For many people like myself, camping is my worst nightmare.
Hauling chairs, cooking equipment and tents halfway across the country, only to have to sleep on the floor and go outside to use the bathroom is not my idea of a holiday.
However, in recent years, there has been a bit of a camping revolution with the rise in popularity of glamping – glamorous camping.
All the fun of spending a weekend outside in the summer, with all the comforts of a proper bed and a bathroom.
To try out glamping, we were invited up to Samlesbury Hall in Lancashire for a weekend in one of their ‘Shepherd’s Huts’.
Location
Set in large grounds, Samlesbury Hall, situated near Preston, was built in 1325 and since then has been a family home, rented to tenants, a school and most recently has been turned into a hotel.
The hall offers traditional hotel rooms inside the hall, as well as around 30 ‘Shepherd’s Huts’ situated in the grounds.
Attractions on site also include a bee centre, a driving range, a small farm, a shop and the UK’s only 'wafflery'.
First impressions
On arrival, we checked in and were given our key and directions to our hut.
We walked through tree lined paths through scores of cabins until we arrived at ours. There are roughly 29 cabins in total, organised into groups of two or three.
Before arriving, I didn't really know what to expect from the hut.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean, central heated, functional space containing incredibly comfortable double bunk beds, two chairs, a table and an en-suite bathroom.
The space wasn't vast, but it was the perfect size for two people and a small dog (we requested a dog-friendly cabin).
As well as the indoor facilities, there was a picnic table outside and a fire pit. We were also provided with some logs to burn and marshmallows to roast for an evening treat.
Staff at the hall recommended Mezzo for dinner, an Italian restaurant across the road, as the Hall and restaurant were closed on the Friday.
The food was delicious and we didn't have far to go to get back.
We were lucky to have great weather and spent most of Friday evening sitting outside around a fire reading.
Breakfast
On Saturday morning, we woke up and headed over to the hall’s restaurant for breakfast.
Both of us opted for a full English, which included two sausages, two rashers of thick bacon, a fried egg, tomato, beans, mushroom, hash brown and a rack of toast, all for £7.95.
The egg didn't have far to travel, as it came straight from the hall's on-site farm, which cares for rescued battery hens. It was totally delicious, so much so that I had the same thing the next day.
The bacon was thick and the fat was crispy, the sausages were very tasty and the fried egg was perfectly cooked.
There were other options on the menu, including cobs with your choice of fillings, toast with jams and their honey, made on site at the bee centre, granola for a healthier option, among others.
Things to do
After breakfast, our time was our own so we headed over to the coast.
It was only an hour’s drive to the coastal town of Heysham, by Morecambe Bay. A picturesque village full of history and gorgeous vistas over the sea.
If you are headed to Lancashire, I highly recommend Morecambe and Heysham for a relaxed walk along the beach before heading to a tea room in the village for an afternoon tea.
Although close by, we decided to avoid Blackpool entirely. We decided it wasn't that kind of holiday.
We didn't feel like cooking that night, although we were provided with some single use BBQs, so went to the Indian restaurant down the road, Bukhara, and ordered a feast – all very tasty.
Last day
On the Sunday, we had to be checked out of our cabin by 11am and it was perfect timing as there was a free guided tour of Samlesbury Hall taking place at 11am.
We headed over to the Hall and were greeted by a very enthusiastic tour guide, in full Tudor dress, who took us around the main rooms of the Hall.
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She gave us an abridged version of the very long history of the Hall, and treated us to some ghost stories along the way.
Amazingly, the Hall does not charge an admission fee and asks only for donations. The donations will go towards the refurbishment of the roof of the Hall, which is currently in need of some TLC.
Party time
Before heading home, we decided to head to the wafflery to sample one of their sweets treats from what the Hall boasts is the 'only wafflery in the UK'.
If you are planning on going to the wafflery, watch out for children's parties. The cafe was filled with 25 five-year olds with their parents and the tiny kitchen was struggling to cope.
Although the waffle I had, one covered in different kinds of berries and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, was completely delicious, it did take an hour for it to arrive.
Despite this fly in the ointment, Samlesbury Hall made it a lovely weekend, made better by the glorious weather.
