This campsite brings both festival spirit and tranquillity.
Ok, so it’s been pretty impossible to snap up a staycation in the UK this summer, but if you’re planning to get ahead of the game for an autumn retreat, we may just have the spot. Sitting pretty within 35-acres of rolling woodland in the Chew Valley, an off-grid camp known as Nature’s Spectacular is the perfect escapism.
This “hidden world” camp is the latest creation from award-winning performance arts collective Arcadia and features luxurious yurts, tipis and a wood-fired hot tub. Arcadia’s camp was created in response to the pandemic and brings together a festival spirit and communal campfires set against a stunning lake backdrop.
Situated between Bristol and Wells, the camp is in the location where the Arcadia Spectacular team first lived and worked in 2017, and where their well-known Spider structure was born. The accommodation at Nature’s Spectacular ranges from converted showman’s homes like The Green Room, complete with a private terrace and breathtaking views of Chew Valley Lake, a stylishly converted mountain rescue vehicle, a new deer cabin, traditional tipis and the former Yurt Lush restaurant and bar next to Temple Meads has been repurposed into a luxury yurt.
Each is tucked away in its own secluded space for peace and privacy, with the option to gather with like-minded people around a central communal fire. Plus, there’s also a wood-fired hot tub with the option to add a bottle of prosecco and acres of illuminated woodland to explore for added escapism.
Pip Rush, co-founder of Arcadia, said: “The ethos behind Arcadia has always been about human connection – bringing people together to dance, laugh and be present in the moment. The pandemic gave us the time to reflect on our core values, and we decided we wanted to create something really spectacular that allowed people to spend time with friends and family around a fire, under the stars, surrounded by nature. We wanted to show people what communal living and the festival spirit is all about – Nature’s Spectacular is the result, and this is just the beginning of this journey for us.”
Nature’s Spectacular costs £100 per night based on two people sharing. Each of the accommodation options has been handcrafted from sustainable materials to create proper homes, many of which have been designed for touring families to live in year round. You can book your stay here.