After a rather wet August, we’re set for an Indian summer!
Glamping in the East Midlands may feel like glamping in the South of France (or at least we can hope). September is looking like the August we should have had! This means we can make the holidays last even longer. There is plenty to make the most of in September (and beyond); from Indian summer glamping, to fruit foraging and local drink tours.
What is an Indian summer? The Met Office defines an Indian summer as ‘a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn. Apparently, the origins of this term could even go as far back to Native Americans – ‘American Indians’ – who are said to have taken advantage of the mild autumnal weather to hunt and forage later in the day to build up winter food stocks. Thankfully, this won’t be a necessary activity whilst yurt camping in the UK! Though we do recommend having a go at foraging fruit.
Whilst being in the country, you could really embrace the bounty of nature during summer and autumn. There is an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Did you know that September is the peak time for hops (AKA beer!)? We’ll leave the hops to the hoppy experts but there are plenty of places where you can pick wild berries. No wonder the Native Americans took advantage of this ti
me of year. How about spending an afternoon picking sloes to make some sloe gin? Or picking blackberries for blackberry beer? (There seems to be a theme here…). We have seen loads of these berries down the Brampton Valley Way so you could pick to your heart’s content when glamping with us. The Waterloo Cottage Farm Community Garden also has a wonderful crop of plums, apples, and vegetables right now. If your stay coincides with their activity days, you could get involved in gardening and harvest the produce.
September is like the summer holidays for adults. The kids are back to school (bless them) and getting stuck into their new term. Now it’s time for the adults to have a break after entertaining them for 6 weeks. Or a chance to go on holiday now the prices have dropped down again. Whatever the excuse (as if we need one), a late summer break is well worth doing. Especially a relaxing, countryside yurt retreat (we may be a little bias).
Without the children, it’s the perfect opportunity to sample local and luxury drinks. We highly recommend taking part in local drink tours. Harborough has a variety of breweries, distilleries, and vineyards. Most of which offer interactive tours and experiences.
Waterloo Cottage Farm Shop does wine tasting every Saturday 11 am – 3 pm. You can pop in (whether staying with us or not) and sample their wine of the day and hear about its blend of flavours. We ‘happen’ to walk into the shop during this period every week, what a funny ‘coincidence’. You can buy the wine there and then if it tickles your taste buds.
If beer is your thing, The Langton Brewery is a wonderful local brewery that produces fantastic beers. They run tours throughout the year where you can learn how they are made. Your visit would start off with a talk about the brewery and the brewing process, together with an opportunity to look around and ask any questions. During this time, you’ll be able to sample the current brew. They can also offer you a choice of food to go with the beer. What more could you want? Their next tour date is 5th September. To book your tour, or for more details, contact them via telephone: 01858 540116 or email: info@langtonbrewery.co.uk.
As for my favourite – GIN! Two Birds Spirits is just down the road in Market Harborough. They produce award-winning gin in their artisan distillery. They also love to share their knowledge and experience of making this delicious spirit. Two Birds Workshops offers you the opportunity to become a distiller for a day. You even get to develop and distill your very own gin! These dream workshops happen every Saturday and Sunday. They also offer private or group bookings on request. We think this would make the perfect group activity for a 30th birthday! To book, visit their website or contact the Workshop directly on 01858 414256 or email bookings@twobirdsworkshop.co.uk.
We can picture the perfect adult only holiday emerging here. A weekend or mid-week break staying in a luxury yurt; spending the day relaxing, going for walks, picking wild berries, then going to learn about local drinks. Then spending the evening around the firepit or in the hot tub drinking said drinks. Glamping in the East Midlands during the Indian summer is not to be missed! We have September dates available; check them out here and book your late summer break without the kids.
We hope to see you soon,
The Country Bumpkin Team
