Ham Hideaway

All the joy of the outdoors with none of the hassle of camping. Most of the glamping sites we come across are striving to provide that – but none of them have gone quite so far as to provide a butler service. Until now, that is. If you love the idea of camping but hate the idea of having to cook, clean and wash up while on holiday, Ham Hideaway might just be the place for you. This cluster of top notch shepherds huts and safari tents close to the Kent coast is cared for butler-style, by a capable Jeeves-type who’ll serve you breakfast, lunch and dinner – if you want him to, or will melt noiselessly away if you don’t.

The excellent service that comes with a stay at Ham Hideaway starts as soon as you’ve made your booking. You get a phone call enquiring whether you’d like afternoon tea on arrival day (with or without prosecco) and, perhaps, breakfast delivered to your shepherd’s hut during your stay. Don’t mind if I do, thanks. There’s an extra charge for all this, of course, but it’s not unreasonable and if you’ve got kids under five their breakfast comes free. And anyway, you’re on holiday. You’ll realise that as soon as you arrive.

Chances are that Chris, your butler, will be waiting for you as you pull up in the car park. He’ll lead you through an arched gateway in the hedgerow to the little hideaway beyond. Two safari tents and two shepherd’s huts share the space, all looking out across Kentish cornfields towards the sea. The huts are romantic boltholes and completely self contained. One, Corncockle, has an en-suite walk-in shower and the other, Sweet Briar, has a scene-stealing, polished copper free-standing bath. The two-bedroomed safari tents are better for families and have separate but individual bathrooms nearby. Every detail is tasteful but unfussy, from white Egyptian cotton sheets to vintage light switches you’ll wish you had at home. Your meals can be served to the raised deck of your shepherd’s hut or tent or taken just over the way in the shared dining barn, Wind Hover, named for the nearby nesting kestrels.

There’s little reason to cater for yourself but simple facilities are there if you want them. Ultimately, though, this is a place for people who don’t mind paying a little more for the pleasure of great hospitality. And with the washing up taken care of, you’ll have more time to enjoy a location that’s ringed by the best of Kent. There are fields and farms all the way to the coast, quirky Deal and historic Dover to the south, Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate to the north and world-famous Canterbury a short drive inland. Exploring all this can be exhausting. Lucky, then, that you have a little hideaway where you can put your feet up and watch the shadows grow on the cornfields while someone else prepares your three-course dinner.