For campers who love to be outdoors but are keen to avoid the hassle of putting up a tent or getting bitten by bugs, glamping is an ideal solution. What started as a concept of adding a bit of luxury to an outdoor getaway has taken the camping industry by storm - and in our area it is no different. Sleeping bags are swapped for duvets and plush blankets, and blow-up mattresses are replaced with double beds.
Arguably it appeals less to the campers who have a Trangia stove tucked away in the garage, and more to those who enjoy their morning coffee with the sound of mooing cows safe in the knowledge they have home comforts like a proper toilet. With the draws of the idyllic Rutland Water nature reserve and rolling views of rural countryside as well as an already thriving tourist industry, it is no surprise local landowners have jumped on the trend. There are now more than a dozen glamping sites in the Rutland and Stamford area, as well as individual staycation venues which are dotted around.
Amelia Billington, who runs Stamford Meadows Glamping with her husband Sanath Yogasundram, known as Yogi, says the site’s location is the key to making it stand out in what she believes could become an oversaturated market. “We are doing well because we’ve got that unique selling point of being a short walk to Stamford and near the Meadows,” she said. “If we didn’t have that I’d worry.
” The 58-year-old believes the majority of demand is from people between 25 and 40 who are k.