Bell tent
a night, from$95
Canvas tents five metres across, pitched on raised wooden decks.
- Double bed and two single futons
- Wood stove with a fireguard
- Solar lanterns and a charging point
- Showers in the barn, 60 metres away
A warm bed under the whole night sky
Four bell tents, a shepherd hut and a timber cabin spread across a quiet meadow, each with its own fire pit and a long view of the stars. Pick where to sleep and ask for your nights; the hosts answer within the day.
4 acresof meadow for six stays
3 kmto the nearest street light
22:00when the meadow goes quiet
- Bell tents, a hut and a cabin
- Four acres of meadow
- Dark skies on clear nights
- Camp kitchen and hot showers
Canvas, wheels or timber walls
Every stay comes with proper beds made up in cotton, a fire pit with a bench, a lantern and a basket of logs for the first evening. Rates are for the whole tent, hut or cabin, not per person.
Shepherd hut
a night, from$139
A hut on iron wheels at the far edge of the meadow, with a skylight over the bed.
- Double bed under the skylight
- Tiny shower room and toilet
- Electric heater and a kettle
- Porch facing the sunset
Meadow cabin
a night, from$165
A timber cabin with a deck, a small kitchen and room for a family.
- Double room and a bunk room
- Kitchen with a two ring hob
- Level entrance and a walk in shower
- Wood stove behind a guard
Summer weekends, May to September, are let for a minimum of two nights. Once we confirm, half the stay is due as a deposit, returned to you in full when you call off the trip a fortnight or more ahead.
Nothing between you and the stars
The meadow sits in a shallow bowl of farmland, and the nearest street light is three kilometres away. On a clear, moonless night the sky fills up within an hour of sunset, and the Milky Way is easy to find from your own deck.
Paths are mown between the stays, so each one feels on its own while the shower barn and the camp kitchen are a short walk away. Lights on the paths are low and red, which keeps your eyes ready for the dark.
- Star chart and red torch in every stay
- Binoculars to borrow from the barn
- Mown paths and low red path lights
- Wildflowers from late spring to summer
Add to your stay
Order extras in your request or with the hosts before you arrive, and they are waiting in your tent, hut or cabin.
| Extra | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Log basket | Seasoned hardwood and kindling for one evening | $9 |
| Breakfast hamper | Eggs, bacon or mushrooms, bread, butter, jam and coffee for two | $26 |
| Fire pit supper | A pot of slow cooked stew to warm over the fire, for four | $38 |
| Toasting kit | Marshmallows, biscuits, chocolate and long sticks | $8 |
| Telescope evening | An hour with the host and a telescope on a clear night | $30 |
| Late check out | Leave at 14:00 instead of 10:30, when the next guests allow | $25 |
Dogs are welcome in bell tents two and three only, at $15 a stay. Please ask before you bring one.
Fire and safety rules on the meadow
Open fires, stoves and long grass need clear rules. Every guest reads these at check in, and the hosts walk you through your own fire pit and stove.
Fires in the pits only
Light fires only in the steel pit at your stay, keep them knee high and put them out with the water bucket before bed. Never light a fire on the grass.
Dry spells and wind
In a long dry spell or strong wind the hosts close the fire pits for everyone, sometimes at short notice. Stoves inside stay in use.
Stoves and alarms
Each stove has a flue, a guard and a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm beside it. Keep fabric clear of the stove and let it burn down before you go out.
No flames inside
Candles, gas burners, heaters and barbecues are never used inside a tent, hut or cabin. Disposable barbecues are not allowed anywhere on the meadow.
Children by fire and water
Children stay with an adult around fire pits and stoves. The wildlife pond has a low fence, but keep small children in sight near it.
In an emergency
Every stay has a fire blanket, an extinguisher and a map to the meeting point at the gate. Call your local emergency number first, then the hosts, who live on site.
Life in the long grass
Canvas, wheels and timber, the fire pits after dark and the meadow when the mist lifts.
Notes left in the guest book (example reviews)
The children counted shooting stars from the deck until they fell asleep, and the stove kept the tent warm well past midnight. The hosts showed us the fire pit and the alarm before anything else.
Lying in bed under the skylight with no light anywhere outside was the reason we came, and it was better than hoped. The breakfast hamper on the porch was a lovely touch.
Rain on the first day, so the cabin and its wood stove earned their price. Then a clear second night and a telescope hour that the whole family is still talking about.
Questions from the gate
What if it rains or turns cold?
Bell tents are double layered canvas on raised decks with a wood stove, so they stay dry and warm. The shepherd hut and the cabin have heating as well. The camp kitchen is covered, with a long table for wet evenings.
How dark does it really get?
Very dark on clear nights without a moon. Check a moon calendar when you choose dates if stargazing is the main reason for your trip, because a full moon washes out the fainter stars.
Is there electricity?
The shepherd hut and the cabin have mains power. Bell tents have solar lanterns and a charging point for phones, and the barn has sockets for anything larger.
Where do we park?
Cars stay in the field by the gate, about 200 metres from the furthest stay. Wheelbarrows wait there to carry bags along the mown paths.
Can we bring our own firewood?
Please use our logs, which are seasoned and come from the farm. Wood brought from elsewhere can carry pests and often burns badly.
Our plans have changed. What now?
Tell the hosts as early as you can. With a fortnight or more to go, you get the whole deposit back; nearer the time, it comes back only if other guests take those nights.
Ask for your nights in the meadow
Choose a tent, the hut or the cabin, add your first night and the morning you leave, and tell us who is coming. We answer the same day to confirm or to suggest the nearest open dates.
- No stay is held until the hosts confirm
- Half the stay as a deposit once confirmed
- Fire and safety walk round on arrival
Reaching the meadow
Ring the hosts during the day, or email at any hour. Directions to the farm track come with your confirmation.
The hosts
A four acre meadow at the end of a farm track, 6 km from the nearest village
Arrivals and quiet time
| Arrivals | 15:00 to 19:00 |
| Departures | By 10:30 |
| Quiet on the meadow | 22:00 to 08:00 |
| Hosts by phone | 08:00 to 21:00 |
The whole meadow for a weekend
Birthdays, reunions and small gatherings of up to 18 guests can take every tent, the hut and the cabin together. Tell us the dates and the occasion and we send a price for the lot.
Ask about the whole meadow