REVIEW Hadspen Glamping Somerset: lodges with hot tub
Are you looking to visit Somerset with kids? Or perhaps you’re on the hunt for family-friendly glamping lodges with a hot tub? This place is an absolute must for any family travel adventure to the West Country! Angharad Paull from Down Somerset Way was provided with a complimentary stay at Hadspen Glamping lodges with hot tub and this is my honest review. Our children were 3, 8 and 10 years old at the time we visited.
Review of Hadspen Glamping Somerset
We haven’t had the best luck with the English weather for our glamping expeditions in recent times. Last year, I took my girls to Mendip Basecamp and it poured torrentially for almost the entire duration of our stay, to the point where we had to pull out of some of our activities because we were the very definition of drowned rats. As I scurried around the house packing for our weekend away at Hadspen Glamping, the familiar deluge of rain providing the soundtrack to my endeavours, timed perfectly with each trip to load a bag into the car, was verging on comical.
At least, I thought, the saving grace was that our lodge at Hadspen was equipped with a wood burner, excellent shower and hot tub, so we at least had entertainment for the kids and could stay warm and comfortable, whatever the weather decided to throw at us.
Glampsite location
Located almost directly across the road from the upmarket The Newt in Somerset, close to Castle Cary and Bruton, Hadspen Glamping is tucked away in a five-acre, bowl-like valley, surrounded by rolling green fields. The site was transformed by two couples – Lucy and Robert Comer, and David and Stephanie York, who thought the pastoral prettiness and proximity to local attractions would make the perfect family glamping retreat. And they weren’t wrong.
Made up of three luxury safari-style lodges, the emphasis here is very much on enjoying the great outdoors, combined with the comfort and amenities you’d find in a hotel, and to date, I think it’s the best family glamping site we’ve stayed in.
Hadspen glamping lodges
The three lodges, which are named after quarries in the local area, differ slightly in size and price. Horscombe, with a copper bath, sleeps four; Lime Kiln Lodge with a Cottage core aesthetic accommodates up to five; and Grisway Lodge – the option we chose for our family of five – is the largest, sleeping up to seven guests in three separate bedrooms.
Lodges are lit with solar power and heated with a wood-burning stove. All include a fully-equipped kitchen, ensuite drench shower room, and toilet, as well as a veranda with outdoor dining area, BBQ and either a wood-fired hot tub or copper bath. The tubs are filled for your arrival and positioned with privacy in mind, making them an ideal spot for savouring the spectacular views over the hills, and a thrilling bath time for kids!
Thanks to their five star hotel-like facilities, the lodges are extremely cosy in bad weather, although we did luck out with some dry, warm sunshine during our stay, when they really come into their own for outdoor living.
In the car park at the bottom of the field, there is a wheelbarrow and trailer provided to transport your kit up the hillside. I immediately put the kids to work and they helped me hoik our stuff back and forth with the trollies to the lodge.
On the information guide provided when you stay at Hadspen Glamping, it suggests bringing earplugs as wildlife and weather can be noisy at night. Having spent many years blasting my babies with rain-like white noise, this actually seems to work in our favour when the heavens opened! We actually found it very quiet, save for the odd squawking bird outside the tent, which my toddler was thrilled to hear.
Grisway Lodge with hot tub
It’s rare to find accommodation that suits our size of family so perfectly, but Grisway Lodge did exactly that. With three bedrooms – two with double beds, and the third with a double bunk bed (and single on top) – we had plenty of space to spread out. The bedroom layout satisfied the tween who craves her own space, delight the two youngest children who loved the novelty of this never-before-seen style of bunk, and gave us with extra options when the toddler inevitably hopped into our bed in the night. Big, thick blankets are provided in case it gets chilly at night, and you’ll find a fantastic selection of books, for young and old, dotted around the lodge.
The rest of the living space is equally spacious, with two sumptuous sofas, a wood-burning stove (with extra oven on top for cooking jacket potatoes and the like), a coffee table that doubles as a game station – bring your own board games/cards, or borrow from those provided in the corner cupboard.
The kitchen has a gas hob with a kettle and is really well stocked with everything from fluffy hot water bottles to eco-friendly kitchen cleaning tools, as well as essentials like salt, pepper, oil, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Hadspen had also very generously welcomed us with a hamper of goodies for our arrival, made up of gorgeous local produce.
There’s also a shower room/toilet with an excellent hot shower, eco-friendly sanitary products if needed, and Faith in Nature toiletries.
While the inside of each lodge will tempt you to hunker down and get cosy, the outside space here makes the most of those exquisite rural views. A large decking area with rustic wooden table (crafted by owner, Rob), BBQ, log store and a brand new wood-fired hot tub for 2024, is partially covered, so you can still enjoy the outdoors when it’s raining.
Any problems you have and Rob or Lucy or just a text away.
Glamping area
A selection of outdoor games is kept in a box in the amphitheatre-like field, which we found kids loved helping themselves to, quickly attracting the attention of other children staying at the glamping site and creating a communal, child-friendly play area for little ones to make new friends.
Turn up during lambing season, and youngsters can meet and sometimes get involved with bottle feeding new additions to the owners’ flock. These sheep dot the surrounding hillsides, giving the family glamping site an extra bucolic boost.
Other things you should know about Hadspen Glamping:
Going to Glastonbury Festival? Hadspen Glamping offers a festival package, which includes exclusive use of your safari tent from Monday through to Monday of the festival, private transport to and from the festival site, and a breakfast hamper delivered to your lodge every day!
Hampers
Ahead of your stay, guests can add on various extras such as bicycle hire, a celebration package, hot chocolate and smores, a picnic hamper, cream tea or BBQ hamper.
Tranquility Escape package
Going glamping mid-week? Opt for a curated ‘pamper hamper’ filled with DIY spa and beauty products, plus a continental breakfast hamper.
Order from The Newt
Using the owners’ address, it’s possible to make a food order to be delivered to your lodge from The Newt Shop. The shop is slightly pricier than your normal food items, so it’s very much a treat (I ordered red wine and steak for Father’s Day, plus some extra BBQ bits), but you can be guaranteed exceptional quality.
Final thoughts on a stay at Hadspen Glamping
As we sat together playing Monopoly, the sun made an appearance – perfectly positioned across the hillside from our lodge. We were treated to the best and worst of English summer weather during our stay, and yes while it’s always nicer to have dry sunshine, it didn’t really make a huge difference to our experience.
Brilliantly located, with beautiful views and excellent amenities for families with big or little children, these glamping lodges with hot tubs make for a brilliant family escape and we felt like we could have stayed a lot longer.
Even the slightest change to my children’s living/sleeping circumstances will send them into a fit of excitement – a new light by the bed, and they are pinging off the walls, so you can imagine how exciting they found sleeping over in a lodge for the night.
My favourite thing about our glamping experience, was the chance for kids to become free-range and slightly feral! Without the option for TV or devices, our three children came together, made up games, pelted up and down the hill, rolled themselves in a blanket and sped at top speed down the incline. It was a great chance for us to spend time together as a family away from our normal routine.
Things to do nearby
Visit The Newt in Somerset
A gate to the side of the glamping area takes you through fields to the entrance of The Newt, just a five minute walk away through the countryside. The exquisite gardens are open to the public to explore and visiting is always a delight, come rain or shine.
With its ancient woodland, bough-brushing serpentine treetop walkway, Story of Gardening museum, Beezantium, Roman Villa experience, onsite eateries serving delicious homegrown food, farm shop, water splash areas and endless new additions, there’s something new to explore every time.
Pop over to Bruton
Made up of ancient gabled storefronts, quaint little alleyways and a picturesque twin-towered church, Bruton has all the ingredients of a sleepy Somerset market town, yet has garnered a reputation for being the West Country’s epicentre of contemporary art, creativity and food.
World-renowned contemporary art gallery, Hauser & Wirth comprises a restaurant (Roth Bar & Grill), garden and farm shop, and is a must-see.
18 Best things to do in Bruton
Take a trip to Castle Cary
A picturesque Somerset market town, with historic, thatched buildings, independent shops (including a great wine bar), cafes, restaurants and market days.
Discover Haynes Motor Museum
A haven for motoring enthusiasts and little ones that adore things that go ‘brmm’, Haynes Motor Museum’s awe-inspiring collection of cars will impress vehicle fanatics. Under 5s can borrow a Little Tikes toy car (first come, first served) and shuffle themselves around the museum. Outside you’ll find a play area with mini road system, petrol pumps, clamberable vehicles and coin-operated go-karts.
Rainy day indoor activities in Somerset
Wine taste at Wraxall Vineyard
Set on a beautiful south-facing hill, just a 15-minute drive away, Wraxall Vineyard is one of the oldest in the UK. Wine tasting takes place in the rather lovely (and surprisingly family-friendly) restaurant, The View@Wraxall, which has spectacular views over 25 miles of Somerset countryside.
Venture to Stourhead
The National Trust’s Stourhead House is a Palladian-style villa set in the heart of magnificent grounds. The world-famous gardens comprise a whopping 2,650-acres, and feature follies, temples, grottos, woodlands, set around an ornamental lake.
Potter around Nunney Castle
This breathtaking (free-to-enter) moated medieval Nunney Castle dates from the 1370s and is a lovely place for a stroll. Look out for birdlife – ducklings and a white egret on the hunt for fish were pottering around during our visit. The village of Nunney is also incredibly pretty, stop at The George at Nunney for a riverside beer garden with a view of the castle.
Explore Wells
Famous for its architecture, the 850-year old Wells Cathedral is a sight to behold inside and out. The building houses the second oldest clock mechanism in Britain, an octagonal Chapter House, scissor arches and one of only four chained libraries in the UK.
Just over the road is Europe’s oldest purely-residential street, Vicar’s Close. Built 650 years ago for the Vicar’s Choral of Wells, the cobbled cul-de-sac contains 27 grade 1 listed houses that have remained intact since medieval times.
And, Wells is also home to The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens, with its moat, clever swans, drawbridge, Great Hall ruins and well pools (which gave the city its name). The palace has been home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells for more than 800 years and each has left their stamp on their place. For kids there’s a natural outdoor interactive discovery area.
More things to do in Somerset
- 37 Things to do in South Somerset with kids
- 14 Buggy and pram friendly walks Somerset
- Somerset festivals to look forward to in 2024
- Pedal power: family-friendly cycling in Somerset
Dining out
- The Montague Inn – traditional country pub with outdoor seating, a 25-minute stroll away.
- At the Chapel, Bruton
- The George Hotel, Castle Cary
- The Lazy Lobster Castle Cary
- The Newt Somerset
Nearby Farm Shops
- The Newt in Somerset
- Durslade Farm Shop
- Gilcombe Farm Shop
- Teals
- Kimbers Farm Shop
