Why guests at this gorgeous glamping site in Yorkshire are going nuts for huts

Gaining planning permission was their biggest hurdle as the council had never had an application for such a site and didn’t know what glamping was but they got there in the end.

The couple designed it themselves, spending hours drawing up plans to ensure the best views.

Then came the hard labour of creating bases for the huts and putting in drainage, electricity, water and other amenities.

Matthew and local builder Tim Wilkinson tackled this together.

“Tim was fantastic, even though the field looked like the Battle of Somme at one point because we were working in the rainiest winter we’ve ever had.

“He was hugely influential in getting us set up and altogether it took about six months,” says Matthew.

Shepherd’s hut makers were rare six years ago but the Lindfields managed to source two from the newly-established English Shepherd’s Huts Company and another from Joshua Rose.

They are heavily insulated and have underfloor heating and wood-burning stoves, while the interiors were designed by Emma, who has a degree in textile design.

“Glamping at that time was pretty basic and we wanted more of a hotel feel to the interiors so we went all out to provide that,” she says.

This has been a big part of the venture’s success of Waingates Huts but location has also helped as while the site is nestled in the centre of the arable farm, it is close to Boroughbridge and in easy travelling distance of Harrogate, York, Leeds, the Dales and the North York Moors.

“It feels very rural and peaceful and you have dark skies and shooting stars but it’s also very close to amenities and places to visit,” says Matthew.

Expanding to add more accommodation was a no-brainer as demand was high but since the couple installed their shepherd’s huts, their numbers have boomed making them much more commonplace.

They wanted something different and spent endless hours searching and found nothing until they attended a glamping show where they spotted Igluhuts.

Cute, eye-catching and slightly bigger than their shepherd’s huts, the Lindfields were captivated and bought two of them.

“They are more expensive than shepherd’s huts but we loved the look of them and they are really well built but the curves, which make them so attractive, also made doing the interiors quite tricky because everything is designed for squares,” says Emma, who had to be innovative and had some things tailor made.”

The curtains are in fabric sourced from Walton’s Mill Shop in Boroughbridge, which Emma declares “an absolute treasure trove”.

Her sense of style and her bold and clever use of colour have delighted guests and she has used them to define each of the spaces in the largely open plan layout, which includes kitchen, sitting, dining and sleeping areas.

The king-size bed is tucked away within its own alcove where Emma has added a low level storage unit that has space on top for the TV.

To add interest she covered the top of the unit with Jessica Osborne wallpaper and topped it with perspex for protection.

Space-saving furniture includes the fold-down, mid-century style table from Habitat and all the huts have real pot plants.

Postcard prints by Mark Hearld and Emily Sutton were framed and there’s a Hockney print from Salts Mill, while acessories were gathered from H&M Home, HomeSense and Habitat.

“I didn’t want anything too twee so the interiors are a contemporary twist on country style,” she says.

The Igluhuts are named Peddero and Tayter, ancient words used by shepherds for counting their sheep, and have caused a stir on Instagram.

They have their own gas barbecue, fire pit, private garden and hot tub and there is also another area where a large wood table from a French chateau bought from the French House in York is centre stage. This is perfect for parties and gatherings.

“Hot tubs are a must-have these days but we didn’t want plastic ones or chemicals, so we went for Dutch wood-fired, oak and stainless steel one and we also have a Japanese Ofuro hot tub. They heat up very fast and are also eco-friendly,” says Matthew.

Since opening the venture, enterprising Emma has launched GiftIt, an online shop that allows guests to order gifts and balloons for celebrations, along with the Bramley toiletries.

While their glamping site was created to bring in additional income, it has also brought a great deal of pleasure.

“We are proud of what we have created and we love to see guests relax, cast off their cares and enjoy what this place has to offer,” says Matthew.

*Find Waingates Farm Huts at www.waingatesfarmhuts.co.uk and on Instagram. Pictures by Abby Whitmarsh, Wooden Hill Images.