Cheglinch Farm Glamping

Utter the words "proper camping" and you may start some controversy. Is it possible to have a genuine, camping experience yet still enjoy the odd glamping luxury like a double bed and fully equipped outdoor kitchen? Cheglinch Farm Glamping is an eco-conscious site that splits the difference between traditional tenters and over-pampered glampers, by providing off-the-grid seclusion in comfortable canvas – all set in a family-run working dairy farm, amongst North Devon's picturesque agricultural scenery.

To call Cheglinch Farm Glamping a ‘site’ is perhaps a misstatement. The space consists of just three, five-person Lotus Bell Tents, with views across the open meadows and ample space for kids to run free while adults blissfully relax. There’s no huge plastic playground or gaudy reception building, just a car-free sheltered field to connect with nature. "We wish to keep the field as natural as possible, with the minimum environmental impact," says the owner Ella. The small-scale atmosphere makes the place feel remarkably exclusive, with not a soul to disturb you, well, apart from the local family of pheasants, visiting deer, or dairy cows grazing nearby.

The tents – which are set upon wooden standings within their own dedicated 4-acre field – proper beds are made-up ready for your arrival and come complete with blankets, hot water bottles and a wood burning stove set just outside of the tent, to keep you toasty. Everything needed to whip up a good meal is found in each tent's private outdoor kitchen area, equipped with a gas barbecue, as well as cooking equipment and crockery. The eco-friendly focus continues with the ablution facilities, with a private composting toilet housed in a portable wooden structure next to each tent and quirky, private shower rooms within a wooden building across the field.

After soaking in Cheglinch's winning ambiance (be warned, it may take a while), you’re left with North Devon, in all its glory. For a secluded swim, the Victorian bathing pool at the Tunnels Beaches should impress, as it's reached by a network of tunnels, hand-carved through the Ilfracombe cliffs by Welsh miners in 1823. If it’s wilderness you’re after, nothing beats the desolate beauty of Exmoor National Park. With one foot in Somerset, and the other in Devon, Exmoor's attractions include wild ponies, glittering night skies – the lack of light pollution made it Europe's first Dark Skies Reserve – and endless walking routes.