Our top 10 glamping places for stargazing

Times change, but the night skies are a reassuring constant so it feels fitting to gaze up at them from a place that transports you to a bygone age. Press pause on modern life and go for a sleepover at a reconstructed Iron Age Roundhouse in Cornwall where you can sit outside by the firebowl and watch for shooting stars. 

Bring a telescope if you’re got one and take it for a walk up Mulfra Hill to the Neolithic Quoit for an even better view. Head back up in the daytime and you’ll get views all the way to St Michael’s Mount on a clear day. Some of the best beaches in the world are 15 minutes away and Bodrifty Iron Age Village, one of the best preserved Iron Age villages in Western Europe, is on the doorstep.

The clue is in the name at Stargazer Pod in an eco-retreat in the North Devon UNESCO biosphere. The spacious dome has huge sections of clear panelling across the walls and ceiling so you can gaze up at the stars from inside as well as outside. Sleeping up to six, it's tucked into a private corner of Loveland Farm with epic views of unspoilt skies and enough space for a relaxing yoga session or a lively games afternoon. 

The farm has an indoor heated saltwater swimming pool and you can order delicious local food hampers from the owners. Best of all, the beautiful beaches of the Hartland peninsula and the South West Coast Path are on the doorstep waiting to be explored.

At the far end of a five-acre wildflower meadow in Herefordshire, Stargazers Wagon has panoramic views over five counties. When night falls, you can choose to recline in the wooden loungers on the raised deck or soak in the wood-fired hot tub and watch a blanket of stars emerge in the inky darkness overhead. 

The beautiful off-grid cabin is deceptively spacious with a charming, rustic interior and clean water from a private bore hole. There’s an honesty fridge stocked with local ciders in the outhouse and you can order home cooked meals for two from Victoria, one of the owners. The beautiful Wye river is within easy reach with plenty of companies offering half or full day kayaking tours.

You get views of the sea by day, and of the Milky Way by night, at The Observatory in Cornwall. Perched high on the cliff, the skies are unpolluted by light (except a couple of distant lighthouses) and you can spot shooting stars and galaxies with the naked eye, or use the telescope provided by the owners. 

When you eventually head off to bed, there are yet more views of the sky and the ocean from the window. Set off from your gorgeous cabin on foot and you can explore the grounds of Halzephron House, pausing to unleash some amateur dramatics in the open-air amphitheatre before heading down the coastal path to Gunwalloe Beach below. You can’t swim here but wild, peaceful Dollar Cove, famous for its silver coins and shipwrecks, is a 25 minute walk away.

A total lack of neighbours means a total lack of curtains at The Sleepout in Powys and the celestial views are all the better for it. Deep in the wilderness, the night sky is dark and huge, and the wood-fired Hikki Hot Tub is the best place to appreciate the stars after sunset. The quirky, playful cabin has a little sleeping den accessed via a wooden ladder from the living area and there’s space for two children to sleep on a mattress on the floor. 

Outside you’ll find a camp kitchen, pizza oven and a private bathroom with a hot shower. In this secluded spot in the Welsh valleys you can walk for miles on beautiful trails without needing a car and if you want to venture to higher peaks, Snowdonia National Park is only an hour away.

Northumberland National Park became England’s first International Dark Sky Park in 2013 and in these Gold Tier dark skies, it's possible to see the Andromeda Galaxy as well as the Milky Way. Your sense of awe will be magnified by staying in Raven Tower, a spectacular four-storey watchtower that echoes the historic castles dotted throughout the county. You don’t even need to step outside to spot constellations, you can admire them from the huge wooden bathtub on the top floor with its retracting roof above. 

If you’re not sure what to look for, ask the owners to provide their stargazing kit to help you navigate the night skies. When you’re ready to tear yourself away from the luxurious surroundings there are walks all through the woods and fantastic day trips to Hadrian’s Wall, Alnwick Gardens and the coast.

An enchanting space that feels like it was dreamt up in a child’s imagination, Ursabear in Devon has hairy bears, Icelandic trolls, sheepskin rugs and a sky full of stars above. On the bookshelves you’ll find stargazing guides and there’s a giant telescope to get you started on your journey through the cosmos. 

The darkness is unpolluted by light here and everything feels utterly peaceful and private. You’ll quickly settle into a leisurely rhythm of long soaks in the outdoor bath surrounded by fairy lights and plants, followed by sundowners in the oak barrel chairs watching the flames flicker in the firepit. The cabin is just two miles walk from the beautiful village of Bampton with its great local shops, restaurants and cafés.

Northern solitude, in an area with some of the darkest skies in Britain, means stargazing is out of this world at The Quarryman’s Bothy on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The external structure of the building is over 100 years old, but inside it's been transformed into a gorgeously snug little sanctuary with a toasty wood burner, luxurious walk-in shower and a hot tub outside where the quarry’s explosives used to be kept. The only heat comes from the water these days. 

A patchwork of rolling hills, dry stone walls and sheep stretch as far as the eye can see and a few miles away, you’ll find Malham Cove, a 70-metre high, gently curving limestone cliff that juts out into the sky and was used as a filming location for Harry Potter.

In a Dark Sky Reserve in the middle of Devon’s largest AONB, Perseus is in the perfect spot for long, meditative sessions marvelling at the blanket of stars overhead. It’s one of three off-grid cabins on the Royal Oak Farm glamping site, each named after a different constellation, in this case a Greek mythological hero. 

You can lie in the outdoor tub or sit on the deck to gaze at the cosmos, or simply snuggle up in the sumptuous king size bed and spot shooting stars through the huge bed-to-ceiling picture window. In this idyllic spot in the Blackdown Hills, the Jurassic World Heritage Coast is only 20 minutes away and you’re half an hour from the shops, cafés and culture of lively Exeter.

Lifted towards the heavens on your own private island, it feels like you’re merging with the vast Norwegian skies at The Island Cabin, elevated on a platform between three pines.  At night the inky black skies are bright with stars and if conditions are right, you might see the Northern Lights. After crossing the lake by kayak or floating bridge to arrive at the cosy cabin on stilts, you’ll find a surprising amount of room for five to sleep, with two in a double bed and an ingenious bunk room for three. 

Invigorating adventures await outside the front room, from fishing and wild swimming in the chilly waters of the lake to hiking in the wilderness, elk spotting and steamy sessions in the hot tub and sauna. There’s a local shop to stock up on supplies and the larger town of Kristiansand is an hour away.