Where The Wildings Are

Emma’s parents have been wardens at Rutland Caravan and Camping for quite a few months now. It’s a large site, with a swimming pool, shop in reception and a cafe. There are spaces for caravans, motorhomes and tents, as well as six luxury lodges. We were able to stay for a couple of nights, midweek and take advantage of one of these lodges.

The Lodge

There are 6 lodges on the site, each named after a tree. We stayed in Cedar lodge, which was one of the one bedroom lodges. When we walked in the door there was a lovely smell of wood that hit us, as well as the warmth of the under floor heating. It does get really warm because of this, so it made it very cosy for us. The lodge is kitted out for summer too with a barbecue and sun loungers in the garden.

Whenever we go away we usually stay in okay or basic accommodation to save money and we only use it as a base, so this experience was new to us. There was a fancy bathtub in the bedroom, a sauna in the bathroom and a hot tub in the garden! We agreed we wanted to try everything at least once. There was a nice sized kitchen, TV, CD player, games and books. We could have happily hibernated in the lodge for two whole days, as long as we brought enough food and drink supplies.

The Luxury Extras

We used the hot tub a couple of times. Once in the day and another time at night. The first time we went in, even though it was day time it made me feel so relaxed I could have nodded off. Going in a hot tub at night is a different experience, especially if the sky is clear and when you are in the countryside away from all that light pollution. The night sky was filled with stars, a lot more than we ever get to see living in the city.

Only I took advantage of the bath in the bedroom. I haven’t had a bath in years but this experience couldn’t be missed. It was relaxing and an unusual feeling to be looking out at a bedroom while soaking in the tub. There are some lights in the tiled floor next to the bath which adds to the ambiance of the room.

We had a bit of trouble with the sauna, as there were no instructions on how to turn it on. But after some fiddling, turning of knobs and waiting around we managed to get it on. Neither of us are big fans of saunas but sitting in a sauna which is in the bathroom was another unusual experience we had to do.

 

The Surrounding Area

If you didn’t want to hibernate for a few days there is plenty to do in the surrounding area, only a short drive away. Rutland Water Nature Reserve is very close by and a day can easily be spent there, walking and exploring the countryside. A 15 minute drive south-west from the site is the lovely, small and busy town of Oakham. There’s plenty of quaint shops and interesting buildings to take up your time. If you travelled 15 minutes south-east instead, then you would arrive in Stamford, arguably even nicer, prettier and even more quaint than Oakham. This was our favourite town in the area. It’s filled with churches, history, architecture and a lovely park separated from the centre of town by a river.

The prices vary depending on the time of year you go and how long you stay. If you didn’t want to spend too much then a short trip in January would only cost you £210 for a 2 night stay. For more information then visit the website http://www.rutlandcaravanandcamping.co.uk or http://www.rutlandluxurylodges.co.uk