Cherish Glamping offers yurt stays with bed, breakfast and much, much more. This is high-end glamping with plenty of bells and whistles—all set on a Wensleydale Farm. Each of the seven Mongolian yurts has its own wetroom, with a rainfall shower and loo just outside. Each has a hot tub as well. And, if that’s not enough, book yourself in for a sesh at the site’s own eco spa where there’s a sauna and plunge pool too. All this, anywhere, would make for great glamping but positioned here in the Yorkshire Dales, it’s particularly scenic and surrounded by lots to do.
Midway between the village of Askrigg and the town of Hawes, Cherish Glamping, is well positioned for a holiday in Wensleydale. The area’s most famous export, cheese, is made just down the road at the Wensleydale Creamery. Aysgarth Falls is a few miles in the other direction and there’s great walking right outside with a map provided in your yurt. For other tips on what to do, ask hosts Jo and Steve. This friendly pair know how to look after their guests. They warm the hot tub before you arrive, they deliver breakfast to your yurt each day, they introduce you to their pigs and chickens—and they’ll even make you dinner (for an extra charge).
Whether you come with kids or not, this site has a family feel. It’s welcoming, warm, and as sociable as you’d like it to be. There’s a shared games room in a barn with table football, pool, and a few other games to play. But it’s what’s not shared that some will like here the most: your yurt with its private shower and loo. Inside, the beauty of these structures is revealed. They are the real deal, imported from Mongolia with the painted wood, latticework walls, and lamps to prove it. Six of the seven can be configured for a couple or a family of up to four while the seventh, Kestrel, has beds for up to six. And you are welcome to bring the dog. They all have a log burner, a fridge, a kettle, and even a Nespresso coffee machine.
Cherish Glamping is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and there’s a national park visitor centre in the riverside town of Hawes, three miles down the road. The town is also home to the Dales Countryside Museum and the Wensleydale Creamery where you can watch cheese being made and have your photo taken with Wensleydale’s biggest fans (Wallace and Gromit). You can walk to Hawes on the Herriot Way, a well-signposted, long-distance footpath that’s 80 miles in its entirety. Head out on it the other way from site and you can visit Mill Gill Falls and the pretty village of Askrigg (three miles). Low Mill Outdoor Centre on the outskirts of the village offers adventurous activities for groups including kayaking and climbing. A couple of miles further is Bolton Castle (10 miles) with a wild boar park and falconry within the grounds. Aysgarth Falls (eight miles) are another cascade on the River Ure that are worth a visit and there’s another national park visitor centre by them where there’s plenty of information on activities across the wider park. The Forbidden Corner is a great place to visit with kids – a quirky garden with a maze and follies, mooted as “the strangest place in the world” (15 miles). It’s close to English Heritage’s Middleham Castle, the ruined childhood home of Richard III.
Food and drink is one of the highlights of a stay at Cherish Glamping. Breakfast is included and there’s a great menu with everything from the full Wensleydale to bircher muesli to choose from. It’s made with locally-sourced ingredients included home-reared pork sausages and eggs you can collect with Jo or Steve in the morning. Packed lunches and home-cooked dinners are also available to order and there’s a good range from pizzas to Wensleydale lamb hotpot via Sri Lankan curries. You won’t want to miss your chance to try some real Wensleydale cheese from the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes. There’s a cafe on site there – and plenty more options for eating out and picking up supplies for your own cooking in Hawes (three miles). The Fountain offers a good pub menu, The White Hart is nice for a special meal out and Hawes Chippie is not to be missed. For a village pub, there are three to choose from in Askrigg (just under three miles): The King’s Arms, The Middle House and The Crown Inn. There’s a great tea room there too.