The Wildings

“You should sit in nature for 20 minutes a day... unless you are busy, then you should sit for an hour.” So reads the Zen saying that’s quoted on the wall in reception at The Wildings, a new pod camping site in The Cotswolds. We quite agree and this charming little place on the edge of one of Britain’s quaintest and most-visited villages has made it a little easier for people to do that.

There are currently six camping pods. Each has insulation, heating, lights, and electricity, which make it possible to “camp” without a tent all year round. There are also four off-grid seasonal bell tents, and two yurts at The Wildings, a half-acre sliver of land surrounded by fields near Bourton-on-the-Water.  You can book the pods with camping mats-only, for what must surely be one of the best-value, all-season stays in the area, or ramp up the luxury by adding from a range of extras. It’s a sort of tailor-your-own glamping experience with beds, linen and towels, campfire cooking kit and tableware all available.

The bell tents offer boutique camping for a family of five or four adults, with these fully furnished, off-grid tents being illuminated by solar-powered fairy lights and lanterns. There's a campfire in a private garden surrounded by woven willow fencing for your evening meals, with each tent having access to its patch of grass with barbecue and benches. The yurts are a step-up from the pods for the pampered camper, once again being off-grid and lit up by solar-powered lighting, each kept warm with the addition of a small and efficient log stove.

This little camping village was set up by owner Kim when she was pregnant with her third child – and it shows. It’s a lovely spot for everyone but perfect for young families, with each unit sleeping up to a family of five. For some (perhaps especially parents) the fact that there’s nothing to set up and peg down will open up the world of camping. The pods, tents, and yurts are warm, weatherproof, and can be tailored to your needs. Bringing a baby? Add the cot bundle. Camping as a couple? How about booking a celebration hamper? And if you’re worrying about warming the baby’s bottle or feeding over-tired kids, don’t. Just head to the on-site Cook House with its fully kitted-out, undercover communal kitchen with sofas and books to boot. The site has also recently made two Ooni pizza ovens available to hire for the carbohydrate-lovers among you, while a new on-site mini-farm shop provides tasty produce while supporting local farms and businesses. Pick up your meat and dairy here, but also feel free to nab a gin or cider while you're at it.

You’ll get more than your 20 minutes in nature here: while enjoying a campfire and watching the bats, while the kids play on the climbing frame and even on your way to and from the communal loos. But lovely as it is (and “lovely” really is the word), it’s a simple site that, as Kim says, is a great Cotswolds base camp rather than an attraction in its own right. After all, there are plenty of those in the surrounding area already with picturesque, riverside Bourton-on-the-Water just a mile away. It has a historic model village, Birdworld and The Cotswold Motoring Museum as well as tearooms, inns and cafes. There’s enough to keep you occupied for a week but it’s well connected too with footpaths as well as roads leading out to the rolling hills and other heart-achingly perfect villages that The Cotswolds is so famous for.