Forge Farm Tipis is very much a family affair. After meeting the woman who would one day be his future wife, Kate, during an exchange trip, Detroit-born Greg decided his time in the UK would last far beyond university timetables. Staying in the country, Greg and Kate bought Forge Farm in 1981 with a big vision for the derelict barns and canal-side countryside they purchased. Now with the help of their daughter and her only family, they have turned the land into an organic farm and, as of 2020, have started welcoming visitors to enjoy the fruits of what once seemed a far-off dream.
Set in the countryside just north of the Cotswolds with the Oxford Canal running through the site, the farm is home to just three pre-pitched tipis kitted out with all the essential comforts. Each is complete with a skylight window (so you can stargaze from the double bed) and has carpeted floors, handwoven rugs and cushions – the sort of comforts only the hot showers (a short stroll away) might tempt you from. You can spend your evenings ambling along the waterside or sitting out around the campfire, perhaps cooking with something you've bagged from the farm shop, where they sell organic jams and honey, bacon and rare-breed meats. A welcome pack of marshmallows is also provided as part of your booking. Naturally. Why have campfires with out them?
It's not just the accommodation that the family have provided. Bushcraft workshops can be organised and canoe rental can be arranged. Glampers might also find themselves joined by the odd canal boat, which can park up along certain stretches of the canal. But there's plenty to do once you stride out beyond the farm too. A footpath runs along the opposite bank of the canal and links up with the Macmillan Way, which you can follow to National Trust owned Farnbrough Hall if you want a long walk (around four miles; with a good pub stop in the village), or you can drive to the 17th-century hall in less than 10 minutes. And it's not much further in the car to the likes of Canons Ashby, Sulgrave Manor, Broughton Castle and Upton House too. In short, there will always be one more place to visit and one more thing to do. And, after a weekend at Forge Farm, with Greg as living proof that staying beyond a holiday really is an option, you might find yourself asking for real estate tips alongside the usual pub and restaurant tips.