A family holiday park says advanced bookings for summer holidays are the “highest they’ve ever been” at the start of the year as they unveil a new type of accommodation.
Castlerigg Hall caravan and camping park, near Derwentwater, is getting ready to welcome guests to its new Hex Pods when parks get the green light to reopen from as early as spring.
Hand-built in the Lake District to an original design, they provide a luxury holiday base for up to two adults and two children with breathtaking views across the Cumbria fells.
Each has its own distinctive interior design theme and is comfortably furnished with plenty of living space as well as a kitchen area and shower and toilet facilities.
The Hex Pods are the latest glamping option at Castlerigg Hall – but according to business owner David Jackson, their presence is far from being a “first” at the park.
“Our family has been at Castlerigg since 1938, originally as farmers, but we recently discovered that glamping has been going on here for over a century,” he explained.
“In fact, the new Hex Pods are sited on an area of the park once know as Derwent Holiday Camp which was used in 1909 for bell tents for Lake District visitors, and we have newspaper articles and photographs from those early days.
“It’s an amazing heritage – and although the beautiful scenery which today’s guests will wake up to is unchanged, we’ve gone all out to ensure the refinement of the pods is very present-day.
“Items such as flat-screen TVs, fridges, ovens and private balconies might have been unheard of a hundred years ago, but they are very much on people’s wish-lists now.
“They mean you can have all the fun of a glamping holiday in the fresh air, but without sacrificing the conveniences and comforts you enjoy back home,” added David.
Built with sustainability in mind, the pods feature underfloor heating from renewable energy, furniture and beds made from recycled pallets, and the extensive use of local materials.
Cumbrian craftsmen helped complete the project, and the pods’ design includes a hexagonal glass roof prism inspired by the early bell tents which helps connect with the great outdoors.
Named as the holiday park of the year in the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2019, Castlerigg Hall was one of the first Lake District parks to offer stays in pods to visitors.
The new Hex Pods are now one of three glamping facilities at the park which also offers luxury holiday caravans for hire as well as pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes.
David says that advance bookings for 2021 holidays are the highest they have ever been at the start of the year, and have continued to gather pace during the current lockdown.
He says that he and his team are looking forward to the possible return of guests from April.
More information about the holiday accommodation at the park, including the Hex Pods which start from £107.50 per night, can be found at www.castlerigg.co.uk
