February 2020

GLAMPSITES
CASE STUDY
The Private Hill
Glamping in geodesic domes on the hillside
of a working farm in North Yorkshire
From one world of hospitality to another, Roddy Hamilton and
his wife Jane have created a Quality in Tourism 5* Gold rated
glampsite in less than one season. We talk to Roddy about why
his high street bank got it wrong and how maximising on a view
with the right structures makes great business sense.
What’s your back story – your
life before glamping?
Following a lifetime working
within a premium brand global
environment (FMCG Hospitality) I
purchased Thrussendale Farm, on
the edge of the beautiful Yorkshire
Wolds, in 2015. Having been
involved with farming, in one way
or another, throughout my life I
then established a premier league
pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd
breeding bulls for the commercial
beef and dairy sectors.
What made you decide to
start offering glamping
accommodation?
As a small grassland farm, we
needed to diversify the business
“THE SITE WE
IDENTIFIED
ON THE
FARM HAD
ALWAYS
BEEN MY
PERSONAL
FAVOURITE,
WHERE A
SENSE OF
WELLBEING
SEEMED TO
PERVADE”
to ensure sustainability in the long
term, and particularly post-Brexit.
Having considered renewables,
briefly, and then been awarded a
contract to grow high welfare pork
for Waitrose, we decided instead
to look at tourism as a means of
bringing new visitors, and their
money, to our gorgeous part of
North Yorkshire in order to boost
the local economy.
How did you research the
business before entering it?
Recognising that our spectacular
views offered visitors something
very, very special we wanted to
push the boundaries of glamping
as far as we could.
Instead of shepherds huts and
wooden pods, which seem to be
everywhere, we looked at geodesic
domes and quickly realised that
these could offer our guests all the
luxuries of home with a massive
window to the world beyond. We
looked at five possible sources
for our domes before deciding to
purchase.
Tell us about your location
and site
Thrussendale Farm is surrounded
by some of the most beautiful
North Yorkshire scenery. The
site we identified on the farm
had always been my personal
favourite, where a sense of
wellbeing seemed to pervade. It is
an exposed hillside facing South
and West with views for over 60
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