Orchard Hideaways Glamping Pod

Dog Friendly Reviews

Orchard Hideaways

I was kindly gifted a two night stay at Orchard Hideaways in Penrith, North Lake District. Orchard Hideaways is a family owned business set in an apple orchard, in a great location with easy access just off the M6 motorway. The self check-in was easy and straightforward via their online portal. It also gave a range of extra options to choose from if you want to add anything onto your stay.

Lorton Vale Glamping Pod

Orchard Hideaways has so much to offer. All Glamping Pods on site are Dog Friendly. The pod we stayed in was called Lorton Vale and is part of their enclosure collection. The pods are private, fully enclosed and situated at the back of their site. I was able to leave the door open and allow Reggie to explore outside freely in this area. Looking out from the pod there is a beautiful view of the countryside. Unfortunately they do not allow campfires outside the Pods but do have BBQ points for disposable BBQs and outdoor benches. Lorton Vale was surprisingly larger than expected and sleeps up to 4 adults. Inside the pod it had a bunk bed and two single beds either side which could be pushed together to make a double bed if required. We opted for the bunk beds and used the single beds as seats with the table in the middle of the room, this made the room very spacious.

All beds were comfortable which enabled us to have a good night’s sleep. Each pod has fresh bed linen but you are required to bring your own quilt/duvet or sleeping bag. There is an option to buy a sleeping bag with a small charge of £10 which you can then keep afterwards. The room was fully insulated and had a radiator attached to the wall. Having stayed at the end of November I did expect it to be a little chilly but the room was warm and felt cosy. There was a small Kitchenette complete with a small kettle, fridge, microwave, cutlery, plates and mugs. A torch, a bottle/tin opener and tea towel and washing up bowl was also provided. This enabled us to pack light for our trip. The phone signal on the site was good and there was onsite WIFI which was super fast. Having two electric plug points was handy for charging our phones and camera. There was a train running past in the distance every few hours or so but this wasn’t 2an issue and we did not hear it at all at night.

Onsite Facilities

The onsite facilities are great. The outdoor pot washing area had hot water and the toilets and showers were extremely clean. As communal toilets go, they were one of the cleanest toilets/washrooms that I have experienced, all were also equipped with radiators. There is a communal area in the middle of the site with outdoor heaters which is great for socialising in larger groups. I loved the added touch of the twinkly lights. For children there is a play area and a mini rock wall. If you are bringing bikes to the site there is a Bicycle storage section which is safe and secure. The ‘Hub’ had a vending machine in case those extra snacks were ever needed. There were a few apples left in the apple orchard and they kindly allow you to help yourself-which is great. The car park is easily accessible and has a specific space for each Pod. There is also parking if you want to bring more vehicles. Orchard Hideaways have a new addition to their site, the friendly site owner kindly gave me a sneak peek of their very exciting room which will soon be available to hire. The room consists of a bar area with swings, a beautiful fire pit and surrounding area, sauna, steam room, projector and Amazon Alexa for turning on lighting and other electricity.

Things to do in the Local area

Orchard Hideaways is the perfect location if you like to explore. There are numerous trails for all abilities with stunning views. Ullswater Lake is a 20 minute drive away if you like water sports. There are plenty of local Pubs and restaurants, the majority being dog friendly. We had our dinner in The Pooley Bridge Inn which was a cosy pub with a nice vibe. This had to be pre booked as it is very popular. Unfortunately things to do on this trip were limited due to storm Arwen, but we felt perfectly safe in the solid built pod and still managed to explore over the next two days once the storm had settled. The dog friendly steamboats and trains were off during this stay. The storm however excitingly brought snow so we went on a short local hike which had outstanding views of the Lake.