East Thorne Glamping

On the northern reaches of Bude, away from the bucket and spade brigades, beachside cafés and gangs of wannabe surfers, a wilder coastline awaits; its crags and coves stretching to where Cornwall meets Devon. At the start of this territory lies Duckpool, a rugged little beach where the Atlantic swell pounds smooth, wave-hewn rocks. There are no trappings except for an ice cream van on the sunniest days, and if you strike out along the coast path you may only pass a few hardy walkers between here and the Hawker’s Hut perched on the cliffs at Morwenstow.

East Thorne, a 10-minute drive inland, is nothing like this wild coastline. But, after a day immersed in raw and desolate scenery, it can be comforting to return to modern conveniences and the company of fellow campers. For camping here is not about surviving in the wilderness or playing boy scouts. In this neat little community of ten roundhouses, where glamping, not camping, is the buzz-word, you can sip wine on the decking and watch children run around on the car-free green. If you remembered to leave a message on your chalkboard a fresh basket of wood will be ready to throw on the wood-burner, and you can even order a gourmet hamper ready for tea-time.

Each of the roundhouses comes pre-furnished with everything you could possibly need for your stay. They offer a nod to the traditional yurts that were the original accommodation offered on this site but take the glamping up a notch. While the roundhouses still have a curvy appeal and a central crowning window like their canvas counterparts, they offer a more cottage-y feel with wooden floors, solid walls, a kitchenette, plush en-suite bathrooms and, best of all, a private hot tub outside each. They are so well equipped, you don't need to worry about bedding, pots, pans, lamps and cool-boxes. Instead, you can fill the car to breaking point with buckets and spades and spend your days building castle villages on the nearby beaches.

In all, the resulting site is a family-orientated glamping haven in a quiet slice of Cornwall, with a serious dose of luxury to boot. Two of the roundhouses are designed for couples and set in their own private garden areas while the other eight are larger and can accommodate up to six people in each. These larger cabins share an area and all have access to the games room and communal campfire area giving the right balance of privacy and sociable opportunities. At the end of your stay, you should feel suitably relaxed without the last-day worries of packing up camping kit while kids will have picked up the campsite take-homes of grass stains on knees and the smell of campfire smoke in jumpers. You wouldn't want it any other way.