Review of Jolly Days luxury camping/Glamping experience in North Yorkshire. Tented Lodge accommodation with built in wood burner and tons of added luxurious extras with a central communal campfire. A peaceful relaxing weekend away from the stresses of the real world and an easy introduction to camping.

 

Camping in the Great British outdoors - the romance of getting back to nature, breathtaking countryside, songs around the campfire, starlit walks, and jolly japes on endless sunny days! The reality however is often very different, soul destroying tinned or dehydrated meat, deflating airbeds, damp sleeping bags and permafrost on your toes – in summer! Well now there’s an alternative... Welcome to Jollydays, where we believe there's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate camping facilities. Out go nylon sleeping bags and in come four poster beds, chandeliers and sofas by the fire.

 

When I first thought about heading off to North Yorkshire for a camping trip in the middle of November I thought that I probably needed my head checking. How long would it take to drive there and how cold would it be? After listening to my mum complain down the phone about the length of the drive and telling me to make sure I packed my thermal pyjama’s I had made my mind up that I was going to freeze and probably be so grumpy that the beauty of Jolly Days would not win me over.

 

The morning we were due to set off storms were raging across the UK and I was tempted to drop out, I was sure that the site would be flooded trees would be falling around our heads and the drive would take hours. After loading up the car with extra blankets, tons of warm layers of clothing, my wellies and enough food and drink to keep us fed for the few days we would be there we headed off up the A1. Surprisingly the journey took us 3 hours from the M11 and it was a wonderful easy journey in comparison to the alternative journey to the West Country. It was surprising just how quick and relaxing the journey was. Jolly Days is literally only a 15-20 minute drive from York and makes this a perfect location for a short break or staycation.

 

On arriving the first thing that I noticed was how calm and peaceful the woodland site was. The Sun was shining and the storms of the South of England were left well behind. Even if the weather was bad this campsite will still remain sheltered as the woodland provides a natural shelter from the worst of the weather conditions. The thick woodland giving an aura of calm and solitude as soon as you enter the site. Leaving the car behind in the car park we ventured to the reception tent to meet Christian one of the owners of Jolly Days.Situated at the Crux of the Howardian Hills and the Yorkshire Wolds Jolly Days is run by Christian and Carolyn Van Outersterp. Set up 2 years ago after a failing business Christian wanted to escape and set up some form of an eco retreat where as Carolyn wanted to offer a more luxurious experience. Thankfully Jolly Days is a more than happy resolution between Luxury and an Eco holiday location. Camping in Jolly Days is luxury camping in the Great British outdoors in the comfort and style of vintage splendour. If you want a camping experience that is something a little bit special where you have nothing to do but turn up, un-pack your bags, and relax in front of your wood burner or the central campfire Jolly Days is your solution.

 

Everything is provided for you here, it is more like staying in self catering accommodation than camping but everyone deserves a bit of comfort every so often. With four poster beds, fluffy hot water bottles, fine china, thick woollen blankets, gas lanterns and candle holders, a roll top Victorian bath and shower, and a gas stove to cook on, you have more than enough to make your camping trip one of pure luxury. If this is your introduction to camping this will open your eyes and show you that it isn’t all about roughing it anymore there are many different ways to camp. It’s all about finding out what you are comfortable with and tailoring your experiences to suit your tastes.

 

Christian set out to develop Jolly Days with a very clear Eco-Friendly ethos so that this eco-chic-camp would leave as little impact as possible on its environment. The Lodge Tents are all bespoke made by a local Yorkshire company, minimal electricity is used, LPG gas is used to heat the water, waste water is sent via a bio digester and released on site. Left over wellies are offered to guests to re-use. Local businesses are supported, particularly the local farm shop the Balloon Tree which is only a mile away and provides a variety of treats for your stay. The Eco-friendly theory is not forced down your throat when you arrive but you are actively encouraged to recycle your bottles and cans, as well as being advised not to collect wood from the site. The Woodland has a 20 year woodland management plan and Christian ensures that the sustainability of this project is something that is always considered with any new developments to the campsite. So you can rest assured in you glamorous lodge tent that by taking a luxurious camping experience you are not endangering this environment but supporting it.

 

As we visited Jolly Days out of season the Bell Tents had already been put away for 2009 but come 2010 in the Spring they will be available to rent again and will include the new set up of a Veranda Canopy and a beach hut to cook in, making this option  more of an all weather camping experience. The Bell Tents are just as luxurious as the Lodge Tents, with a wood burner, a futon bed and carpeted with coir matting. If you are staying in the Bell Tents there are communal toilet and shower facilities near to the reception tent. I can easily imagine laying staring at the sunlight playing through the shadows of the trees above on to the canvas of the Bell Tent, in early Spring, as the Log Burner keeps me warm and cosy.

 

However if you are a traditional camper you may feel a little frustrated in the fact that so much is provided for you. So why not offer your help around the site. Christian and Carolyn are more than happy to accept help from volunteers in exchange for staying in their Bell Tents and run a volunteer programme. Previous visitors to the site have built hideaways, helped create shelters and clay ovens or just cleaned the lodges out in busier periods. Jolly Days has such a wonderful sense of community, largely inspired by the passion that Christian and Carolyn have for their new venture, but sustained by the fans of Jolly Days who return time and time again to this wonderful little campsite hidden away in the woods in North Yorkshire.

 

Recommended for: Families, Couples, Glampers, First time Campers and Festival Goers alike.