Luxury Camping: Campground Reviews
Nestled in north Devon, Longlands’ five safari-style lodges are tucked away in a beautiful valley with breath-taking views across rolling fields and out to sea.
They’ve been there since 2013 and have won a plethora of awards and accolades since, often being hailed as one of the very best luxury glamping experiences in the UK. But change is afoot, as there are now new owners in town…
“My husband Jeremy and I had always said that we would really like to have a family business where we very much work together using both of our skill sets. We decided to sell our previous business - Dorset Coastal Cottages - and move to North Devon. We came to look at some potential properties, and the estate agent suggested that we look at Longlands. I was unsure about the house, and Jeremy was unsure about investing in a lot of canvas!” laughs new owner, Tammy Smith.
“But as we drove into Longlands we were immediately struck by the views through the valley to the sea. By the time we had driven down the long driveway we were blown away with the setting and the position. The rest, as they say, is history!!”
I arrived, with my family, on one of the hottest days of the year – what a relief it was to be out of the city – and that very same view completely blew us away, too.
The majority of the Smith family greeted us; Tammy, Jeremy, 7-year-old twins Charlie and Rosie, and 9-year-old Joshua, along with a further, furrier welcoming committee that included Tess, the rescue dog, Luna the cat and a few curious chickens, happily pecking amongst swaying foxgloves and wildflowers.
What a wonderful welcome it was.
Our incredibly stylish tent was waiting for us and the word ‘tent’ is an understatement, really – each luxurious lodge is essentially a beautiful, boutique hotel suite with canvas sides.
Each one sleeps 6 (in two bedrooms; one double and one twin, and one fairy tale-esque cupboard bed) and come fully equipped with a fabulous kitchen, large dining area, luxurious bathroom (with woodfired shower, lovely products, fluffy towels and a flushing loo!) and a beautiful, cosy seating area with a big squishy sofa and a trunk filled with board games.
Outside, there’s a large terrace with more seating, incredible views and beautiful, flower-filled pots, and behind each lodge, up a little path, is another gorgeous seating area, ingeniously carved into the grassy slope, where the all-important barbecue can be found, along with more amazing views.
Tammy then took us to the Longlands Larder – less than a minute’s stroll from the lodge. This boutique farm shop is filled to the rafters with delicious things to eat and drink, from fresh and fruit and veg, local dairy, eggs, muesli, jams, you name it!
As well as a fridge brimming with chilled local beers, ciders and wines. And when you can’t be bothered to cook? There’s a vast selection of frozen, homemade COOK meals to choose from.
We had, most certainly, discovered heaven in Devon.
“We really want our guests to feel incredibly relaxed and as though they are being thoroughly spoilt!” explains Tammy.
“I want them to be warm and comfortable at all times and to feel as though they quite literally have arrived in one of our country’s most unique and precious areas of outstanding natural beauty. When they leave Longlands I want them to feel totally revived and re-energized, and of course, looking forward to coming again!”
I’d only been there for 15 minutes, and already I was looking forward to coming again.
With a picnic basket (beautifully labelled with our lodge’s name, of course – attention to detail is everywhere here) filled with goodies, we merrily skipped back to our luxurious home for the weekend and fired up the Kadai FireBowl BBQ.
With fish happily grilling (a large lemon sole that Tammy had ordered for us, caught earlier that day in nearby Ilfracombe), I sipped a glass of chilled Camel Valley fizz and swung in the lodge’s hammock, listening to the birdsong and bleating of the sheep.
After devouring a feast fit for kings, we discovered a giant marshmallow fork which we put to good use before a spot of stargazing.
The bed was incredibly comfortable, utterly peaceful and surprisingly cosy; it was a particularly warm night, but velvety hot water bottles and a large wood-burning stove were on hand to supply plenty of heat if required.
The next day, despite the temptation of Charlie’s kind offer to deliver pastries to our tent, we scrambled up some local eggs and made deliciously fresh coffee (thanks to the beans and grinder provided, no less) before hitting the road.
Longlands is perfectly placed to discover the many delights that North Devon has to offer; we visited the jaw-droppingly beautiful Woolacombe beach; three and a half miles of beautiful golden sands and only 20 minutes away.
We swam in the sea and ate crab sandwiches, before heading over to the seaside town of Ilfracombe, where we admired Damien Hirst’s towering statue of Verity, who presides over the beach. It was all totally idyllic, but the truth is, we just couldn’t wait to return to our lovely lodge.
That afternoon, we explored some of Longland’s stunning 17 acres; we found the lake (where wild swimming is positively encouraged) and took the little rowing boat out for a paddle.
We visited the chickens and marvelled at Tammy’s magnificent garden. We walked through the woods and along the stream and admired the unbelievable views from the large cedar wood hot tub.
We had a game on the petanque pitch, before returning home for another magical candlelit dinner on the terrace. The outside world, pandemic and all, seemed a million miles away.
“On the subject of social distancing, Longlands is quite literally designed to cope with these problems that have been thrown at us,” Tammy explains.
“With so much space and each lodge set well away from each other, guests barely pass one another! I have a little slate sign hanging on our farm shop door to kindly ask our lovely guests to be mindful of each other and, as an extra precaution to safeguard our amazing housekeeping team and guests, we’re also fogging the lodges in between each stay.”
Wonderful as it may already be, the Smith family have big plans for Longlands; two secluded cabins with sea views are on the cards and there’s even talk of a treehouse, as well as retreats ranging from yoga and art to gardening and fitness breaks.
“We also want to grow a lot more trees, and we would love to have our own apple orchards. Perhaps one day our own apple juice to offer our guests! We’d also love to have our own flock of native sheep. There is so much potential! But my vision is and will always be very much a vision of natural beauty, always remaining sympathetic to what we are so fortunate to have right on our doorstep.” Tammy explains.
The elusive happy medium is a tricky thing to find in life, but Longlands has more than achieved it; during our stay, we felt totally surrounded by nature at its most beautiful, but still had all the creature comforts of home.
In fact, it was far more luxurious than home!
Yes, you have to light a fire to heat the oven or have a shower, but that makes the food taste even more delicious, and the hot shower even more rewarding. And the Smith family, well they are the warm and welcoming icing on the already fabulous cake; as soon as we arrived we felt immediately at home, and already we can’t wait to go back.
“There are a lot of things that make Longlands special” Tammy says.
“But one of the most important is how we make people feel during their stay. It’s about being who we are and making people feel comfortable and at ease. Making them laugh! And making sure that their stay is a memorable one.”
Weekend breaks at Longlands start at £645, full weeks from £1,045, for 6 people (2 dogs also welcome at a supplement of £25 per dog). As well as its luxurious lodges, Longlands has a new addition of The Long Barn; a beautiful two-bedroom barn conversion, with a balcony, cut into the hill for the sunset views. For more information visit longlandsdevon.co.uk
