LIVE LIKE THE WALTONS
Glamping and grandparents might not be natural bedfellows but at North Star Club in East Yorkshire they do it differently. Think luxe fur throws, log-burners and firepits for the ultimate woodland glamour. Forget all thoughts of shivering in draughty huts. Think of convivial evenings watching the flicker of firelight cast against a copper bath. The wilderness on your doorstep with those outdoorsy, romantic veranda moments redolent of the Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons.
Woodland suites are named after famous and fascinating Yorkshire people, from painter Atkinson Grimshaw to heroic pilot Amy Johnson. The suites all have a cosy sitting room, large bedroom with a wood burner and comfy kingsize bed and spacious bathroom.
So you can hunker down in your own space but also make the expedition to The Woodshed, a communal relaxation space where you can snuggle up with a book by the fire and help yourself tea, coffee and homemade cake – outside there’s a canopied campfire, perfect for chilling and stargazing in all weathers.
GO SWALLOWS & AMAZONS
Waternook is the place to live the lakeside dream. You’ve got loads of waterside access and your own boathouse – Ullswater is as the bottom of your garden, what could be nicer? Waternook is a real away-from-it-all destination but with plenty of must-have modern touches to keep all ages happy, including a Spa and Wellness Sanctuary, cinema, terraces and an array of concierge services if you need looking after.
Gather for morning coffee and chatter over your bacon butties in the luxury kitchen with its breath-taking lake view dining terrace then scatter to your place of choice- the bar, cinema or reading room with wood burning stove or just go lake-viewing and star-spotting with the telescope.
OUTNUMBERED
Space for all in the Black Mountains in Herefordshire in a house called Charity, where the littlies can run free and groups can gather for a movies, champagne and movie re-runs in the fabulous cinema room in this modern-rustic mountain retreat. A higgledy-piggledy getaway packed with dive-in sofas, loaded with Welsh woollen throws. The vibe is definitely eccentric bohemian – relax in a hammock in the garden, warm by the wood-burner in the galleried lounge or get super-competitive the way only families do in the well-equipped games room.
This is a really comfy and convivial spot – loads of outdoor space, not to mention and ‘dad’ toys such as a firepit and stone island bbq station and the all-age pleasures of sauna and hot tub.
