I love camping.
Our six year old loves it
My husband now tolerates it
Our older kids have no interest unless it is at a festival…
A typical front room
When we were invited to visit Lantern and Larks in Suffolk I jumped at the chance, (older kids dipped out but hubby was happy to come). It was our first glamping experience and so with two excited six year olds in tow we took off to the country…
The drive was pretty straight forward, less than two hours from East Hertfordshire so easily accessible. When we arrived the sun was shining but it was a little windy. Laura, lady of the farm, mum to one, keeper of land and lots and lots of chickens, welcomed us.
Before I continue, it’s worth mentioning Laura because she really made us feel welcome. She is very helpful and knowledgeable of the local area and nothing was too much trouble, she is a gem and made our stay more memorable, thank you Laura 🙂
And so to the luxury glamping ‘tents’
The tents are not accessible by car, they are situated around the edge of a field with lovely views and the best way to transport stuff is by wheelbarrow.
Laura gave us ice packs for our fridges: in fact these are a tale in their own right- hot water bottles filled with water and frozen, pure genius and ours lasted all weekend (not sure if that is because it was ccccooooolllllddd or that they actually work really well).
The tents are beautifully kitted out, with a corner sofa (which was very comfortable), double bedroom with double bed and white linen, duvet and throw, two further bedrooms with twin beds and bunk beds, all with the same quality linen and fluffy white towels.
It’s all a little confusing as the furnishings are so lovely and in-keeping with staying in a house that you expect to be warm but we had to keep reminding ourselves that we were in a tent and it actually wasn’t warm, it was more like camping, so we needed a few more layers in bed, even with the duvet! Something that probably won’t be a problem during the warmer months but in April be prepared!
The main area of each tent has an AGA, and this was an absolute god send! Our first night was really cold but by the second night we had worked out what we needed to do to keep the whole tent a little warmer.
Don’t let the talk of ‘cold’ put you off as we would definitely go back. The field that the tents are located in is very safe for children to play, there is plenty of space for ball games and running free and the woods are ideal for foraging for kindle.
The log store has an unlimited supply of logs that you can use for the AGA or fire pit or both! The kids enjoyed fetching our fire wood in the wheelbarrows, and each other!
The honesty shop has basic items for your stay like kindling, matches etc. plus fabulous tasting eggs. Just remember to bring perishable items like milk, etc. or order a breakfast box. Our box had everything needed for our first morning. It was packed with local produce; eggs, bacon, sausages, bread, juice and marmalade plus cereal, milk, butter, tea bags and sugar.
On our first night we lit the AGA and then headed off to visit the local pub, about 15 minutes’ walk, this pub has to be one of the best pubs we have ever had the pleasure of drinking in, full description here, but it is a must for anyone visiting the area even if you are not staying at Lantern and Larks, Sweffling Hall.
We headed back to the tent at dusk, re-lit the AGA and lit the fire-pit. The kids played in the tent with their Hex Bugs until we were ready to sit round the fire cooking sausages – I think if it had been warmer they would have played in the field for a lot longer.
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- Our tent at dusk
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- Boys playing Hexbug by torch light
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- Waiting for food
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- yummy local sausages
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- Our bedroom
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- AGA
We all slept like babies even though we had more layers of clothing on than usual. As dawn approached I was woken by bird song, it was actually so relaxing and beautiful, the bedroom was filled with song, a little like playing a bird song CD, not that I have ever had one, but I imagine. My husband missed all that as he slept with ear plugs and eye mask!
The ingredients in our breakfast basket were divine, the kids wolfed down bangers, bacon, local bread, beans and eggs and then headed off to play… If you are staying in the area you should visit Sweffling Hall Farm as Laura’s eggs are sooo tasty and ridiculously cheap!
We spent the day visiting the coast, you can read about our family trip to Suffolk here. Back at camp the boys made the most of the space and didn’t stop until bed time.
At first light after fueling their bellies they were up and out playing a variety of games.
Even the trip back to the car on departure was fun!
All in all these luxury tents are exactly what they are trying to be and offer a fab place to stay in the heart of the countryside in Suffolk. Should you want to go further afield they are perfectly located for beaches and attractions. 
Thank you Emma, Lantern and Larks and Laura for a lovely family holiday and adding to our happy pool of family memories, we laughed a lot! 🙂 xxxx
Lantern and Larks have glamping sites in three locations in the UK. You can visit their website directly or read about them on the Holiday Tots website
