Perhaps we gush a bit. Afterall, this is hardly humble shepherd’s camping, what with an en-suite toilet and shower, but that’s precisely the point of the incredible glamping setup! There’s still a very tangible element of the outdoors here too. Outside there’s a barbecue and firepit accompanied by a hanging grill, or grab the telescope under your bed to make the most of the night skies. It’s a top spot to enjoy relaxing on the farm and if the weather’s bad you can still shut yourself away, read a book and listen to the raindrops tapping teasingly on the rooftop.
“We wanted something that would suit the style of our 500 year old farm”, Em goes on, gesturing towards the animals and describing the “mosaic of countryside”. There’s something fitting about the shepherd’s hut within the rolls of open landscape. The Blackdown Hills have been a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1991 and here on Beetham Farm, Dimpsey Glamping does manage to match it all for beauty. The manor house interior of the hut, like something out of Country Living, emulates the beauty on the doorstep and the traditional types of activities that are best enjoyed here like walking, cycling or horseriding. It’s also an easy escape down to the coastline, half an hour away – there’s a flask in the shepherd’s hut so you can bring a cuppa with you.
It all fits into place like hand in glove. A place that shepherds of old could probably only dream of. If you look over the cupboard that’s in front of you when you very first step inside, though, there is a quaint ode to all their hard work – a tiny postcard painting of a shepherd in the field, leaning peacefully against his crook. Small, unnoticeable yet wonderfully well placed, it’s just another little feature that shows the thought that’s been put in.
