Do you provide bedding?  

We provide bedding for the double bed, with a duvet and pillows. If you are bringing children, we provide sleeping bags with integral pillows. We charge £10 for infants under 2 years of age, £20 for children 3 and over.  You will need to bring your own travel cot/bedding/towels.  If a sleeping bag is needed, please message me.

 

Do you provide towels and toiletries?  

We provide 2 bath towels for adults and additional hand towels for children. There are also towelling robes (on stays of two or more nights) and crocks for the trip to the shower. There will be soap and hand-sanitiser. Guests will need to bring their own shampoo / conditioner.

 

We are not on mains drainage so we need to ask for your help with this - please do not put anything other than toilet roll in the toilet or compost toilet. Sanitary bags and bins are provided in all toilet areas.

 

Am I able to have a shower?  

We have a shared shower available for guests as well as a separate flush toilet.  These are both on the side of the garage where you will park your car.

 

Do you provide tea and coffee and how do I heat the water?  

Both units have an electric kettle and a mini fridge.

 

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate is provided both in the shepherd’s hut and in the summerhouse for the gypsy van guests. There will be milk in the mini fridge when you arrive. Shepherd’s hut guests can really enter into the spirit of glamping by boiling their own water on their wood burner.

 

Can I cook my own food?

Guests may use their own babecues with either gas or coals.  They should be stable, with a metal grill and only be used on the paving slab provided.  You will need to have a full container of water nearby.  Please ensure the babecue is properly extinguished before going out or going to bed. 

 

Disposable barbecues should not be used.

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If you bring your own camping cooker, please cook outside the hut.

 

The wood burner should only be used for boiling water in the kettle provided in the hut or heating the hut/van.​

 

Do you have a washing up area?

We do not have a formal washing up area. Lots of our guests use the nearby takeaways or eat out. If you like to cook for yourself, please keep it simple - bring some kitchen roll and use the toasting forks provided to cook your sausages over the fire-pit! You will need to bring your own crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils.

 

Can I have a camp fire?  

We have provided a fire pit for a small campfire. Please keep to modest proportions, or you will set off the smoke alarm in your hut / van!  Always place the fire pit on the paving slab and keep a full container of water nearby.  Firewood for this can be bought for £5 (should be enough for a relaxing evening). Alternatively, you are welcome to bring your own kindling/small logs. You will have two toasting forks and a packet of marshmallows for outdoor use. Inside, you will find a small basket of wood for lighting the wood burner. 

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We cannot guarantee the availability of fire pits. In extremely dry weather conditions we may need to temporarily remove them for safety reasons, working in line with other sites in the area who are following government/ local New Forest National Park restrictions.

 

Do you provide any meals?

We do not offer breakfast as part of the fixed price because we know many of our guests like to be independent and have the choice and flexibility to explore the local cafes.

 

We are able to offer guests a breakfast hamper with cereal, yoghurt, fresh fruit, warm bread rolls and home made muffins, juice and milk.  This will be delivered to your hut or the summer house (if in the gypsy van) at 8 30 am weekdays or 9 am at weekends. £20.00 for two people £25.00 / £30.00 for a family of 3 or 4.  Advance notice is required.

 

Are there places to eat out nearby/quiz nights?

At the bottom of our hill, we have a bakery (with takeaway pizzas Friday and Saturday evenings), fish and chip shop, an off-licence and a Tesco Local - ideal for those who want to stay in and enjoy the garden.  Almost as close is The White Hart, well known for its roasts (especially the gravy) and showing live sports events on the TVs in the bar and even in the garden.

 

If you want to be able to walk to a pub, The London Tavern is half a mile away at the bottom of the hill, this has recently re-opened. For a large garden, lake view and children’s play area, we would recommend The Alice Lisle, which is less than two miles away and close to walking spots where you will see the New Forest ponies etc.  For an old fashioned beamed pub in the middle of nowhere, you could try The High Corner Inn, with an outdoor play area and forest walks all around. There are other pubs we could recommend if you want to combine eating with a walk in the forest, such as The Foresters, The Royal Oak  (2020 Good Pub Guide’s Country Pub of the Year) and The Red Shoot, all of which may well have forest animals grazing outside.

 

In Ringwood town centre, we are spoilt for choice, as there are more pubs, wine-bars, several Indian restaurants, pizzerias and chinese take-aways. In the daytime you will also be able to find numerous coffee shops and cafes, which serve breakfasts, cakes and light snacks.

 

Do you have wi-fi?

We are unable to offer our guests wi-fi in the garden and we hope that this affords a welcome break from technology! There is mobile phone reception in the garden for most networks.  We now have a booster in the front bedroom of the house so you should be able to get wi-fi when you are in the car port.

 

Guests are welcome to recharge phones and other electronic equipment using the plug sockets in the hut / van.

 

Can I stay here in the winter?

We do remain open for much longer than many campsites as our hut and van do have wood-burners.  The hut is open most of the year (only closes for a few weeks in the winter). The gypsy van season is from April to October. The gypsy van has a low-level tubular heater and we are able to provide an extra heater for the shepherd’s hut.  

 

We provide hot water bottles too! Our ponchos are great  by the fire pit or can be used as an extra blanket.

 

We do not recommend coming to stay as a family of four in the winter. Both the hut and van are on grass, which is lovely in the summer but does mean it’s harder to keep the internal space clean if there are four guests going in and out!

 

Will I be close to the other unit at Fernwood?

We only have two glamping units. The gypsy van and shepherds hut are well spaced (over 25m apart) in a large garden well away from the house, with seating areas angled away from each other to provide areas of seclusion. This gives a much greater sense of space and privacy than you find on a larger site with lots of units that are close together or arranged in rows.  Only the gypsy van guests have access to the summerhouse.

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You will be able to see the other glamping unit from where you are staying but have your own area to relax in.  You might also see us out in our garden or on our patio too.  We have a large garden of one acre and we like to think there is enough room for everyone to relax and enjoy the garden.  You might also meet our dog Milo or Bob the cat.

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If you are booking both units for an extended family or friendship group, you will be able to enjoy the facilities of both units, with the summer house to share.

 

There is also a shared deer viewing platform and a smaller platform with a slide at the end of the garden.  If you would like to stay with us at a quieter time, we recommend visiting in term-time / weekdays, as you are more likely to be the only guests here.  The shepherds hut is the only one open in November. 

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Can I just pay a deposit as I want to book a long way in advance?

If you are booking a long way in advance you will only be asked to pay a deposit (30%) with the balance payable 90 days before your visit (you will get a reminder email with a payment link 90 days before).  Bookings made less than 90 days before your visit need to be paid in full.  Please contact me directly if you need a different plan.

 

What happens if we need to cancel?

Please see our booking / cancellation policy on the booking tab

 

Can I come and stay with children under 4 or over 10?

Yes you can! Our hut and van are quite small so we do not allow family groups larger than four.

 

It is important that guests with younger children are aware that there is an unfenced pond near the gypsy van and that the wood burns and fire-pits get very hot.

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There is a deer viewing platform for all our guests, but at your own risk, and children should be supervised at all times to ensure they can use it safely and do not attempt to climb the railings.  We have built a lower deer viewing platforn for younger children (with a slide).

 

For older children, you need to be aware that the bed length for children in the gypsy van is 150cm (although adults have slept here!). The pull out bench seat in the shepherd’s hut is also 150cm whereas the other bunk is longer.

 

Guests with infants will need to bring their own travel cot. If you have a young child who rolls at night, it might be better to book the gypsy van as the lower bunk is 120cm wide and almost at floor level.

 

Why are we not able to bring an additional tent?

Part of our promise to you as guests at Fernwood is that it will be quieter and less crowded than on a larger site. It is therefore important that we stick to this rule for all guests that stay here. We are also aware that the shower facilities are shared and feel that additional numbers would put too much pressure on the facilities available to you.

 

Why are we not able to stay with a dog?

We have our own dog and rabbits who may not feel comfortable with visiting dogs! We also find that some people have chosen to come and stay here because we offer pet-free accommodation (either they have an allergy or one person is scared of dogs), so it is important that they know we will remain dog–free in the back garden.

 

By coming away to stay without their dog, several guests have said they enjoyed doing different activities without the usual restrictions.

 

What happens if I can’t check in between 5 and 10pm?

We do like to show you around if we can, as we like to meet our guests and answer any questions. Although we can’t guarantee your accommodation will be ready until 5pm, it often works out that we are ready before that. It usually works out best to make contact a few days beforehand or even on the day (if your plans change). It is certainly better for us to show you around in the daylight when possible!

 

We do have a self-guided sheet available, which you can use to check in independently, if we are out, but it is very rarely needed. We will come and say hello when we get back!

 

Is there off-road parking?

Yes there is ample space to park in the front driveway in front of the 5 bar gate.  If you need to bring a second car, please let us know in advance but this shouldn't be a problem.  From the driveway it is a short walk across the lawn to your accommodation.

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Can I store my bike securely during my stay?

Lots of our guests like to go cycling during their stay.  If your bikes are on your bike carrier and locked up, you may just want to leave them where they are.  However, if you have cycled here or would like them in a secure space, please ask to store them in our shed and we can give you a key to use during your stay.  If you are using e-bikes we have a double plug socket in the shed and you are welcome to recharge the batteries ready for the next day.

 

Where can I get more information about the area?

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Please see our PLACES TO VISIT page.

 

Once you have booked, we will send you an on-line link to  “Fernwood Favourites”, a photo-book of ideas about places to visit and eat out  and a second link to “Fernwood Glamping’s Footpaths in the Forest”, with a selection of longer walks, each one starting from a free New Forest car park. If you are looking for a shorter walk, the car park name / location and the photos in this book might help.