Review: Feather Down Church Stretton

UPDATE – May 2023 Church Stretton is no longer part of Feather Down Farms, but they offer over 29 other farms to choose from. All based on the same principles. So if you love our review below then there is a good chance you will love one of the other Feather Down Farms. 

Review Feather Down Church Stretton: Going glamping as a family is on our Travel Bucket List this year. So when Feather Down got in contact and asked if we would like to review one of their sites and try farm camping I jumped at the opportunity. We chose to visit Church Stretton which is based in the Shropshire hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Having never explored the area at all I thought it the perfect opportunity to do so. This is how we got on with glamping in Shropshire.

AD – We were invited to review Feather Down glamping at Church Stretton for the purpose of this review and we were compensated for our time.

Who are Feather Down?

Feather Down have seventy glamping locations across the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. The affordable accommodation has been designed specifically with luxury in mind with the ability to get back to nature. So the focus is very much on being close to animals, reducing the tech time (there’s no wifi) and reconnecting as a family over preparing a meal together. Sounds ideal? It is exactly what we needed after Harry and I had been in Canada for ten days. Time to reconnect as a family and try and get over the jet lag.

Review Feather Down Church Stretton

Travelling up from school on Friday we got a little delayed on the way to the Shropshire glamping site which I suppose was to be expected. In the confirmation paperwork, I was given the host’s mobile number. Check in is normally between 4 pm and 6 pm so I wanted to let them know that we were running late. They were so friendly and helpful understanding that the traffic was outside our control.

I was very impressed by how helpful the hosts were during our farm camping trip. When we turned up Phil showed us around the Canvas Frills Tent. Explaining how the hot tub, shower, stove and electricity worked before leaving us to settle in. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Saying we could contact him whenever we needed anything. True to his word when we did, he came back straight away.

Feather Down Glamping – Canvas Frills Lodge

The Church Stretton site is smaller than many other Featherdown Farm stays. Based in the wooded grounds of Acton Scott a historic working farm. There are only four Canvas Frills Lodges. Each is nestled in its only little wooden copse which means it is very private and much better than other similar sites we have visited.

The Layout – Glamping in Shropshire

The safari tents itself has its own wood fired hot tub and separate gas powered shower outside. There is a small veranda which leads into the main living area. To one side is the cool box and a sofa. On the other is a large wooden table with six large chairs. In the middle of the space is the wood burner stove with a kitchen area behind it.

To the right of the kitchen, there is a wooden room reached by a step. With a hatch on either side, you can also reach it from the main bedroom. Raised off the floor the whole room is a mattress. Charlie called it his little den and quickly claimed it as his own – although Feather Down call them a cupboard bed. It is large enough to sleep one adult or two children. The second bedroom is to the left and has two large bunk beds. Harry decided to stay in the top bunk and the extra wooden panel across the top it gave me confidence that he would be fine. Since he moves around a lot in his sleep. The ladder is fixed in place which also meant he could get up and down easily despite only being three. The other bedroom has a double bed.

The bathroom and linen

Also to the left of the living area is a flushable toilet. It was good to have a private bathroom as part of the lodge and not have to get layered up and booted up if the kids needed the loo during the night. I had requested a bed linen pack which includes towels and sheets, which does incur an extra charge. The duvets were extremely thick and felt like new. The king-size bed sheets are super clean and crisp, it is just one less thing to worry about when travelling straight from school.

When we have glamped before the log burning stove has only been used as a method of heating. However, Feather Down Church Stretton like all the other locations it was also used to heat the kettle and do the cooking. There is a charcoal BBQ available but since we were only staying for two nights we opted to use the stove.

The small kitchen area comes fully equipped with various pots and pans, plus a gorgeous stone sink. This means you can easily self cater, in fact, it has been designed specifically for meal preparation. There are three rings on the stove so we opted for simple dishes. If you wanted to eat out then we passed numerous pubs close by all of which look lovely from the outside. 

Things to do locally while glamping in Shropshire 

During our stay, we explored both the market town of Ludlow, going to Ludlow Castle and looking around the market. As well as visiting Acton Scott, since we were farm camping, which is the historic working farm a few minutes’ drive away. There was so much more we could have done on our trip. it was an ideal base to explore the beautiful Shropshire countryside. With many castles and English Heritage sites local to Church Stretton. We have plans to revisit and explore the surrounding countryside and go glamping in Shropshire again. 

Review Feather Down Church Stretton – Things we loved about our glamping at Church Stretton

Own private hot tub

As soon as the boys saw it they wanted to get in it. Our hosts had very kindly already set up a fire to heat it for our arrival. It’s deeper than you average although Harry could stand up in the centre (just about). You can control the temperate to a certain extent depending on how much wood you have in the heater. The toilet also has an outside door so it’s accessible without walking through the lodge dripping wet. There was a small lawned area next to it for the boys to play ball games.

Modern shower

Which is separate from the rest of the lodge in a little hut. I was a bit sceptical. Even more so when part of the bird’s nest above the light fell on me on the way in. Powered by gas it was really warm and there was something nice about showering under the oak trees. Until Monkey decided to open the door at one point.

Being able to drive to the lodge

Easy access was a big plus point for Hubby. Travelling with kids means that I always overpack. We had wet weather gear, swim stuff and super cosy onesies along with all the normal kit we take on a weekend away.

Honestly shop

One of the things which Feather Down insists upon is an honesty shop or pantry. Its designed to ensure you have the essentials but also so you can sample regionally produced products. Despite self-catering a reasonable amount there is always something we forget such as salt this time. Of course, you only realise halfway through cooking, so it was very handy to be able to take a short walk to the honesty tent. We also tried out the local eggs from the farm.

Our host

Not only did Phil wait for us to arrive past the check in time. But he was also on hand if we needed anything. Coming back straight away on text when we had a little problem with the lights. The lodge was kept to a very high standard of cleanliness and wear and tear.

Peace & quiet

Despite the two boys, it is so peaceful. The lodges are well spaced so there is no chance of encroaching on anyone else privacy. Without distractions, you can hear all the cows and sheep in the fields. One of the things we love about farm camping. As well as the birds and the rabbits moving around. It was exactly what I needed to recover from the travel and jet lag of the previous week.

Book & information

One of the biggest bug bares I have of visiting properties is the lack of information. In the lodge we found a folder which included everything we needed to know about the stove and amenities. But also there was a list of supermarkets, public houses, attractions and ATMs in the Lake district of Shropshire. All of which are essential when you are not operating on wifi. 

We had a great family break to Church Stretton, we had the best experience glamping is most definitely the way forward for us and is ideal for weekend breaks. Since there has always been the battle between me wanting to go camping and Hubby wanting to stay in a hotel. Glamping is the perfect halfway house and with so many different locations to choose from, there’s something for everyone. I can’t wait to choose our next stay in the fresh air – perhaps in Europe?

Have you tried farm camping or visited a Feather Down Glamping site? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

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