Northumberland is perhaps one of the last places people think of for a get-away-from-it-all holiday. It doesn’t have the lakes of Cumbria or the dales of Derbyshire or that weird rocky Celtic fringe thing that Cornwall does so well. But Northumberland’s rolling moorland and occasional strategic tree has National Park status and this trippy little tipi and yurt site is slap bang in the middle of it.
The yurts are beautifully handcrafted with gravity-defying roofs made from the knobbly branches of an ash tree and with so much space inside they’re bigger than some hotel rooms. The three tipis are bigger than average as well, sleeping 6-8 people to the yurts’ 4-6, the difference being that the yurts have double beds where the tipis are a bit more futon-based. Still, there’s plenty of room for family, friends and casual acquaintances whichever route you choose.
The accommodation is well spaced out among the trees so there’s plenty of quiet and privacy but if you want that extra little bit of seclusion you’ll find the Brock tipi nestling in its own little dell well away from the others next to the small stream. It does mean you’ll have to lug your gear to your bolt hole from the small car park up by the church but it’s a small price to pay.
Once you’ve unpacked there’s plenty to be getting on with, either on your own or on one of the many courses and events laid on by the owners of the site. There are bushcraft weekends and courses in how to make prehistoric pottery and all sorts of curious things, so there’s no excuse not to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.