Ullswater Heights luxury glamping safari tents in the Lake District

When we visited Ullswater Heights over Christmas, their new luxury glamping village really caught my eye. I thought they would be a really fun place to stay in the summer (spoiler: they are totally amazing!)

We love the Lake District — especially the area around Ullswater. We are really into paddle boarding and there are many gorgeous lakes to SUP and swim in. Plus the walks in that area are really beautiful. 

Fast forward to summer 2020, with lockdown eased and staycations a top priority for many, we booked a 6-person safari tent with a hot tub for some luxury glamping in the Lake District.

Brand new in late 2019, the Family Glamping Village at Ullswater Heights in Newbiggin (6 miles from Ullswater Lake) is the ultimate in luxury glamping. It’s a small cluster of 10 high-end tents set to one side of the holiday home park. All of the tents are all positioned to look over some beautiful wildflower meadows and marshlands. There are tents for groups of both 6 and 8 people.

Safari 6 Luxury Glamping Tent

We stayed in the Safari 6 Simplex which accommodates up to 6 people; it had two double beds, two single beds and a bunk area that sleeps two. There’s a well-equipped kitchen area with fridge, icebox & four ring electric hob, a bathroom with toilet and shower, a lounge area with comfy furniture, a Smart TV and a wood burner. Outside there’s a large deck with a private hot tub!

The effect is totally amazing. It’s by far the best glamping experience I’ve ever had. There are little luxuries like heated towel racks and an indoor log burner – but it still has the feel of camping. When it rains you feel very protected and it’s very soothing to hear the patter of rain drops from inside a canvas tent!

Kitchen and living area

The tent open into a spacious living area with a high quality sofa, chairs, a coffee table, TV and wood burner. There are more than enough power points to charge devices. 

The kitchen is equipped with an electric hob, fridge with icebox, kettle & toaster. It does not have an oven or a microwave and the under-sink fridge is on the small size (the 8-person tents have larger Smeg fridges). However it gives off a cute and cozy feel, and has mostly everything you need – dishware, glassware (and plastic for the jacuzzi), utensils, including a much needed wine opener! 😉

The rooms

The “rooms” are zipped in areas of the tent. There’s a double bed, with a very comfortable foam mattress (I think it’s queen sized), 2 sets of pillows and high-quality linens and duvets. There’s a light, double power point, mirror and safe. There’s a second zipped in double room with twin beds and heater. The last sleeping area is a cute loft area with a ladder. It’s more suitable for kids, but my very tall 18-year-old slept there and she loved it. It could probably fit two very friendly adults. Everyone gets plush terrycloth dressing gowns and slippers.

The bathroom and shower

The bathroom has a wooden door that slides, a shower, sink, heated towel rack and space to put your things. 

The tents are designed to be stayed in all year – they have a log burner (logs & starter provided) and gas central heating. We had a heater in each room/living area and the bathroom has a heated towel rack. Theres no doubt that you will be cozy! 

Private deck and hot tub

Best of all, outside is a private deck with sheltered Jacuzzi hot tub that overlooks a field of wildflowers and marshland. The hot tub is looked after each day by staff to make sure it’s perfect for you. The deck has lovely outdoor furniture – a table and chairs for 6 people, as well as a box full of wood for the log burner.

High speed wifi

The wifi is amazing and we never had an issue with it.

Communal BBQ area

In the center of the glamping village is a communal BBQ area exclusive to Glamping guests. There are 4 outdoor grills to use, and they are simple to operate. Note they are not traditional BBQs, but more of an outdoor grill/hotplate. They work well for sausages and burgers. I also grilled padron peppers.

Ullswater Heights Leisure Park

The glamping village sits at the edge of the high-end Ullswater Heights Leisure Park, which is a mixture of owned luxury lodges and holiday lodges. There’s the Lakehouse restaurant with a nice gastro menu. It’s centered around a quarry lake and there are lots of walks around the park. 

Summer wild flowers

One of the most stunning features is the wildflower meadows and planting throughout the holiday park. Throughout there are field poppies, cornflowers, California poppies, Ammi, Sacbious, Black Eyes Susan’s, Cowslip, Buttercups and many other varieties. It’s breathtaking. I’ve not seen that at any other holiday park and it’s very clever landscaping. This is not your typical holiday park. 

Chloe Anne’s farm

My youngest daughter really liked this. There’s a path to the farm which has sheep, alpacas, goats, ponies, donkeys and pigs. There’s also a small building which was home to some smaller animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, and a gecko and chameleon. Inside was also an aquarium with fish. If you time it right you can be there to help feed the animals! The farm is nicely done and definitely a highlight for animal lovers. I was amused the by alpacas – which seemed to be always outside the barn and checking out who was around.

The Lake House Restaurant

The Lake House is the resort’s bar and restaurant. Looking over the private quarry lake, it’s light, airy and has outdoor seating available, which I imagine would be fantastic in the summer. It’s a gastro pub menu – with wild mushroom and blue stilton bruschetta, pumpkin and parmesan risotto, Cumbrian steak burger and a braised Lakeland lamb shank (my husband’s favourite).  There’s a child’s play area outside so very convenient if you want to eat you can watch the kids while they play!

Coming soon

The resort has a spa and swimming pool coming soon. There’s also a plan for water sports on the quarry lake. They both sounds amazing and just add to the attraction of the park. We will definitely plan another trip to the Lake District when these are implemented!

What could be improved

The glamping area is for families and you are staying in a tent. Needless to say it can be quite noisy at times. There are strict rules posted everywhere for no noise after 10.30 pm  – which looks like it is enforced from tripadvisor reviews of noisy guests complaining about be asked to leave. But kids are kids and family groups like to talk. Noise carries – we heard conversation well into the night, and then the little ones all seem to get up and playing by 7 am. The solution of course is to bring ear plugs. We did and that worked out well.

What should you pack for Ullswater Heights Glamping?

It’s self-catering, so all your own food, unless you plan to eat at the restaurant (it’s very good). You can order in food from there (pizza is especially popular). There’s a farmshop close by and a Morrisons in Penrith which is about a 15-minute drive. They left us a small bottle of milk, and a few teabags and coffee sachets, and a kitchen starter pack with small washing up liquid, rubbish bag, and couple of towels. There’s some toilet paper.

Other things bring:

• Extra toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Rubbish bags
• Tin foil/cling film

Pets

Pet friendly units are available (at a £49 per pet surcharge)

Non-Smoking

All accommodation is non-smoking accommodation. YAY!

COVID-19

We stayed during COVID-19 and felt very safe. Obviously with self catering it’s easier to stay away. The staff all wore masks. Our tent was sprayed with a Viricidal Fog Solution (fogging) which effectively kills 99.9% of ALL pathogens. They also cleaned everything with anti-virtal solutions. Check in time was later than usual (5 pm) and check out earlier (9 am) to accommodate extra cleaning time. I was also pleased to learn that during the height of the pandemic Ullswater Heights donated accommodation to key worker NHS staff. It’s run by Leisure Resorts which are a great company.

Verdict

We absolutely loved the glamping tents! They have everything you need and it still feels a bit like camping. Something a little different that the family will love. We will definitely go back, and are even tempted to try them in the colder months, as well as summer. 

IF YOU GO

Ullswater Heights Holiday Home and Lodge Park Silver Howe Flusco, Newbiggin, Penrith CA11 0JB  +44 01768 800857 https://booking.hoseasons.co.uk/ullswater-heights/holiday-parks/ullswater-heights-ulls

More reading:

Ullswater Heights 5* holiday homes in the Lake District

8 things to do in the northern Lake District

Want to paddleboard? Read: Do I need a license to paddleboard in the UK?