Glamping in North Devon: Higher Larkworthy Farm Review

Glamping holidays have taken the United Kingdom (and the world) by storm over the last few years.

If you’re interested in glamping in North Devon in South West England take a look at my full review of Higher Larkworthy Farm, which offers unspoiled countryside camping holidays! 

What is glamping? 

Glamping, or ‘glamourous camping’ is a cross between camping and staying in a cottage or flat. You’ll have a mix of luxury, with electricity, comfy beds, hot showers and cooking facilities, and the great outdoors.

Traditionally, glamping accommodation consisted of bell tents or camping pods. 

Outside the pod

However nowadays, the definition of glamping is a range of accommodation including shepherd huts and wooden cabins – basically any structure where you can enjoy the great outdoors while still having electricity, beds and other mod cons (we even had a TV in our shepherds hut!).

There are even places in the country where you can stay in tree houses or a Mongolian Yurt! 

Most glamping sites are in a rural setting, like Higher Larkworthy Farm. 

Where is Higher Larkworthy Farm? 

Higher Larkworthy Farm is a Devon glamping retreat located between Launceston and Holsworthy

The farm is in Devon in the West Country, but only just over the border from Cornwall. So you can explore destinations in both Devon and Cornwall while you’re on holiday here!

Higher Larkworthy Farm is closest to Ashwater, which has a village pub and other facilities. You can walk here from the farm (around a mile).

Higher Larkworthy Farm Devon Glamping Review

When we arrived at Higher Larkworthy Farm, we were greeted warmly by Alistair, who runs the glamping site. It is a family farm, owned by Alistair’s father. 

He showed us to our shepherds hut in a covid-safe manner, instructing us where to find everything and checking to see if we needed anything else before leaving us to settle in. 

What is the cabin like? 

Higher Larkworthy Farm Pods

The cabins, which are also called wigwam®s, are cosy and comfortable. They are small, but perfect for two people and have everything that you may need. 

There’s a comfy bed, a sofa bed, a table, a TV, basic cooking facilities (an electric hob and microwave).

Some luxury glamping facilities like safari tents rely on a shower block, but all shepherd huts here have an en-suite shower room with a toilet, sink and shower. 

Bed in cabin

The shepherd hut is based on a sustainable Scottish design which is supposed to keep heat in and conserve energy. 

We were there on a lovely sunny September week, but we thought it would be a wonderful cosy place to enjoy in winter too!

Outside of the cabin, there is a decking with a bench and table and a fire pit which is available to use. Packs of wood and kindling cost £10.

There are two pods on-site, each in its own area with a good amount of privacy. You can pitch a tent at an extra cost per night, for unspoiled countryside camping! 

Higher Larkworthy Farm

What is the farm like? 

The farm is fairly large, and we were tucked into the glamping area by the house.

The glamping area has stunning views over the farmland and North Devon countryside, and is the perfect setting to enjoy a morning cup of coffee! 

The parking area is just a few metres away from the glamping site. 

You can take in more of the farm on a free 4×4 tour, which are bookable in the summer months. In this tour, Alistair will tell you all about the farm and how it operates.

Throughout our time here, the farm was completely peaceful and serene, a perfect escape from the stresses of life. We loved hut life for a few days, and are planning on returning when we can! 

Farm at Larkworthy

Is Higher Larkworthy Farm good for family? 

Yes, you could have a family glamping holiday at Higher Larkworthy Farm! The sofa in the shepherd hut folds out to make a bed, which could accommodate up to two children.

It might be a bit cramped, especially if your kids are a bit older, but it’s a good option for families with younger kids. 

Can I take a dog? 

Yes, Higher Larkworthy Farm offers dog-friendly glamping, with a small extra fee. They have three lovely dogs on-site who will likely come to say hello.

They don’t come into the glamping area, but it’s best to only bring dogs who are happy with others. 

The Best Parts of Luxury Camping at Larkworthy Farm

Inside of cabin

There were so many things that we loved about luxury camping at Larkworthy Farm. These include: 

  • The hut was cosy, but had all the mod cons that we needed. 
  • There were wonderful views across the farm land. 
  • The owners thought of everything, and invited us to ask them if there was anything else we needed. 
  • The cabin was perfectly clean.
  • We loved sitting outside with the fire pit!
  • It was in a good location to visit lots of other Devon and Cornwall attractions

Any bad bits? 

The only negative that I would say about Larkworthy Farm was that there wasn’t any WiFi. However, this was hardly a problem – 4G signal was good, and we were on holiday to escape everyday life!

WiFi connection would have only been useful in one instance for us, and I can completely understand if the hosts deem it to be not worth the extra cost.

This isn’t a bad comment, just a note – you should bring some bedding with you.

We were already away when we received a reminder about this and didn’t have ours, so asked in advance and Alistair sorted it out for us.

However, he might not be able to do this for every guest, especially if it was last minute – so remember to bring your own bedding! 

Despite that, I would give Higher Larkworthy Farm a 10/10 review – I don’t really see any room for improvement.

Larkworthy Farm

Places to visit near Higher Larkworthy Farm

There’s a wide range of things to do in the surrounding area. You will need a car to get to all of these attractions, but some are only a short drive away. 

Launceston

Clock tower in Launceston

Launceston is a historic town just over the border in Cornwall.

It is famous for Launceston Castle and being the historic county town of Cornwall. Although it’s only just over the border, you can feel Cornish identity strongly here, making it a really interesting place to visit! 

See my full Launceston travel guide here.

Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor National Park is one of the most popular places to go for Devon holidays, and it’s around an hour’s drive from Higher Larkworthy Farm. Lots of Devon has beautiful countryside, but Dartmoor is something else – it has expansive scenery that is virtually non-existent elsehwere in the UK. 

Some of the best attractions in the West Country are here, including the Postbridge Clapper Bridge, Hound Tor and Castle Drogo.

There are also countless charming towns, village and epic natural landscapes with far-reaching views. 

Exmoor National Park

Taken in the evening as the sun was setting over my campsite in the Exmoore National Park on the Coastal Path.

Exmoor National Park has a huge range of hikes and other natural attractions.

The part closest to Higher Larkworthy Farm is Combe Martin, which has a lovely cove with plenty of rockpools. There are many more cute villages to visit in the area, including Lynmouth and Lynton.

You can also take in stunning sea views on the South West Coast Path – but be wary – this part is one of the most challenging! 

Westward Ho! 

Westward Ho! Beach in North Devon

Westward Ho! is one of the most popular North Devon beaches. With a range of attractions and plenty of space to enjoy the sand and sea, you could easily spend a whole day here. 

From Westward Ho! you could hike to cute villages like Appledore and Instow, or take on the dramatic North Coast by hiking along the path to Clovelly (this hike isn’t for the faint-hearted!)

Bude

Widemouth Bay near Bude, Cornwall

Bude on the North Coast of Cornwall has some of the finest beaches in the country.

Head to Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth Bay for excellent surf and beautiful scenes. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars int he town centre too. 

Woolacombe Beach

Woolacombe Beach in North Devon

Woolacombe is an award-winning beach – probably the best out of all the North Devon beaches! Its famous for its expansive sands and surfer waves. 

The beach can get quite crowded in the summer, but if you just walk a little further down the coast, you should find a spot with nobody around. It’s absolute perfection!

If you want an easier South West Coast Path hike, the part around Woolacombe is quite gentle and takes in some spectacular scenery. You could just walk from Woolacombe to Morte Point, up to Mortehoe and back down to Woolacombe. 

Woolacombe also connects to the Tarka Trail, which is a cycling and hiking trail. 

You can see all of the things to do in Woolacombe here.

Barnstaple

Barnstaple

Barnstaple is an inland North Devon market town. It is home to the North Devon Museum, where you can learn a little more about this area of the West Country, and a famous medieval bridge. 

It’s also one of the best places to try Devon specialities like cream teas – there’s even a vegan restaurant called Willow’s Tea Room offering vegan cream tea! 

Here are all of the best things to do in Barnstaple.

Saunton Sands

Large beach at Saunton Sands

Saunton Sands is another surfer hotspot in North Devon, with far-reaching views of sands in all directions. It’s a wonderful place for beach walking or surfing, or you could explore the Braunton Burrows, the country’s largest network of sand dunes. 

Rural Devon holidays!

If you like Devon holidays with a difference and are in South West England, you’ll love staying at Larkworthy Farm!

You can wake up and enjoy the amazing views while planning where you are going to go each day, and come home to a fire pit.

There are plenty of Devon campsites in the area, some which offer wild camping, but if you like hot showers and modern conveniences, hut life at Larkworthy Farm is a fantastic option. 

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