This week I went for a walk in the country. It didn’t start until 7.15pm and it was with a couple of dozen other people – on the increasingly popular ‘Full Moon Walks’ they run for free at one of my favourite East Anglian glamping spots, Ivy Grange Farm. Every month here they trek all over the Suffolk countryside under the light of the full moon to discover night-time mysteries and wildlife – and in general to see the world from a different perspective: one that only night-time walking – and a full moon – can offer.
Ivy Grange Farm is a great place to stay at any time of month. You can’t move for glamping sites these days, but London media world refugees Kim and Nick Hoare have been doing it for a while and have created a real slice of rural bliss, just outside the small Suffolk town of Halesworth, where four yurts and a romantic shepherd's hut form the nucleus of their thoughtfully planned site.
It's a place where attention has been given to every sort of detail, and the enthusiasm and passion of the owners shines through at every turn. The yurts themselves are beautifully furnished, with their own wood burners, big comfy double beds and pull-out futons, and outside decking with gas hob and open fire pit – great for taking in the big skies and glorious sunsets with a glass of wine each evening. There are cauldrons and cooking pots, and a wonderfully well-appointed open kitchen for more ambitious (and more sociable) dining.
There’s also a fabulous restored barn with showers and toilets, plus comfy chairs and games and books; fresh herbs and wild garlic to pick for your dinner, a pizza oven with yeast and flour to make your own pizzas; a gloriously hot outdoor shower tucked away in a private corner of the garden; and bikes to borrow for trips down to the coast at nearby Southwold and to explore the quiet lanes that make up this part of deepest, rural Suffolk.
All that and it’s just a couple of hours from London. The perfect back-to-nature escape – Full Moon Walks optional.