Wednesday 8 January 2020

Glamping in a Treehouse - Our Adventure at Wild Northumbrian

My greatest joy in life is escaping to the great outdoors and losing myself in the beautiful countryside of Northumberland. No matter the weather, time of year or temperature nothing beats forgetting about real life for a few hours and enjoying the incredible rolling hills, coastal views and woodlands of my favourite county. If it involves a night away glamping at the incredible Wild Northumbrian even better.



Now when you're planning a great Winter escape, camping in a yurt might not immediately spring to mind, but I'm hoping sharing our recent trip with you will show you how great it is to be off-grid at this time of year, because believe me, wild glamping in the Winter months is such a beautifully cosy experience and the perfect way to banish the January blues and start off the New Year in the best possible way.

We first stumbled upon Wild Northumbrian a couple of years ago when we were invited to a Bat and Pizza Evening hosted by Wild Intrigue. The most picturesque campsite with a difference, I was instantly smitten and have spent a lot of time since trying to convince my indoor loving husband to entertain the idea of staying for the night.  It was quite different to any other camping site I'd seen before and I was desperate to experience it properly for myself.



Working with the landscape, wildlife and local community to create a truly unique glamping site, Wild Northumbrian is the perfect way to escape the trappings of modern day living and truly switch off. Unplugged and off-grid surrounded by incredible views and nature, their 25 acre site was just made for adults and children alike to run free and create the most special memories.

Camping at Wild Northumbrian makes a great adventure for everyone and if you love to share your adventures with your dog then this is one of the few glamping sites in the area that welcomes four legged furry friends!  If your little ones are great adventurers then it's also a brilliant place to bring kids who will love running wild in the countryside and cooking on the camp fire.  It's also quite the spot if you happen to be visiting for a special occasion with the loveliest little hampers available to help you celebrate which can include champagne and flowers for a romantic moment or a startgazers picnic for a night under the stars.



Although staying at Wild Northumbrian does feel like a proper wild experience there are some great facilities to make your stay that little bit more comfortable if you like your creature comforts. Although there are outdoor compost toilets and an outdoor shower available, at the main site you will also find a little communal kitchen area complete with plug sockets to charge your phone, microwaves, fridges and washing facilities as well as indoor toilets and showers. The kitchen is a great place to spread out if you're wanting to prep food and also fantastic if you want to get chatting to some likeminded glampers, I met some really lovely people on my visits.

Each hut lies in its own secluded location with seven to choose from - Swallow Hut the cutest little wooden cabin sleeps four and is the closest to the camp's facilities or if you prefer a more wild experience Tod Yurt is nestled away overlooking the River Tarset with views over the valley and has a compost loo and incredible outside shower.  For the romantics Corbie Shepherd Hut will be your perfect choice with its outdoor wood fired hot tub in a secluded position below the Scots Pine trees.



Our home for the night was the Houlet Yurt, a little different to the other accommodation around the site and something truly special, our Yurt was the most beautiful little tree house sitting above Brierhill Sike where you can enjoy a Wild Northumbrian experience like no other. Climbing the wooden steps up to our home we were living amongst the trees with our very own private stargazing platform.

Opening the door to our treehouse for the first time I was overjoyed at how beautiful it was inside. The wood burning stove was already lit to welcome us and I couldn't believe how toasty it was once we were in with the door shut, the perfect little cosy home for two and a great chance to shut ourselves away from the world for a rare moment of peace and quiet.



Furnished with beautiful reclaimed furniture we had everything that we needed for a comfortable night away including an abundance of tea light holders, lanterns and candlesticks to give our treehouse the most welcoming glow.



My favourite part of our treehouse was the Birch Tree bed which was easily the most beautiful bed I have ever seen. What a special place to spend the night. Covered in fairylights and sitting pretty under a candle chandelier can you imagine a more romantic place to spend a night?

Perfectly cosy, Houlet is great for the Winter months - snuggle up by the wood burning stove, play a few board games, read a magazine by candle light or simply curl up with your other half and discuss those important things that real life just never gives you time for. Of course if you are lucky enough to visit Wild Northumbrian in the Summer months there's also plenty to discover outside Houlet with a ground level fire pit with a seating area and a hammock under the shade of the yurt for those sunny days.



With my husband not exactly the adventuring type, we had to do a bit of a compromise on our visit and I promised him an evening in the pub rather than making our own tea out in the wilds. One day I will convince him to give campfire cooking a go, but on this occasion I happily booked us a table at nearby pub, The Pheasant Inn who do really delicious dishes with their pies being particularly good. If you prefer a pub without a drive then The Hollybush Inn is only a 15 minute walk away from Wild Northumbrian.

After our pub grub we returned to Houlet under cover of darkness allowing ourselves a quick visit to the indoor loos (yes we really are the Prince and Princess of Glamping!) before tucking ourselves in for the night.



Although Houlet certainly wasn't uncomfortably cold it's definitely worth packing a few layers of clothes if you are staying over in the Winter months. In my knee high wooly socks. thick tracksuit and bobble hat (yes, I slept in a bobble hat) I was so snug under the duvet and although my face did feel a little cold when I woke up in the morning I had a really comfortable night's sleep and would happily glamp at Wild Northumbrian in the cold Winter months again.

It felt like our adventure was over as soon as it had begun and I honestly can't wait to return to Wild Northumbrian some time, I'd love to tick all of the yurts off my list and that sounds like the kind of challenge that I would happily accept.



What you need to know:
  • there is a 10% discount for couples when two people are sharing (select YURT COUPLES option when booking) and a 20% discount to single parents - use SINGLEPARENT discount code when booking
  • Ensure to have a copy of the directions when you travel to Wild Northumbrian for the first time - it isn't the easiest place to find on your first attempt and there is very limited phone signal in the area.
  • All yurts and huts are dog friendly 
Find Wild Northumbrian at:

Thorneyburn Old Rectory
Tarset
Hexham
NE48 1NZ

01669 650 166

wildnorthumbrian.co.uk/

We were treated to a complimentary overnight stay at Wild Northumbrian.
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6 comments

  1. I love the sound and look of the place, I think it’s one of the most romantic overnight stays I’ve ever seen! I’d just be nervous about the loo.. but other than that I am definitely going to book it at some point. Your photos are gorgeous! Melis x

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    1. We were a little nervous about going to the main toilet block in the night as we had to go over the rope bridge, but we made sure we went before bed time and we were fine. There was also a compost loo right near our yurt. I think in the Summer I wouldn't be so bothered about getting up in the night for the loo as it wouldn't be as muddy and cold outside!

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  2. This sounds amazing, I bet it was lovely to escape for the night somewhere like this. I would never have thought to do something like this in the winter time xx

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    1. It was so nice to have all of the fresh air and then somewhere so cosy to snuggle up in the evening

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  3. Wow what a fab experience! It is something very different and I think the kids would love it - a real adventure x

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    1. They really would - it's the greatest place to let off steam and have an explore!

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