Yurts - Camping
Above: Yurts
Above: Yurts
Call it glamping. Sarah Pike and her husband Ben Atkinson, who have lived in the Lake District for almost a decade, were on the lookout for a family-friendly, environmentally-conscious business when they stumbled across the idea of a yurt site. Sarah said: 'We were interested in finding a sustainable business which would have a low impact on its surroundings; we didn't want to do anything that would affect the local housing market.
We also felt it was important to be able to offer families holidays in the UK which are affordable. 'We sourced the yurts directly from Mongolia. They are beautiful and hand-painted but we've had to adapt them for the weather as there's not as much rain in Mongolia as there is in the Lake District!' The yurts have been in place for just over a year and already have a devoted fan-base of regular visitors but although demand is high, Sarah and Ben want to keep the site small to offer visitors solitude and the space to enjoy the stunning location. Guests can step out of their yurt be walking on some of the most dramatic and picturesque fells in the region within minutes. Made from a wooden, circular frame, the main tent is made from thick felt and for protection from the elements, a waterproof, canvas outer layer.
In Russian, yurt means For all those reasons – and of course the beautiful scenery, good pubs and decent shops – Hawkshead is a favourite with tourists. For much of the year the pavements and narrow streets throng with crowds of holiday-makers who delight in the village's obvious charms.
A visit means they can tick off another place with close connections to two of the region's biggest literary names: William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, both of whom took inspiration from Hawkshead. But although their legacy has shaped much of the tourism industry which is so important to modern day Hawkshead, the village wouldn't look the same were it not for someone the visitors have probably not heard of, Edwin Sandys. Born in 1519 at Esthwaite Hall, a mile south of Hawkshead, into a family which had held land in the area since the 13th Century, Edwin was educated first at Furness Abbey and then at St John's, Cambridge from where he graduated in 1539. He went on to become a Doctor of Divinity, master of Catherine Hall and vice chancellor of the University but on the death of King Edward VI, after a failed rebellion, Edwin was arrested and taken to the Tower of London.
He was later moved to more comfortable conditions in Marshalsea prison where he befriended the prison keeper who helped him escape. He fled to Antwerp and then Augsberg and Strasbourg where his wife joined him. But she and his infant son died there of a plague and he moved to Zurich until the Elizabeth I came to the throne and it became safe for him to travel back to England. 'dwelling' and these eye-catching structures have for centuries been used by travelling communities. Portable and offering maximum protection from the harsh elements, yurts have become the perfect living space for generations of nomadic people. Each of the yurts at Rydal Hall can sleep up to six people and comes furnished with locally sourced, ecofriendly, flooring, furnishings and wood burners.
Wooden floors, thick rugs, cosy throws and duvets made from recycled materials add to the warmth already provided by the yurt itself. The wood-burning stoves use fuel provided by Ben's work as a tree surgeon and each yurt is equipped with cooking and cleaning facilities. Such is Sarah's passion for the yurt that she has handcrafted a mosaic base for each stove, in keeping with traditional style. A green door to symbolise the earth, blue rafters to encompass the sky and an orange dome reminiscent of the sun keep the spirit of the traditional yurt well and truly alive.
• For more information on the Full Circle yurts, visit www.lake-district-yurts.co.uk or contact 01539 821278.
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