If you’ve recently seen the Robson Green documentary on accommodation in Northumberland, you might have seen him stay at Bamburgh Under Canvas. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t watched it yet, and I discovered this adult only, dog friendly glamping site via Instagram. As a relatively small glamping site, that caters for adults and dogs it’s my ideal kind of place. 

On the evening of my stay I was meeting up with a friend for dinner, the forecast was better than it had been in ages, so I decided to see if they had any last minute availability to save me the drive back and to make the most of the good weather. Despite usually having a two night stay policy, they had availability and were more than happy to let me and Arthur stay for just the one night. I love it when last minute plans come together!

After work we packed up the car and made our way up the Northumberland Coast. The Bamburgh Under Canvas website has loads of information on what they provide which I always find so useful for glamping sites, as some provide a lot more than others so it’s useful to know what to take and what you can leave behind. They provided a lot, so we packed very light.

Checking in at Bamburgh Under Canvas

The drive was just under an hour from Newcastle, and really easy to find. That drive into Bamburgh with the castle right ahead of you is one of my favourites in the North East. The campsite is located just 4 minutes from Bamburgh village, in a field with a big car park, and a fabulous view across Northumberland. There’s more than enough parking space, especially as Bamburgh Under Canvas only has five tents that are spaced right out, so it’s not packed in at all. 

The car park also has a trolley parked up for you to make it easier to carry all your bags to your tent. There are pathways cut into the grass for each tent, which are in their own little clearing with a surrounding fence. They are open as in there’s no closed gate so you might need to keep dogs on leads, but they’re so far apart from each other and with the fence too they’re very private. They basically face straight out over the hills.

The tents are lotus tents, and they’re pitched up on a wooden platform, with your own picnic table and fire pit outside. One of the tents also has a wood fired hot tub. Zipped up with two doors, the main outside layer and the netting fly layer underneath, they’re very secure and can be rolled up and tied if you want them open. 

Inside there is so much room, you can easily stand up whatever height you are, and there’s loads of space even with the big double bed, bedside tables, a seating area with table, a log burner, a clothes rail, and a mini kitchen area. Even if you have loads of bags, you won’t be crammed in at all they’re absolutely fab.

So on the left as you go in there’s a mini standing kitchen unit, which has plates and bowls, glasses, camping mugs, a jug to fill with water and a basket with coffee, tea and milk sachets. Next to it is the cool box, which had ice packs and two bottles of water, as well as two mini bottles of prosecco – a nice touch that I made full use of by the fire pit after dinner.

The cool box had plenty of room for some bits I’d brought, and you could easily take bacon, sausages etc to cook for breakfast either on the log burner which has a pan for cooking on top, or the outdoor firepit as a BBQ. 

The double bed faces straight out through the tent door, an amazing view to wake up to, and the seating area sits just in front of it, with two chairs and a table. There are three battery powered lamps inside, which make it very cosy, and there’s a clothes rail if you need to hang anything up. 

As there’s no electricity, they do provide a charged battery pack for you to charge your phone if you take your own USB wires, which I thought was another nice touch. There’s no Wi-Fi, but there is full signal which was great for me, as I did a few hours work the next morning before I had the rest of the day off.

It was so warm I didn’t need the log burner on in the tent, but based on past experiences it would make it so cosy in colder weather, and it’s great you can also use it for cooking. I’d absolutely have done this if I was staying for more than just the one night. A big basket of logs and fire lighters is provided, and theres more available on site with an honesty box if you get through them all.

On-Site Facilities

There are some shared facilities on site, and I think this is something that can sometimes put people off, but with so few people using them and the team cleaning them all daily there’s really nothing to worry about here. I’d be the first to say if there was! 

There is a shared kitchen hut which has a hob and kettle so you can boil water or make food here, and a big sink for if you want to fill your water bottles and jug up, and do your dishes. This area is undercover, and there’s a big table and chairs here too, as well as dog bowls for water. Just to note you do need to take your own dog bowls and bed for the tent itself. 

Further along there is the bathroom and toilet facilities, which are basically two converted horse boxes that have been turned into mini bathrooms. They’re very cool and much nicer than a standard toilet or shower block. 

Each one has a big shower, toilet, sink and mirror. They also provide toiletries, and towels are provided in your tent for use during your stay. They’re very eco friendly, including the toiletries which are also locally sourced. As there are only 5 tents that sleep two, I didn’t have to ever wait to use the bathrooms, I barely saw anyone else other than the odd person coming or going. 

Check in was from 4pm, so for a couple of hours Arthur and I enjoyed the sun in our little garden area by the tent. I kept him on a long lead which I could tie round the posts, and he was free to roam around that way. He loves being out and about especially if there are cows in the next field to keep an eye on, his favourite glamping pastime. 

Being so close to Bamburgh, literally a few minutes drive to the centre we went to the Lord Crewe for dinner. Both here and the Potted Lobster are my favourite spots for unbelievable local food and especially seafood up in Bamburgh, but you do need to book to make sure you get a table. Both have dog friendly areas too which you need to specify. 

The pubs and beer gardens were packed with it being such nice weather, so it was a lovely evening with fabulous food.

Bamburgh Skies

After dinner we went back to our tent as we’d been told on good authority the sunset skies are beautiful here, and it was. We got the fire pit going, the blanket from inside, and poured the prosecco for by the fire. This is my favourite type of glamping where it really is outdoor living and when the weathers good you can’t beat it. 

With it being such light nights I was a bit worried I’d find it hard to get to sleep in the white tent, but I had no issue at all. If this is something you might struggle with then it could be a good idea to take an eye mask. It was so cosy in there, the bed was very comfy, and even when there was a short downpour after it had been so humid through the day it was great being tucked up inside the tent listening to the rain outside.

This area has such clear and dark skies it’s renowned as a spot for stargazing, and if you’re very lucky the Northern Lights in winter. I’ve yet to see them but I really hope one day I manage to. In the summer though I settled for beautiful sunrises and sunsets. 

By the next morning it was sunny again, so I took Arthur for his usual morning walk just with a much better view than where we live, and got the kettle boiling in the kitchen area for my morning coffee. I did a few hours work on the picnic table, before it was time to check out and for us to go enjoy the Northumberland coast. 

Check out is 11am which I think makes all the difference as you do get to enjoy your last morning leisurely, and in no rush to pack everything away. The owner and cleaning team had arrived on site as I was leaving to top up the logs, and do odd jobs around the site, so I had a bit of a chat.

Bamburgh Under Canvas is a family run business and they’re lovely, with plans to expand what they offer even further as time goes on. I’d absolutely go back here, it’s a brilliant glamping site that’s small enough to feel very secluded and private, and in an incredible location so close to Bamburgh. I paid £125 for the one night, but you can find full pricing and details on the Bamburgh Under Canvas website here.

We spent the rest of our day just ten minutes down the coast at Beadnell for a walk along the beach and breakfast at The Landing, followed by a stop off in Alnwick which I always enjoy walking around, and a drink at the new Backyard Beach Club by Dirty Bottles. 

If you’re looking for a unique glamping stay along the Northumberland Coast, then add Bamburgh Under Canvas to your list.