We booked our stay at North Star Club back in September, and after having a good look at the website for this unique retreat, I concluded that it be magical to stay the week before Christmas. A December getaway would also ensure we got full use of our wood burner, which I was rather keen on.
Rustic, luxurious, natural, beautiful, cosy, unusual and stylish, are all words I would use to describe our woodland accommodation. It was ‘glamping’, but our experience felt to comfortable and sumptuous to be described as ‘glamping’ – it was so much more than that. Central heating, a wood burning stove, fur throws, candles, a huge bath, a rainfall shower, a veranda, a fridge and an enormous bed are just a few reasons why. There are eight woodland suites to choose from and I decided on the Woodville, as Jared is a bit of a history buff and I thought he would appreciate it.
North Star Club is set in in 500 acres of native English woodland near Sancton, East Yorkshire. The founders – Christian and Carol put urban London life behind them twelve years ago, and have since become passionate about country life, and changing the face of British glamping forever. The Club is inspired by tales of the American Great Camps, and the need to find serenity and escape busy 21st century life.
My two main concerns when booking were whether it would be warm enough, and my second was whether it would be truly family friendly. After our two night stay, I am pleased to say it is a definite ‘yes’ to both. The central heating and stove were ample to create the perfect temperature, and we were even a little too warm at one point!
The lodge includes a small bedroom with bunk beds, which our boys loved. Win took the top bunk and Ru slept wonderfully in the provided travel cot (which we managed to squeeze into the same room as Win). It is a small room, but children don’t need a lot of space and when ours are awake, they both prefer to be outside or chatting to us. I personally loved that the adults had been provided with such space and luxury, without taking away from the children. We were also provided with a high chair, which was handy.
Our boys loved building dens in the woodland outside, ‘going on adventures’, cooking on the fire, watching the wood burner and going ‘swimming’ in the huge bath. They spent over an hour and a half in the bath one night – splashing, making bubble hats, diving and checking out their hairstyles in the mirror. I loved the size of the bedroom and the bathroom – having that much space was heavenly and I adored the use of nature in the styling.
North Star Club lodges are self catering, but do have a BBQ, wood burning stove and fridge. Plates, bowls, cutlery and glasses are provided in the lodges. If our stay had been longer we would definitely have made use of the BBQ and brought more of our own food, but as we only stayed two nights the extent of our cooking ended up being – porridge one morning, and toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate one evening.
‘The Woodshed’ is the communal relaxation space. We didn’t make use of it during our stay, but I did pop my head in (more than once) to admire the stunning interior. Purchases of tea, coffee and cake are based on an honestly system, and there is a huge table and comfy sofas to snuggle up on. If you are visiting with a group of friends – hanging out here, or around the camp fire would complete your stay.
Extra facilities we didn’t take advantage of were the opportunity to be pampered by a therapist, or the delivery of delicious hampers from local suppliers. Although the club feels incredibly rural, it is also within very easy distance of Beverley and York, plus lots of delightful eateries.
Win has asked when we will be staying again (and I must confess I’ve been wondering the same), which I think is the seal of approval for a truly luxurious family friendly glamping experience.
E xx
A massive thank you to North Star Club for offering us a discounted stay at one of their beautiful lodges.
Looks like you had an amazing stay! We were there at the end of summer but I thought than that it would be a lovely place to stay in the winter as well. Love the photos of your boys enjoying the campfire!
Oh wow! Brilliant Erin! It is so lovely isn’t it? xx
Oh my gosh! This place looks amazing!! I can see why they are so booked up!! I had a look after you sent me the link the other week. Glad you had a good time xx
It was so nice! Even nicer than we expected. I hope you found somewhere to stay! xx
This looks absolutely amazing and will be featured on our site very soon as a family friendly get away! Thanks for making us aware of its existence! Great photos!