Budget quirky glamping spaces with an unlimited supply of nature

When is a yurt not a yurt? When it’s also a cabin. Frustrated by the lack of views in conventional yurts, the owners designed this space to have huge picture windows that stretch the entire front of the structure. Step outside to make use of the Swedish hot tub on the deck, filled with unfiltered spring water that comes straight off the mountain. To rustle up an appetite, the site sits below the Cats Back, a stunning mountain ridge that leads you up to Offa’s Dyke and The Brecon Beacons, so you can enjoy a short stomp or lengthy expedition right from your door.

Once hidden among the ferns, Prudence is a restored gypsy wagon with a sweet backstory and a meadow all to herself. Named after the land’s former owner, her photo and writing still live inside. It’s run by Keith and Ginnette, nature lovers who’ve created a wild haven where owls call through the night, deer roam the fields. With no chemicals used on the land, and solar lighting keeping things gentle, it’s a true off-grid escape. Paddle in the stream, walk to the beach, then return and stargaze in one of Cornwall’s least light-polluted skies.

Hoover Hut began life transporting vacuums all over the industrial railways, and yet, nothing about it sucks. Positioned between High Weald AONB, South Downs National Park and the Surrey Hills AONB, Hoover Hut sounds like it should be only accessible via a hobbit-worthy epic hike – in fact, it’s under one and a half hours on the train from London. It’s off-grid, using solar panels to power the lighting in the carriage, and the festoon lights that stretch from it to the outdoor kitchen space. Pop five minutes down the road to The Peacock Inn for homemade food made with locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.

The lovingly converted horsebox is fittingly named for the colour of its verdant spot by the river and the flocks of Martins that come swooping over the water of the Trent. Its decor is a testament to owners Robin and Jose’s flair for recycling and upcycling, being full of ingenious and beautiful finds and creations. You’ll undoubtedly spend a lot of your time here watching the river – kingfishers, grebes, herons, and oyster catchers are all regularly spotted – but with owners Robin and Jose also running a canoe hire business from the farm, you shouldn’t miss the chance to drift on the water yourself.

Well-established, beautifully kitted-out and in a corner of dreamy Cornwall, you're welcomed to Tree of Life with produce from the organic smallholding next door - Marie and Sylvia run a veg box business, so know their stuff. You sleep on a double bed above the cab of the lorry itself, accessed by steps that double as the cupboards. Lighting is provided by solar panels, and romance by lanterns and tealights. Whip up a feast in the small, fitted kitchen with gas cooker and oven after a day on the beach in St Agnes.