If you are looking for a weekend break somewhere that is full of natural beauty, charming villages and those all-important country pubs, you should try the Ribble Valley.
The rolling hills of the Ribble Valley and winding River Ribble are said to have inspired J.R.R Tolkien when he was at Stonyhurst College nearby, and there are plenty of trails to walk and get a feel of the ‘Shire’. They certainly inspired us to go glamping there.
We were looking for a relaxing family break when we took off to the Wigwam glamping pods in Dinckley, Lancashire, and at the Ribble Valley site that is exactly what we got. Even the preparation for the trip was made easy by using the Wigwam Holidays booking app. This app was a game changer, and really took the pressure off working out what to pack! It gives you all the information about what is available at the property, what you need to bring yourselves, travel information, everything we needed to know was right there in the palm of my hand.
We were booked in a 4-person glamping pod with a wood fired hot tub, which was up to temperature for our arrival. Even for a family of two adults, two teenagers, and two dogs, the pods were surprisingly roomy, with a 4-seater table, double bed, double sofa bed, bathroom and kitchenette. Although this is a glamping experience, you don’t need to pack sleeping bags or bedding, it’s provided on-site.
The owners Martyn and Jane were very friendly and gave us clear instructions on operating the wood fired stove that heated the hot tub, and other on-site useful info, including directions to the best pub for lunch!
There are several walks that lead from the campsite, we took one that led us down across the River Ribble. There’s a small stony beach there that looks like a really great spot for paddling in the summer. As we were visiting in March, we didn’t indulge but continued up the winding country lanes to The Shireburn Arms for a wonderful lunch. As with most of the pubs in the area, The Shireburn caters for walkers and is dog friendly.
Back in the glamping pods for the evening, we stoked up the hot-tub, lit the firepit and we toasted marshmallows before we soaked in the lovely warm water while the snow fell around us. It was magical.
These glamping pods do not need to be solely a summer destination, they hold the heat well which is ideal on a chilly spring evening. There were times when we had to turn the heating off as we were a bit too toasty, even with the snow outside.
Martyn and Jane have lots of plans for adding to the site – more coverage with wind protection for the hot-tubs, on-site home-made pizza nights, served from a super-cute Christmas market style hut. They have a small shop in reception for soft drinks, milk and other bits and pieces that you might have forgotten, you can also pre-order food from the local butchers and bakery etc to be in your pod on arrival. They’ve pretty much thought of everything.
All the pods look out across the Ribble Valley and there is a children’s play area and a nice big space with goals for ball games, which was perfect for my teenage boys. Footballs, games, books and DVDs can be borrowed from reception so you don’t need to worry about packing them.
Would I recommend Wigwam glamping site in the Ribble Valley for year-round family breaks? Definitely.
Would I book to go back again? In a heartbeat.
Check out Wigwam Ribble Valley and all other Wigwam locations at www.wigwamholidays.com
Reviewed and written by Sally Bendall – @girlaboutleeds
