What kids love about glamping at The Forge!

"Cooking sausages on the campfire" - Joanne*, aged 7

Nothing beats the smell of sizzling sausages and bacon cooked over open flames, or even better on a big toasting fork! We supply all the kit you need to cook over your own campfire so you can focus on getting the kids involved in creating their perfect camp feast.

"Wheelbarrow races!" - Martha, aged 5

Our site is completely off-grid and vehicle free, so we provide wheelbarrows which are supposed to be used to get your luggage to and from the tents. What actually ends up happening is some pretty competitive wheelbarrow racing with the kids screaming loudly from the barrows at their parents to run faster. Who needs the gym?!

"Running up and down the hill fort" - Ralf, aged 8

It's amazing how much our younger guests love running up our hill fort and then coming down it in any number of different ways. Good old-fashioned roly-polys, barefoot, on a bike, in a wheelbarrow or just plain, flat out running as fast as your legs can carry you.

"Seeing the barn owl flying around at dusk" - Rahul, aged 11

We have a lot of amazing wildlife here at The Forge and you are guaranteed to meet some of our wild friends during your stay. We've spotted otters, kingfishers, reed buntings and we have a resident pair of nesting barn owls who love to give you a show as they hunt around the tents and hill fort at dusk.

"Eating 100 marshmallows" - Natasha, aged 6

We are not sure if this is strictly true, but I think it would be fair to say that consumption of marshmallows toasted over their own campfire that they lit themselves would be high up on most of our guests' highlights! Luckily we sell them in our on-site shop so you are sure never to run out!

"Throwing axes and beating Daddy" - Albie, aged 10

Nothing like a little competitive axe-throwing to get you into the family holiday spirit. This very safe, but quite addictive activity is a great way for the kids to build their confidence doing something completely new. Just be prepared to suffer the bragging rights if your little ones end up beating you!

"Staying up late and seeing my first shooting star" - Ana, aged 8

Sleeping outside is a really magical experience at any age but seeing your first shooting star is one of those memories you are never likely to forget. We are lucky to be in a Dark Skies Area so on a clear night the stars are spectacular and the kids will love picking out the different constellations.

"Pooing in a hut" - Theo, aged 5

Our composting toilets are an endless source of fascination to our younger guests who absolutely love the novelty of going to the loo outside in one of our hand built cabins. Once inside they are remarkably similar to a regular toilet, the only difference being you don't flush, you scoop sawdust when you are done!

"Buying my fire steel" - Arman, aged 9

We sell lots of bushcraft goodies in our shop and the fire steels are always a best seller with our younger customers. This nifty bit of kit allows you to light a fire without matches, as you strike the steel to create sparks. Don't let your kids know this but they also double up as rather loud whistles (let them in on this at your peril!).

"Swinging in the hammocks" - Hari, aged 8

All our tents come with their own hammock and these are like magnets to the kids who will happily spend hours swinging back and forth (or just hiding themselves and hanging upside down like a bat in some cases!). Once they have worked out how to get in and out without face-planting on the floor, our hammocks provide hours of fun. Just a shame that mum's dream of relaxing in one with a good book and nice drink went out the window!

A massive thank you to all our younger guests who shared what they love about The Forge. If you'd like to come and stay at The Forge this year we are inviting families for the bank holiday weekends and school holidays. You can check out which tent might suit you best and all our availability here.

*Some names have been changed