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 keen to escape the pressures and monotonous routine of modern life while keeping some of the luxuries. It was the couple’s wedding in the garden of their Waterfurlong home which inspired them to set up the business three years ago. Amelia said: “We borrowed my sister’s yurt after panicking it was going to rain.
When we put it up it looked like it was always meant to be there and it looked very at home. “At the time, we didn’t know glamping as an industry existed.” They have now grown the site in the garden to include two yurts and a cabin with hot tubs.
Although glamping is often associated with bell tents, yurts or shepherd huts, there are other alternatives which could rival even the fanciest boutique hotels. Rutland-based A Little Bit of Rough was created by Nick Jackson and his wife Sarah in a bid to encourage a simpler way of living and allow tourists to enjoy the county. Its luxurious appeal has attracted tens of thousands of followers on the business’ social media accounts.
Nick said: “Rutland has so much to offer. “It is similar to the Cotswolds but without the awareness.” Located on a 20-acre woodland site near Uppingham surrounded by nothing but nature, are five lodges which boast an array of enticing extras which you wouldn’t get with bog-standard camping including pizza ovens, hot tubs and outdoors baths.
The star of the show is arguably the Rocket Lodge , which has featured on Channel 4 show George Clarke's Amazing Spaces and is regularly booked up. It is a bespoke creation made from three reclaimed grain silos and four shepherds huts and connected by oak framed glazed links, and even features a mirror ball bathroom. “For us as a business it’s about constant innovation and creating something people aren’t going to experience anywhere else.
That sort of accommodation is in demand,” said Nick. “As a county, because we are so rural people visit because they want that escape.” For Nick, the abundance of quality eateries nearby as well as the work of Discover Rutland is what is drawing the swathes of people to the country’s smallest county.
Emma Brown, who runs Old Oak Farm in Glaston, also noted that a lot of her customers enjoy the retreat from the hustle and bustle of big cities like London. “Tourism is massive in Rutland. I think people come because there is so much to do,” she said.
Emma bought the seven-acre glamping site two years ago, and has been keen to bring people back to their roots. The seven canopies and the cabin are described as having interiors to fit in with rural life but are packed full of the essentials. Although the tents offer the luxury of a king-sized bed, cooking is done over an open fire.
Phil Kerry , director of Corby Glen-based Stamford Shepherd Huts, knows better than most just how huge the growth in the glamping industry is. His family has been in the joinery business for five generations - building everything from vintage buses and boats to furniture and garden buildings. In recent years, there has been a focus on shepherd huts after seeing the demand.
Through his research into the industry Phil says that even sites with a 20% occupancy provide enough funds for the owners to live on. Phil said: “The summer time is one thing but staying busy throughout the winter is another. “Hot tubs are a massive pull, maybe a pool table and a barbecue.
“It needs to be cosy to do very well.” As well as sticking to the traditional sort, the company manufactures various models including flat pack, off-the grid and huts with pull-out bathrooms. The team is also working on an extreme polar hut for winter letting and cold climates.
Phil’s passion for glamping rubbed off on his son Matthew who runs The Hide at Manton Bay, located on the shores of Rutland Water. Matthew, who is in his 40s, also runs Wanderlust Camping Club and offers advice on how to set up a glamping business without going through the planning system. Have you been glamping? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.
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