Campden Yurts, Glamping, Cotswolds

Picturesque Chipping Campden, in the northern stretches of the Cotswolds, is both famously pretty and elegantly varied, with its high street showcasing several centuries of architectural styles all in one long, terraced row. It seems appropriate that, across the fields, there’s a place similarly diverse in style, but just as pleasing on the eye.

Campden Yurts is a hillside small holding turned glamping site offering simple, comfortable, family friendly holidays. Where once goats, ponies and chickens roamed and rows of vegetables grew, there now sit two spacious, 18ft yurts, each accommodating up to five people. A wood-burning stove, rugs, sheepskin throws and fold out futons dot each interior, while a main double bed boasts views up through the central crown window to the stars above. During the day natural sunlight pools through the circular space, while a discreet solar power battery system allows for some extra lighting at night. In addition, each yurt has its own private bathroom, and they also share a well-equipped kitchen room.

Despite this excellent self-catered set-up, owner Jane particularly likes seeing guests outside their yurts, where tripods and grills are provided for a more authentic cooking experience. Campfires are very much a part of the Campden Yurts experience and if you really fancy taking it up a notch, there’s even a cob oven you can use, lighting a wood-fire inside and cooking your own pizzas.

Stretch your legs with the short walk to Chipping Campden where you can stock up on goodies from the local delicatessen and grocery stores – the market town is brimming with refreshing, independent shops, galleries and a museum celebrating Campden's Arts and Crafts movement – then take a break in one of the tiny tearooms. It takes around 15 minutes to stroll the footpath into town. Popular waterside towns, Upper Slaughter and Bourton-on-the-Water, are also both just a short drive away. Each vies for the title of the prettiest town in the Cotswolds.

Alas, not every town can win that accolade, but Chipping Campden is certainly on the shortlist. What with its honey-coloured houses, 17th-century market hall and cluster of National Trust-owned properties, it really does offer the quintessential Cotswolds experience. And now, with a yurt glamping retreat on the doorstep, it’s on the shortlist of Hipcamp’s favourite places too.