Glamping places on UK National Trails

Set in an idyllic woodland glade, Lark is a cosy, Scandi-style cabin with not-one-but-two brass outdoor tubs on a covered bathing deck. Whatever the weather you’ll be soaking in style, gazing out at the stars, rain or dappled sunlight through the trees. Sleeping four, with clever bunk beds for kids in the hallway, there’s a pub a ten minute walk away and the North York Moors National Park is on the doorstep. 

The picture perfect village of Osmotherley is a great place to pick up Thee Cleveland Way, one of England’s original National Trails that gives sublime views over heather moorland. The 109-mile trail starts in the market town of Helmsley and finishes on the spectacular North Yorkshire Coast at Filey Brigg. To see the moorland heather in bloom, visit in late August and early September.

City and countryside combine at The Oak House, which manages to be only ten minutes from the Georgian delights of Bath while enveloped in a 17-acre bluebell wood. Inside the oak-framed cabin there’s an eclectic mix of furniture and artwork, with treasures gathered from different parts of the world. Outside, the octagonal deck is a tranquil island in a sea of trees where you can sit with a morning coffee and listen to the birds sing. 

The quintessentially English Cotswold Way borders the property, and you can follow it south for spectacular 180-degree views towards Wales and Bristol. To the North you’ll find rolling hills, honey-hewed villages and pastoral landscapes as the trail leads deeper into the Cotswolds.  Look out for lavender fields in the summer months and russet coloured leaves in the beech woodlands in the autumn.

Leave the real world behind and float thirty feet up into the branches at Gwdy Hw, a fairytale treehouse in a wooded valley in the Welsh mountains. Totally off-grid, the curved pod has a wood burner, double bed, bunk beds, a living/dining space, a kitchen and an outdoor terrace where you can gaze out over the tapestry of trees and fields below. It’s easy to pick up the path of magnificent Glyndwr's Way from here, the 135 mile long National Trail named after Owain Glyndŵr, Prince of Wales and Medieval Welsh nationalist. 

There’s a circular walk suitable for all ages from the treehouse that takes in part of the trail and has amazing views over the mountains of Southern Snowdonia, with plenty of picturesque picnic spots. If you don’t fancy cooking after all that exertion, there’s a lovely pub, The Penrhos Arms a 20 minutes' walk away, that serves hearty local and seasonal fare.

Perched in the branches on a Kent smallholding, The Lodge Treehouse provides the backdrop for a luxurious weekend of wildlife, wine tasting and country walks. You can get involved with lambing and shearing on the farm in the spring, visit the chickens and sheep at any time of year, tour the local vineyard and round off each day with a soak in the outdoor Jacuzzi bathtub. 

The glorious Wye to Folkestone leg of the North Downs Way National Trail cuts close by, winding through nature reserves, golden farmland and ending with incredible coastal views. The trail has partnered with local breweries to make the “Ale Trail” with maps and passports so walkers can tick off different ales at country pubs, inns and farm shops along the way.

The clue’s in the name at this Shropshire gem. The luxurious glass-fronted yurt is on the Llanymynech to Chirk Mill section of Offa’s Dyke Path, 177 miles of stunning walking along the English-Welsh border. Set out for a hike in either direction and you’ll pass through disused limestone quarries, woods, an old racecourse and nature reserves with panoramic views of both countries. If you’d rather travel on two wheels than on foot, there are miles of world class biking trails all around. 

The scenery is equally spectacular from the spacious deck of the yurt. Rolling hills stretch for miles with your own personal children’s play area in the foreground. Inside, rich woods and soft tactile fabrics create a cosy atmosphere and the big double bed is enclosed in an adjoined mini yurt for a bit of privacy away from the kids (or the dog), if you decide to bring them.

Falling Water at Ponden Mill in Yorkshire takes forest bathing to the next level with a waterfall flowing right underneath the colourful cabin and peaceful woodland all around. It’s somewhere to detox from devices and reconnect with the slow rhythms of nature. Wrap-around windows let the light and stunning views in and the wood burner keeps the space cosy and snug. There’s a great pub a taxing 300m walk away and the chapel from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights faces the mill. 

On the doorstep is the iconic Pennine Way, Britain’s oldest National Trail that follows England’s rocky spine through the Yorkshire Dales over Hadrian’s Wall and eventually ends in the Scottish borders. From Falling Water you can walk a short section or hike south to the beautiful, historic town of Hebden Bridge.