Crackly fires and crunchy leaves: Autumn arrives at Penhein
September 17, 2019
September brings bright sunny days and cold starry nights that are perfect for glamping. We’re feeling excited for all the adventures that the new season brings, and have rounded up our top 10 things to look forward to this autumn at Penhein:
1. Crunching through leaves and climbing trees
Our glampsite sits nestled in the midst of three acres of semi-ancient woodland. Come and take in the glorious changing colours of autumn; escape into the Coombe Wood and walk amongst trees that date back thousands of years and let little ones pull on their wellies to stomp through crunchy leaves and climb trees.
2. Lighting fires (inside and out)
Fire is at the very heart of a stay at Penhein. Gather round the campfire in the evening to cook up a wild feast and tell stories beneath the stars, or cosy up inside your tent with the wood burner. Why not let your children light their first fire during their stay? A big moment in anyone’s life!
3. Reading Books in Bed
Darker evenings mean curling up in bed with a good book. Listen out for the hoot of owls and the rustling leaves just beyond the canvas. Read something in situ – we recommend the Bramley Hedge stories or Winnie the Pooh for the very young, and Tolkein or Narnia for older children. Grown ups who have forgotten to pack anything for themselves will find Penguin Classics stacked up on the bedside table.
4. Picking blackberries and foraging in the hedgerow
The hedgerows around Penhein are heaving with juicy blackberries just waiting to be picked. Take a basket and a pair of scissors on a walk – you never know what you might find! Make a hand-picked flower arrangement with foliage, berries and wild flowers and forage for hazlenuts and damsons, then return to base camp with nature’s bounty.
5. Toasty toddies and hot chocolate round the campfire
Tis the season for a hot toddy around the campfire. For grown ups that might mean warm spiced apple cider, or mixing Penhein’s ‘Sparkle Under the Stars’ cocktail (available from the Pantry) – a mixture of raspberry or blackcurrant sirop with sparkling cremant. For children, there’s Cupsmith’s legendary hot chocolate, plus plump and fluffy marshmallows for toasting.
6. Board games and competitive cards
Ditch the iPad and get back to basics. We encourage all our guests to switch off from technology during their stay, part of our decision against having WiFi on-site. Instead pick up a board game, or get competitive over a game of racing demon. Find plenty of games for all ages stacked up in Petro, our communal tent where there’s a wood burner and comfy armchairs too.
7. Bright sunny days and cold starry nights
The forecast is looking good and we can help you make the most of it! Get outdoors and soak up that Vitamin D with our nature trails and walks, and our action-packed activities like clay pigeon shooting and bushcraft (pre-booking essential). Pack a woolly jumper and a coat so that you can enjoy the starry nights. With no light pollution, it’s the place to gaze up at the twinkling sky and spot a shooting star.
8. Wine tasting and Botanical Gin Foraging
The children are back at school and it’s time for some grown-up fun. Get a group together and come and take a wine tasting course this autumn with expert Tom Innes of Fingal-Rock wine merchants. Tom’s tastings are all about trying something new; taste 6-8 different wines, ask questions and buy some of the wine you’ve tasted. Also for grown ups, we run Botanical Gin foraging workshops with local expert Adele Nozedar. Adele will take you into the woods and hedgerows around the farm at Penhein to show you what to pick to make your ultimate Botanical Gin.
9. Dressing up for Halloween
Boo! Pull out your cobwebs, witches hat and goblin ears. Come and join us for the ultimate Halloween party at Penhein where we’ll be running our annual fancy dress competition. In the afternoon there’s a lantern-making workshop for children in Petro our communal tent, and then later we’ll be processing in our costumes through the woodlands by the light of our lanterns for a bit of trick-or-treating glamping style! Finally, we’ll gather round the campfire for hot dogs, hot chocolate and ghost stories.
10. Pop! Bonfire Night Party Time!
You bring the friends, we’ll bring the fireworks. How about taking over the entire glampsite this year for a private party? Round up a gang of friends, or a couple of families and we’ll lay on the firework display. With no one for miles around we have the skies completely to ourselves. Gather round the almighty bonfire, light a sparkler and enjoy hot dogs and mulled wine and make sure your bonfire night goes with a bang!