Naming your new glampsite should
be simple, right? Most owners highlight the one stand out feature, which sets the
place apart. Easy. Unfortunately for Rupert and Fran – owners of Cornwall’s newest
glamping venture – they’ve created a getaway with half a dozen headliners. Take
the location; hidden by a disused china clay quarry, worked from
the Victorian era until the 1940’s, the site provides exploring opportunities a-plenty for
history buffs. Then there’s the accommodation itself: a converted shipping container
from China, which once roamed foreign seas. Or how about the wildlife? From grazing
Galloway cattle to migrating Canadian geese and swooping Sand Martins. And then
there’s… ok, perhaps not so simple after all.
In the end Rupert and Fran opted
simply for The Lake – “having your very own spring-fed lake to swim, row a boat or cast a line
feels like the icing on the cake”. We think they picked wisely.
After a couple of wrong turns and some
unexpected off-roading, guests arrive by car, which is swiftly abandoned – often
for the entirety of their stay – before being warmly greeted for check-in. But
this is no ordinary check-in: opening the industrial container lock-by-lock feels
like unwrapping a giant, Transformers-like Christmas present, quickly morphing into a cosy
cabin. Inside, the design is simple, functional and contemporary – probably owing
to Rupert’s Scandinavian roots – and comes with a comfortable double
bed, fully-equipped kitchen,
double-glazed French windows, LED lighting throughout, and should the sun
not blaze, warmth is supplied by a small wood-burner.
The ablution facilities, all stationed at
the rear of the container, are designed to strike joy into the heart of the
eco-conscious glamper. The hot showers – and we mean hot – are solar powered (the
site is completely off-grid), and the water is pumped directly from the lake.
Sorry, I mean your lake.
Any negatives? Well, the surrounding
area comes under ‘Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000’, meaning you may see a dog walker or the odd solider scurrying through. Yes, you read that correctly. Survival courses – often the last exercise before being deployed to war – occasionally take
place on Bodmin Moor's stark expanse, sometimes involving Chinook helicopters and mock battles! This is, of
course, not everyone’s idea of serenity, but for most will make incredible viewing.
As for things to do in the area, when
we asked Rupert for suggestions he replied, “Why would you want to leave?” And
after spending a couple of hours exploring the crumbling Victorian ruins and
watching in awe as moorland ponies clip-clop to the water's edge for an evening
drink, we couldn’t help but agree. What you do here is up to you; drift away on the
boat like Huckleberry Finn, build the evening fire or climb the short, but
extremely fun, white sand mountain and make friends with the resident raven,
who sits atop surveying the tranquil jade water below. Difficult decisions indeed.
But not nearly as hard as naming your cool new glampsite.