The Victorian town of Woodhall Spa came into existence largely by accident. Locals digging for coal stumbled across the water far below and it wasn’t until the town lord had it tested in 1834 that it was declared a valuable mineral spring. Up popped the spa baths, the shops, the town houses and the grand hotels that all live on to give the town its lasting elegance today, and though nowadays you bubble in campsite hot-tubs rather than the town’s original mineral springs, it’s still a cracking place to holiday and Bainland Country Park is the best way to enjoy it.
A mile from the town centre, and directly opposite the vast grounds of Woodhall Spa Manor, Bainland Country Park is the main residence for most campers and caravanners pitching up in this quiet part of the Lincolnshire countryside. The park has long been home to a series of wooden rental lodges but recently it’s the introduction of a trio of glamping tents that have caused a stir at Cool Camping HQ. If you’re in need of a proper glamping hideout, they’re sure to fit the bill.
Set in a quiet corner of the park, the three canvas safari lodges each sleep up to six people, with two conventional bedrooms (a double and a bunk room), plus sleeping space for kids in a quirky cupboard bed – “it’s a kind of chicken coup”, the Bainland Country Park staff explain – with a snug bean bag area underneath. While modern, en-suite facilities, a fully-equipped kitchen, WiFi and a television may feel a far cry from actual camping, the tents look out into some 40-acres of partial woodland; great mature trees that embrace the surrounding campsite and still ensure a thoroughly outdoor feel. Throw in a few nights bubbling in your own private hot tub beneath the stars and there is a definite sense of basking in the natural world (albeit with man-made luxury).
Along with all the glamping goodies of your safari tent, the campsite has bags of facilities to boot. You can book yourself in for archery or fencing, splash about in the indoor swimming pool or indulge in some family competitiveness with games of badminton or tennis. However, the ample facilities do come at a cost as this is not a small-scale campsite. You can, for example, purchase an on-site Starbucks that slightly smacks of commercialisation. Yet the place still very much gears itself to quiet family groups. Nature trails lace the woodland, there’s an early quiet time of 10pm and children adore the vast amount of space to explore. For exploring the Lincolnshire Wolds and the surrounding, rural villages, it’s certainly an ideal base.
