From motorway to A-road, A-road to B-road, B-road to Church Lane and Church Lane to private drive, the approach to Moor Farm speedily shrinks you down into this quiet rural backwater. There’s something charmingly English about it all. The busy scenery just dissolves away into countryside as you bimble down the final mile. When you pass the ancient, stone church it marks the last little settlement before you retreat into Moor Farm itself, the end point of its own tree-lined driveway and a secluded Gloucestershire enclave.
The 12th-century church makes sense. Moor Farm is an old, traditional place. Rare breed Gloucester cattle roam the meadows either side of the driveway and Hampshire Down sheep nibble at grass along the banks of the River Severn, canalised here for boats that traded up and down the waters in centuries gone by. Then there are the old farm buildings, tall hay barns with ginormous wooden doors and a vintage red tractor parked up inside.
It’s the newest addition to the farm that has us shouting though. In the expansive grounds, safari tents have been set up by the experienced folk at Feather Down who offer farm stays across the UK in a trademark stately fashion. The 'tented cottages' (as Feather Down like to call them) include wooden flooring, kitchenettes with stoves and running water, large oak tables and a healthy scattering of oil lamps and candles giving a warm and cosy feel. Kids go crazy for the cupboard bed – a sumptuous little hideaway – while adults will enjoy the classic comforts and everything-you-need accessibility of it all. With well-equipped kitchen cupboards, bedding and towels provided, you could turn up with just a toothbrush and get away with it.
Exploring the farm is a must. The Watts family will happily give you a tour, but there’s also space to run around yourselves. Collect eggs from the chicken coop, build dens in the trees, book in a dip in the site's indoor swimming pool or venture down to the canal, a five-minute walk away, to fish or bob about in a boat. If you really fancy a wander then you can follow the canal all the way into Gloucester, running right the way in to its historic docks near the cathedral. It’s a long six-mile route though so you could just return to that speedy nearby A-road. But if the big roads and the big city are not for you, there's plenty more pootling on quiet country lanes available with the edge of the Cotswolds just a short drive away.
There is a cycle trail that runs around the farm starting a five-minute walk from the tents down to the canal where there is a small boat to paddle about in. Fishing is also permitted. Once a big trade route, the river is now quiet and used only by smaller leisure boats. Follow it west to the beautiful Severn Estuary, excellent for wildlife spotting – The Slimbridge Wetland Reserve is particularly close at hand. The historic county town of Gloucester is six miles away – the cathedral (01452 528095) is a must. The edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is even closer with lots of pretty villages, country inns and countryside to explore.
Breakfast hampers are available from the campsite at an extra charge (booked direct, in advance). There's no shortage of pubs nearby – there are 10 within a four mile radius and that's without including Gloucester! The closest, though, are those down by the river, The Anchor Inn (01452 740433) has a garden overlooking the water, while The Ship Inn (01452 740260) is a beautiful gastro pub with a similarly stunning location.