GLAMPING – THE EVOLUTION
Glamping is the best of both worlds: you’re close to nature, but still surrounded by those lovely home comforts.
As we celebrate the launch of two more eco glamping Landpods here at Beersheba, we take a look how the camping holiday has evolved into today’s glamping experience.
What is glamping?
The word “glamping” is a fusion of “glamorous” and “camping”. The word itself first appeared in 2005, and made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016. It’s a bit of a funny term, as arguably, a luxurious motorhome is far more glam than a tipi in a field, but it’s come to mean a holiday under canvas (or similar) where comfort is as important as adventure.
One of the wonderful things about glamping is that you arrive at your accommodation, and you don’t have to tow it behind you or cram it into the boot. Like a holiday cottage, your glamping home-from-home is ready-assembled and waiting for you after your journey. Bliss.
Glamping in western history
When medieval monarchs and noblemen went into battle, they took their miniature palaces with them. The king had to be surrounded by the trappings of majesty even on the frontline. Beds, the finest goblets and plates, and even tapestries were packed up and re-assembled.
Henry VIII, never the most shy and retiring man, used his spectacular glamping set-up to impress the French at a summit in Calais in 1520. The English campsite made such an impression that the event became known as the “Field of the Cloth of Gold” after Henry’s tents.
The instinct to recreate home, even under adverse conditions, continued to be strong. Later western explorers and wealthy early tourists went for the “everything but the scullery sink” approach when staying under canvas.
Today’s holidays borrow more from traditional tribal yurts and tipis than historic glamping. A lot of this is aesthetic: luxurious rugs and blankets, simple wooden furnishings, camp fires… It’s also practical, as nomadic tribes know how to keep warm and comfortable in the outdoors, while leaving no trace of their presence when they pack up. That’s what we’re aiming for at Beersheba.
Glamping as we know it
Today’s glamping began to evolve in the noughties, when people began to seek out holidays in the great outdoors. Staying in a pod or a yurt or a cabin or even a tree house was an appealingly different approach to the classic tent or caravan experience.
Unlike camping, there’s little investment with a glamping holiday. You don’t have to own your accommodation; you simply stay in it. However, unlike a conventional holiday home, you’re closer to nature, and have that wonderful sense of freedom that an outdoor-based holiday brings.
And of course, you’re very, very comfortable. Individual glamping experiences define comfort differently. This could be the cosiness of a faux fur-lined tipi with a wood burner or a modern pod with state-of-the-art memory foam mattresses and superb WiFi. All have something in common: their natural setting.
Eco glamping: the next level
Today’s glampers are often seeking a greener holiday with as little impact upon the environment as possible. At Beersheba, we offer eco-glamping holidays. You have everything you need and you’re comfy in our Landpods, while at the same time you’re treading lightly upon the earth.
Each Landpod has access to its own waterless toilet and hot shower (private facilities are often one of the things that set glamping and camping apart) as well as a covered outdoor kitchen & dining space, complete with fairy lights. The LED lights in the pod are off-grid, as is that essential USB charger. If we were to pack up our Landpods tomorrow (which we won’t!), there would be no sign they’d ever been there.
Glamping in Wildflower Wood
If you want to know more about our Cornish eco glamping experience and our fabulous new Landpods, please get in touch with us at Beersheba.