These days camping on the farm doesn’t have to be muddy. We’ve found a place where you can snuggle down under crisp white sheets while listening to the moos of cows and waiting for the kettle to boil. It’s a place where, instead of pulling on the wellies to trudge to the loo, you can pad barefoot to your en-suite bathroom. You can wash your hands with locally made soap and dry them on Egyptian cotton towels before delving in to the contents of your just-delivered breakfast hamper. This is definitely not old-school farmyard camping. It’s Darnell’s Farm Luxury Glamping.
This bijou glamping site has been set up on a fourth-generation family farm on the border of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. It’s the real deal; very much a working farm and not just a petting zoo for campers. Host Danni and farmer husband Graham set out to create hotel-style comfort in a rural location that they recognised had much to offer. It’s a tranquil setting with countryside views. It’s easy to reach too – little over a mile off the motorway (though you’d never know it) and just seven miles from Ross-on-Wye.
Accommodation-wise, the choice here is between the fairly luxurious glamping pods (there are two) and the very luxurious safari lodge, which sleeps six. They are well spaced for privacy but not so far apart that this glamping trio doesn’t work for group bookings. The communal fire pit is great for glamping get-togethers and toasting marshmallows or barbecuing local produce from the on-site honesty shop.
The glamping is kept deliberately separate from the hard graft. While Graham is out in the fields ploughing and harvesting, you can enjoy views of the idyllic scenery that surrounds him. And while onsite ‘entertainment’ comprises a large dose of countryside chilling, we think that’s just as well because there’s already so much to do in the surrounding area. The glamping site is within reach of a staggering number of attractions and activities; more than can be managed in the three and four-day minimum stays. You can visit the market towns of the Wye Valley, go kayaking down the river or climbing at Symonds Yat. You can cycle in the Forest of Dean, walk in the Malvern Hills and visit a vineyard if you have the time. If not, you’ll just have to come back.