Managers of a North East glamping beauty spot are "delighted" to hear the site has been singled out as one of the best in the UK.
Herding Hill Farm, near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, offers both glamping and camping facilities and has been awarded special accolades - AA Platinum Pennants - in both areas. And Phil Humphreys, who runs the site with wife Sue, could not be happier that all the staff's hard work has paid off.
“The entire team works incredibly hard to ensure that our guests have an unforgettable stay at Herding Hill so they can just relax and enjoy its fantastic location," he said. "We’re absolutely delighted to receive this recognition from the AA for both our glamping and camping facilities."
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The news follows earlier success for the farm site, near Haltwhistle, which saw it highly commended in the 2023 North East England Tourism Awards and achieve a five-star rating from Visit England. This time around inspectors from the AA, which recognise the country’s best campsites and caravan parks, praised the luxury glamping accommodation and ‘first-class’ campsite facilities.
The accommodation, much of which has hot tubs, includes wigwam cabins and a luxury lodge. The inspectors said the addition of new adult-only luxury 'Castle pods' - named after the county's many visitor attractions - have elevated the glamping facilities to ‘the next level’. These en-suite pods have outdoor hot tubs with subtle lighting to take advantage of their location within a Dark Sky Friendly Park. Star-gazing kits are also available for hire.
The family-friendly location, which has views stretching to the North Pennines and attracts visitors from across the UK, even offers a regular Friday night home-made pizza delivery service to its guests. It has pitches for tourers and tents, with a sauna for hire and an indoor camper’s kitchen and laundry, and it welcomes dogs too, having its own scenic dog walk.
And animal-loving children will no doubt love its on-site petting farm where there are alpacas, a Shetland pony, a donkey, goats and other creatures to pet and to help with daily feeding. The year-round site is one of just two in Northumberland to be awarded the Platinum Pennant which goes only to sites which consistently offer outstanding experiences. Fewer than 60 have been received nationally.
Herding Hill Farm is part of UK-wide WCF employee-owned businesses and manager Phil said: “We are committed to continually updating and improving our facilities and services to make our guest experience even better." He added: “It’s about creating a destination where people can come in the knowledge they will have a great time and create long-lasting memories.”
