About

History.

We began our Glamping business in the summer of 2015 with 1 Belltent sleeping just 2 but have grown due to the demand for larger group bookings who want to gather in the peace and tranquillity of our secluded site but still within reach of a host of local facilities such as in Glastonbury and other places of interest in Somerset. We have been adding and improving our facilities every year since and now we feel we offer a truly unique and exclusive space for groups with the perfect combination of quality facilities which don’t compromise our ethical standards.

Ethics

We believe that celebrating with family and friends and having fun should not come at a cost to our planet. We also believe that being ethical should not compromise the standard of facilities offered.

Therefore, when you book your stay here you can be confident that we are considering both these aspects all the time. With that in mind we re-invest available money into our nature reserve with wildflower field, wildlife pond and woodland surrounding the site to benefit wildlife and enhance the environment. Our two newest projects have been to enlarge the wildlife pond (which we believe has Great Crested Newts in)  and to plant 600 native shrubs to provide a protective corridor and habitat across our fields to link Southwood and Westwood (neither of which we own).

We are off grid with electricity provided by solar power which does not use fossil fuels. This is backed up when necessary by a  diesel generator which is enough for everyday use. Please note that being off grid means we are not on mains electric like most people are used to  but we have sufficient electricity for lighting, fridges etc but not for high output electrical equipment like space heaters, irons, hairdryers, curlers, catering equipment etc. Using these could cause the system to fail. If you require such equipment you will need to organise a generator and we have contact details for these or just get in touch so we can advise whether the system will be okay. We are therefore not able to charge electric cars but can inform guests of local charge points.

We are passionate about recycling and we provide plenty of bins to this end so we ask our guests to be responsible about sorting their rubbish correctly. We would also ask guests to consider the type of food and drink and the amount being brought onto site as well as the packaging involved, as this will determine how much is wasted and needs recycling. We appreciate that it is difficult to gauge how much will be required but we have become increasingly concerned about the excesses involved in recent years. We want landfill to be a last resort for us all.

Due to the site being a Nature Reserve, we would also ask guests to refrain from bringing celebratory items such as balloons with plastic confetti or similar in as these end up as litter in the hedges and ditches.

We provide eco products which are better for our system as well as being better for us.

Facilities

In addition to our basic Glamping package of the 5 Belltents sleeping up to 20 we can add an extra 6M Belltent sleeping up to 4 and 2 Crash Pads which are like American covered wagons on legs not wheels with double mattresses in which can be added to the site.

We also have  a 1968 Vintage Sprite 400 caravan for 2 people. It has a lovely summer themed interior, queen size mattress (4 feet wide, 6 feet long), small dining area, fridge, gas hob, kettle, crockery, cutlery etc all in keeping with the vintage theme and an awning outside for a real retro experience. In July 2020 we added a 1971 Sprite Alpine caravan refurbished in a bohemian Indian style using vivid green and turquoise colours and using an ethnic interior design. This has a full sized double mattress as well as seating, a fridge and a kettle.
This would bring the total in this area to 32.

Added to this we have our Log Cabin which sleeps up to 5 and we can add an extra 6M Belltent outside sleeping up to 4 to bring the overall total on site to 41.

This provides for a very flexible bespoke Glamping experience.

Things to do

We have lists of Activities which other Groups have used for entertainment whilst here and we can recommend caterers, additional toilets, bar hire etc for larger Group bookings.

We are within easy reach of the A303 and A37 and half an hour from the M5 as well as close to Castle Cary or Bruton stations. There is a Shell garage and shop as well as a  great pub called the Cross Keys in the village of West Lydford. Yet our site is peaceful and secluded with stunning views to Glastonbury Tor making it a great place to escape from busy lives. There is wild swimming in the local river which is just a short walk from our fields and this has become increasingly popular in recent times. The site also offers a vast space for games such as rounders, football and cricket as well as kite flying and cycling so feel free to bring your own games and activities. The marquee also lends itself to games such as Twister or creative crafts for rainy days.

This part of Somerset is renowned for cycle routes as part of the National Cycle Network and we are within easy reach of various National Trust gardens such as Lytes Cary, Barrington Court, Montacute and Stourhead.

Local nature reserves include Westhay, Shapwick Heath, Avalon Marshes, Ham Wall and Bridgwater Bay.

Fishing in the local river Brue is by arrangement with local authorities.

Other accessible Somerset attractions include Cheddar Gorge, Glastonbury Tor, Clarks village in Street as well as RNAS Yeovilton, Haynes Motor museum, Wells Cathedral and local cities such as Bath, Bristol or Exeter for shopping experiences.

The Jurassic coastline is within a 1 ½ hour’s car journey to include Lyme Regis and West Bay.

For the more artistic visitor, the nearby towns of Castle Cary, Bruton and Frome provide various artisan shops, cafes and markets for all tastes to include local foods and arts and crafts. The world class gallery and multi-purpose arts centre of Hauser and Wirth which includes the Roth Bar and Grill is in Bruton just a few miles away. The Newt in Hadspen is a new attraction with Georgian House, Working Cider Press, Gardens, Cafes, Farm Shop, Hotel and Spa.

We supply a comprehensive ‘Things to do in the Area’ list as well with all bookings giving guests the options to see the sights or just stay here and relax.