Open Air Business December 2018

GLAMPSITES
shapes and sizes and have wood
burners or radiators for heating.
They all have hand crafted, real
beds and are very comfortable.
The treehouse is another level of
luxury with underfloor air source
heating, private hot tub, king size
accommodation, a wet room, and
a fully functional kitchen with
dishwasher etc. It has incredible
views and you can witness some
awesome Norfolk sunsets from the
west facing open gable end. It is also
accessible for disabled guests.
How did you work out your
brand and how do you publicise
yourself?
The name of the site was easy. My
grandfather Frank called this part of
“PEOPLE
OFTEN
COMMENT
ON THE
PICTURES
BUT I
LITERALLY
JUST POINT
AND SHOOT.
IT’S EASY
WHEN THE
WILDER-
NESS DOES
THE WORK
FOR YOU”
the farm Happy Valley because of its
magic. We are at the mouth of the
small valley which is surrounded by
natural springs and ancient burial
grounds. With many an ancient tale
of this area referencing the likes of
Boudica it’s easy to see why guests
keep coming back.
I am a big user of Instagram and
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Instagram is my main tool as
it’s the most visual and you can
show people exactly what they
will be experiencing. People often
comment on the pictures but I
literally just point and shoot. It’s
easy when the wilderness does the
work for you.
We also use Airbnb and Cool
Camping along with Host Unusual.
How would you describe your
ethos and unique selling point?
Our ethos is very much ‘wilderness
living with a touch of luxury’. Guests
can sit back and stargaze in the
hot tub, and there are endless
health benefits from being in the
forest - it’s impossible not to feel
its effects once you’re here. The
Japanese have been prescribing
Forest Bathing (ShinrinYoku)
for centuries as a preventative
medicine to disease. It’s basically
being immersed in the forest and
absorbing it’s effects.
How did you choose your interior
decoration?
I wanted to go to town with all
sorts of fabulous Pinterest finds
but luckily my husband knows the
practicalities so was my reasoning
when it came to interiors. He has a
wonderful eye anyway and we used
lots of vintage wood, crates etc.
which he repurposed from the farm
to create the spaces.
What challenges have you faced?
Weather – wind and trees can
be tricky as can frost and frozen
pipes so I’m an avid weather
watcher now. The hot tubs are high
maintenance and labour intensive,
and wet weather plus woodland
terrain equals mud and lots of
extra cleaning. All in all it can be a
harsh environment to work in for
changeovers etc.
There is also the huge increase
in the number of glamping sites
across the country. This increase
in supply has pushed prices down
so the profit margin has lessened
and peoples' expectations are
constantly rising.
Juggling the business with two
young children is also a challenge.
When we started I did all the
changeovers and laundry by myself.
I spent so much on osteopath
appointments that I decided I was
allowed some help. I now have a
couple of great ladies who help with
the changeovers but still do all the
laundry in the house.
What are your plans for next
season?
We are adding a barn to the
venue for next season as well as
completing another cabin as we’re
still not at full capacity. We have a
play area for children which we will
expand.
Describe your average day midseason
A typical day includes washing and
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