We decided, quite last minute to go Glamping at Knaveswell Farm, in Dorset. You can see from a previous post we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. This was written before our experience below.
Knaveswell Farm is a farm located just to the East of Corfe Castle, on the way to Swanage, so a great location. Being a farm, the roads to it are narrow and twisty, so be prepared for the occasional tight squeeze past other cars.
On arrival at the Farm, we pulled in as instructed to the main farm house area, where the owner Jo, greeted us and gave us directions and information about our ‘tent’.
She also advised us where we could get ice packs from for the fridge, as while the tents were well equipped, there was zero electricity, so keeping food cold was done the old fashioned way with ice packs.
Directions in hand, we headed off to our tent and prepared for Glamping at Knaveswell Farm!
The Tent
Cars aren’t allowed in or around the area where the tents are, except for loading and unloading, so we drove to the tent, emptied the car, and drove back to a small parking area about 100 yards from the tent itself. The tents are individually elevated, but they have a shared field. This is really good, because you can mix with the other campers, but still have your privacy if you need it.
Once we unloaded, it was time to take a look around our home for the next two days. First impressions were good, and we thought then we would enjoy Glamping at Knaveswell Farm.
So a quick photo tour of our accommodation:
Well Equipped
As you can see, it is really well equipped. Hot water comes from the boiler you can see in the toilet, which when camping, seems strange to consider a toilet and hot water a luxury!
There was loads of room in both bedrooms, and those two doors you see at the end of the room in the main bedroom, is a raised double bed, in a shed time room. I imagine slightly older kids than Max would love sleeping in something like this.
They provide everything you need in the kitchen, from matches, to utensils, and even things like foil and clingfilm, so yu just really need your food, and you are good to go. So far, Glamping at Knaveswell Farm is turning out to be a good choice!
Once we had settled in, it was time to start thinking about how to get the wood burning stove going, for two reasons. We needed to cook dinner, and we imagined while the temperature in the tents was warm in the summer sun, at night it was bound to chill, so we wanted to be ready.
For me, this was not as easy as I thought, and it did take me a while (or an age) to get a roaring fire going, but we did, and we managed to cook our Pasta Bolognese tea on it, and enjoy it out on the decking in front of the tent.
Evening relaxing while Glamping at Knaveswell Farm
After dinner, it was time to get Max ready for bed so we could enjoy the warm summers evening, sitting around the firebowl, have drinks and toasting marshmallows.
Using firelighters and kindling, it was easier to the get this lighted than the stove, and it wasn’t long before we had a roaring fire, and we could sit back and enjoy the evening tranquility.
Alternative cooking
The next day, we did venture out and about to the local area, which we know well anyway, but we couldn’t resist a trip to nearby Swanage beach to enjoy the warm summers day.
On returning to the tent, we cracked on with dinner, and we went for a little bit more than we did the night before, but not too elaborate!
If you have never cooked a jacket potato in the hot coals of a roaring fire, you really should. So much tastier than an oven or microwave!!
Sausage, jacket potato and salad. Like I said, not too elaborate!!
Cooking in the firebowl and eating out on the decking again was a pleasure, and one of our favourite parts of the few nights away. Especially as you can enjoy it in the environment as we did, with a few drinks as the sun sets slowly over the cow laden hills in the distance.
Our neighbours on the Farm
The farm is a working farm, and just down the lane from us, there were pigs and sheep, and if you wanted to, you can even go and visit the chicken and hens and collect eggs for breakfast. Another great treat for the kids. Our Glamping at Knaveswell Farm trip was a great choice for our first time Glamping trip.
In answer to our previous post, would we go Glamping again? The answer is a resounding yes! We loved it and more importantly Max loved it, particularly here, as he could run around, with very little concern for traffic or cars.
Glamping at Knaveswell Farm
This was our first break of this kind, so we are by no means experts, however, here are a few things we found after Glamping at Knaveswell Farm that may, if you are considering it:
- Certainly here, the Showwer and toilet were far better than we expected
- Mobile phone signal was worse!
- Take simple dinners if you have toddlers
- Learn how to start a fire….quickly
- Or easy things to cook on a gas stove
- If it is hot out, it will be hot in the tent too
- Take comfy shoes so you can walk easily to get supplies (ice pack, charcoal, wood etc)
The end results, after our experience Glamping at Knaveswell Farm, we would certainly venture back there, and try Glamping out again elsewhere, thats for sure.
Hope you enjoyed my latest Snaps & Story, and please follow this blog for more!!
