Hilary’s Bunk Barn
Hilary’s Bunk Barn
Ever eager to get away for some family time, Rachel has found us a break in the Lake District through Independent Hostels. It’s a bunk barn called Dacre’s Stable Glamping & Camping Barn, home to Hilary, Hadrian and Nonye and after we pass through the first farm gates it’s clear to see this is no ordinary getaway and the location is really unique. As we arrive at the barn, Hilary is there to meet us and I think it’s fair to say, they only made one of Hilary!
As we get the tour of the place the kids are excited about their bunk beds and the barn opposite is a treasure trove of toys, games and curiosities which Hilary is happy for them to explore and play in. It isn’t long before they single out the snooker table, space hoppers, pump organ and hula hoops and are having a go at everything.
Personally, I’ve got art-studio envy as we look around the art supplies and easels in the lower part of the barn which the anti-swallow netting isn’t doing a great job of protecting. It is the sort of place you’d expect to find a lost master being used to prop up a table or a Ming Dynasty vase holding a selection of dirty paint brushes. It’s wonderfully eclectic and a reflection of Hilary’s interests and imagination.
This is the first time we’ve really stayed in a ‘proper’ stone bunk-barn so we try to absorb everything there is to see inside and out. The barn-doors, the horse-shoe features, simple storage options and how to use adjustable barriers as partitions for the downstairs room. The Scandinavian log burner has a fold-out clothes dryer above which is really handy and the high shelving has lots of books and games and the lighting is soft giving the place a cosy feel. Coming straight from a centrally heated house, we just need to figure out how to keep the log burner going!
The kids take a while to settle on the first night so once we managed to pull ourselves away from the wine and fire-pit we decided to spend the night half-upstairs and half-downstairs. The following morning though, the horses were quick to make friends and the kids are encouraged to help with the feeding and grooming up-close which they thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a lovely spot and a great place to use as a base for exploring the wider area which we do, with a trip to Bowness and a bucket-load of other places of interest in the area.
