides the evening campfires, the highlight for kiddos is sure to be a family kayaking trip down the Wye.
Details: From £295 for two nights. penhein.co.uk
Gemma’s Farm, Essex
Best for: Animal meet and greets
For animal-crazed toddlers Gemma’s Farm is nothing short of a glamping dreamland, with the chance to meet (and feed) lambs, goats, ponies, alpacas, donkeys, chickens and more on an eight-acre meadow. Older kids can ‘adopt’ a rabbit or guinea pig while there, feeding, grooming and managing the bedtime routine for your whole stay. When you aren’t cosying up with the local residents, bed down in a pretty bell tent with fleecy throws and fairy lights.
Details: From £140. gemmasfarm.co.uk
Mill Farm, Wiltshire
Best for: Hobbit décor
Whether you book in for the grand multi-storey treehouse complete with wraparound decking and four-poster, a cushy safari lodge with fridge, WiFi and wood burner, or one of the charming Hobbit-style shire houses, this long-running organic glampsite delivers.
Three generations of the Dyke family have farmed here and now littles can enjoy their lovely land via alpaca walking, donkey rides, archery and a straw play arena. Aspiring tiny farmers can even get stuck in with the John Deere mini-tractors.
Details: From £230 for two nights. millfarmglamping.co.uk
Glamping at Raynham Estate, Norfolk
Best for: Historic grandeur
Home to the 17th-century Raynham Hall – and the 8th Marquess Townshed – the vast acreage of Raynham Estate is full of delights for older children or teens, from walled gardens to a herd of top-tier Aberdeen Angus cows. When you book into one of the eight plush yurts tucked in a wildflower meadow, be sure to coordinate with one of the regular supper clubs or Sunday lunches, held in an atmospheric copse and brimming with estate-reared produce.
Details: From around £150. raynham.co.uk
Evelyns Garden, Oxfordshire
Best for: Digital detox
This back-to-basics glampsite has no WiFi, no electricity and no distractions from the glorious surrounding nature of Down Barn Farm in Wantage. A sauna with cold plunge in a whisky barrel provides the perfect off-screen zen time for adults and teens, while romantic tents lined in mismatched rugs and flecked with plants bring on-point boho style.
Details: From £70. evelynsgarden.uk
Foxley at Westgate Farm, Norfolk
Best for: Floral fans
Time your visit to Foxley right and you’re in for a floral wonderment: safari tents sleeping up to six surrounded by poppies in June, a pick-your-own sunflower field in August.
Set on Walsingham Estate, each lodge comes with books and games, binoculars for spotting owls and everything you need for cooking up a feast of local Norfolk bounty. Take the kids to the soft sands of Wells-next-the-Sea for the day with one of the pre-arranged beach hampers, then return for storytime under the stars.
Details: From £300, minimum two nights. kiphideaways.com
