Bespoke by Nature
UK England West Midlands Herefordshire Ewyas Harold
A husband and wife team, the couple have both grown up here and have a back-of-the-hand understanding of the surrounding Black Mountains, the scenic borderline between England and Wales. Francesca herself was brought up in Old Great Marlborough House, a 17th-century farmhouse that now offers top-spec self catered accommodation, but it’s their love of the great outdoors that has led them outside to pursue our more preferred form of hospitality.
For now the fields look surprisingly bare. There are no tents, no cars and no to-and-fro of family campers. The reason, though, is that this is no ordinary campsite. Bespoke By Nature exists purely for exclusive group bookings, accommodating anywhere between 12 and 24 people, so each weekend it’s almost an entirely new campsite that pops up into life. A few things are a happy constant – the large communal tipi with a welcomingly warm firepit, a BBQ area wafting a tantalising aroma across the site and a wood-fired oven awaiting Ed’s perfected homemade pizzas – but most other aspects of your stay are tailored entirely to you, with a trio of weekend menus to choose between and a handful of guided offsite offerings you can take up if you so wish, like mountain biking, horse riding or hiking the local trails.
Bordered by Olchon Brook, the campsite itself is a spacious, luscious duo of meadows, fringed by trees that foot the surrounding hills. If kids are involved then sunny hours can be lost dabbling in the stream (young at heart welcome too!). Bikes are available to hire and if you don’t fancy dragging all the mud and damp into your tent then there’s helpful storage for muddy boots. It reflects the real bonus of being the only campsite occupants – you decide what kind of holiday you're after. Cycle groups, hiking groups, foodies, rock climbers, kayakers and literature lovers are all well located to make the most of local spoils. And at the end of the day, you have your own patch of the countryside to crawl back to. The “power of good food, good wine and good company” is what Ed and Francesca tell us it’s all about. Add in the power of enjoying the great British countryside on your own, private terms and you’ve got Bespoke By Nature down to a T.
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Details
Facilities
3 composting loos and 2 showers. A large communal tipi and a covered area for eating if the weather is bad. Guests are permitted to fish in the stream that runs through the farm and, when they are present, guests are welcome to help feed the pigs and chickens if they wish. There is a secluded 'beach' by the stream for a quiet read or a doze in the sun, a wooded area with a footpath running through it and a small but beautiful waterfall just a minutes walk up the footpath.Suitable For
Tents and groups – yes. Campervans, caravans, motorhomes and dogs – no.Nearby
This is fantastic walking, cycling, fell running and horse riding country, all of which can be arranged for guests with local bike hire/guiding companies etc – their bike hire suppliers collect from the doorstep and guide the group for the day. It's best organised in advance so let Ed and Francesca know if you're interested. They also arrange canoeing trips on the River Wye or Llangorse Lake, a highly recommended way of enjoying this stretch of countryside. For something under your own steam, Bespoke By Nature is a 25 minute drive from the famous book town of Hay on Wye, and the same distance to Abergavenny with its excellent food festival (01873 851643).Food & Drink
This is a catered campsite so campers can relax knowing meals are taken care of. The owners cook outdoors as much as possible on the BBQ or pizza oven and use fresh seasonal produce, much of which comes straight from the vegetable garden. Tailored menus and dietary requirements available. The campsite is not licensed but don't charge for corkage so bring along as much vino as you wish! There is an excellent shop – Hopes of Longtown – in the village, selling lots of local produce, as well as two nearby pubs, The Crown Inn (01873 860217) in Longtown and the Cornewall Arms (01873 860677) in Clodock. It's an easy and pleasant 1.5 mile walk.Open
April – November.Pricing
£40 per person per night; £20 pppn for under 12s; babies and toddlers free. No car or tent charges and the price includes meals (e.g.Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast and light lunch or afternoon tea).Location
Contact Bespoke by Nature, Lower House Farm, Longtown, Herefordshire HR2 0NT
Getting There
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