Stargazer Glamping

The Stargazer Glamping grounds are pretty enticing themselves, with all sorts of strolls and quiet corners, while 100 yards down the road is the South Herefordshire Golf Club (01989 780 535), as well as a beautiful fishing lake just beyond one of the fields. For something a bit more active, you're right on the doorstep of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — it starts at the bottom of the hill — which is well set up for canoeing, wild swimming, fishing, walking, and cycling. There's plenty of information on the official website, including downloadable trails, but for just a taster of the area on foot you can pick up the spectacular Wye Valley Walk at nearby Ross-on-Wye (three miles west of the site) for valley climbs and riverside walks towards the historic border towns of either Monmouth or Hereford.

A quick, 1-mile drive southwest to the Forest of Dean offers plenty more walking, plus rock climbing, horse riding, mountain biking, and a Go Ape treetop adventure course. If you were going to hit just one destination here, make it Symonds Yat Rock (0300 0674800), where there are walking and cycling trails and stunning river views from the site of an ancient hill fort. This is also a great place to try and spot soaring birds of prey including peregrine falcons, sparrowhawks, goshawks, and buzzards. For more urban delights, you can't move for historic border towns in these parts, full of indie shops, ancient remains, medieval churches, and charming old pubs. Hereford remains delightfully under the radar – just half an hour's drive away – and boasts the world's oldest surviving medieval map, the Mappa Mundi, housed in Hereford Cathedral (01432 374200).

The closest village shop — Lea Stores (01989 750458) — is in Lea, two miles south, which has groceries and a deli counter. There's a great local pub too, the award-winning Alma Inn at Linton (01989 720355), which is a handsome country tavern serving a good range of beers and ciders and excellent pub food. It's less than a mile from the site, but be warned — it's a stiff walk down one side of the valley and up the other. Also about a mile away, to the north, the Moody Cow at Upton Bishop (01989 780470) is a terrifically accomplished, Michelin-rated restaurant, with inventive menus strong on local and seasonal produce. Don't just turn up expecting to eat — book before you come.  A bit further afield, there's also destination dining at the Lough Pool (01989 730888), a rustic charmer about eight miles west, or drive down to Symonds Yat to Ye Olde Ferrie Inn (01600 890232) for a slice of history – there's been a riverside inn here since the 15th century and it's a lovely place for a riverside walk and a ploughman's lunch. The nearest town, if you want to stroll the streets and pick a pub or a restaurant, is Ross-on-Wye, just three miles from the site.