Review: Catgill Farm Glamping, Bolton Abbey, UK
The story of Catgill is one of profound diversification and family legacy. Since 2014, husband-and-wife team Oliver and Cat Barker, guided by the wisdom of Oliver’s grandfather Ken, have breathed new life into a 60-year-old North Yorkshire dairy farm whilst also raising a family. The humble beginnings of a simple camping field within the Bolton Abbey estate have flourished to such an extent that the grounds now boast a series of high-end glamping pods. This isn’t really camping – it’s more like staying in your own private boutique lodge whilst still being at one with nature. The welcome At the entrance to Catgill Farm is a pair of vintage milk churns sitting on a stand that’s built into the farm’s perimeter wall. Beside them is a sign that pays homage to Ken Barker, the man who worked the land long before ‘glamping’ had even joined the local lexicon (interesting fact – the word didn’t actually make the Oxford English Dictionary until as recently as 2016). A nearby sign invites you to imagine the early mornings and sheer grit required to move milk from udder to community – a grounding reminder that, while you might be there to relax, it’s a
