Ewe Love Camping Pods

Blencathra looms large in the north of the Lake District. The mountain, peaking at 2,848 feet, dominates any journey into the park from Penrith, with a series of steep spines running down from its crest. For generations the mountain was known as ‘Saddleback’ before guidebook author Alfred Wainwright re-popularised the Cumbric name. And, at the foot of Clough Head opposite, a new collection of glamping pods makes the most of this magnificent view in much the same manner. Owner Can Hodgson has called the pods not One, Two and Three, but Yan, Tan and Tethra – the old Cumbric for the numbers.

While their names may have a historic quality, the pods are anything but ancient. This is the real, 21st-century glamping deal. Set in a small wood – a mixture of mature Scots pines and a newly planted copse – the pods were added to the farm in 2019 and feature the likes of under-floor heating, en-suite shower rooms and a compact modern kitchen. Outside there’s a deck and a terrace with a barbecue, plus that ever present asset – the incredible view of mighty Saddleback.

The pods are in close proximity but don’t overlook one another, making them good for groups and individual bookings alike, while the surroundings are populated by rabbits and the occasional roe deer. The farm is a part of the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme, meaning it’s managed to actively encourage greater biodiversity, and kestrels, nuthatches and redstarts frequent the skies here too.

If the view doesn’t entice you out for a walk or bike ride then you might just have a screw loose. Ewe Love Camping Pods is perfectly placed for immersing yourself in the scenery, whether it’s heading into the traditional hay meadow and following the footpath up to the Old Coach Road and eventually to Great Dodd (2,812 feet) or heading across to tackle Blencathra itself. Those who know the mountain will no doubt have heard of the famously challenging scramble up Sharp Edge. “The crest itself is sharp enough for shaving”, Wainwright wrote. It’s well worth doing if you have the mountain skills.

It’s not all scrambling and heads for heights though. It’s a 15-minute drive to pretty Keswick, around the same to Castelrigg Stone Circles (thousands of years old) and 15 in the opposite direction to Ullswater for watersports and boat trips. Bring your dookers or hire a byat for the day. There’s a little more Cumbrian for you – ‘swimming trunks’ and ‘boat’. Then again, if you’re an offcomer you might never quite understand.