Acton Scott Escapes near Church Stretton wins regional glamping award

A woodland glamping site in the Shropshire Hills has been recognised at the West Midlands Tourism Awards. Acton Scott Escapes, on the Acton Scott estate near Church Stretton, won Bronze in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year category this spring.

The award was one of a string of successes for Telford and Shropshire at the regional ceremony, where businesses from the county collected honours across accommodation, attractions and events.

The glamping site is hidden away in woodland on a 1,000-acre estate within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and there is an on-site farm shop. Each encampment has comfortable beds and running water, and guests cook on a wood-fired stove, gathering kindling from the forest floor.

There are two ways to stay. A spacious safari tent sleeps up to five, while a cosy shepherd's hut sleeps two, and both come with an ensuite and a kitchen. A barbecue or a private hot tub can be added when booking.

The estate itself has a remarkable story. The Acton family have owned it for nearly 900 years, and the name comes from the Saxon words for oak trees and settlement. It was also the setting for the BBC series Victorian Farm, whose executive producer praised the family for lovingly preserving the history of the land and buildings.

Alongside the glamping, the estate offers other ways to visit, from historic house tours of Acton Scott Hall to a secluded 18th century holiday home, Hatton Grove. It also manages Cronkhill Farmhouse on the National Trust's Attingham Park estate near Shrewsbury.

The estate also points guests towards the prettiest market towns and villages of Shropshire, including Ludlow with its medieval castle. For the first time, the Acton family is offering accommodation in some of the most spacious rooms of Acton Scott Hall, available exclusively to guests on its historic house tours and events.

For walkers, the site is well placed for the hills around Church Stretton, and one guest review on the estate's website describes booking another week on the spot after three days in the glamping tent.

To book a stay at Acton Scott Escapes, call 07848 375389 or visit actonscott.com/escapes.