WHAT? WHERE?

eco stay views self-catering glamping Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

Surrounded by rolling hills and beautiful West Wight countryside, Tapnell Farm is a year-round farm escape with bags of natural charm. Eco-designed glamping and self-catering cottages sit beside a fun, farm-themed play and petting park and a Swiss chalet-style burger restaurant. A ten minute drive from the harbour town of Yarmouth and the Wightlink ferry to Lymington, this former dairy farm in West Wight is as naturally idyllic as it gets, from the cows peacefully chewing the cud in the pastures to the views out to sea and seriously stunning sunsets.

THE VIBE

Sunset view eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

Fire pits, dark skies, alfresco cooking and that oh-so-tranquil countryside stillness – Tapnell Farm has all the fun bits of camping but with proper beds, a warm shower and somewhere to plug in your phone. Basically, it’s glamping bliss. Beyond the accommodation, the vibe here is eco-minded rustic fun, with helpful, friendly staff at every turn, from the coffee shop to the farm park and restaurant.

THE FARM PARK

Tapnell Farm Park is an absolute nirvana for kids who’ll spend their whole time hurtling around the outdoorsy attractions at pace. Our six-year-old loved it, especially the Go-Karts (recommended for kidults and family races), zooming down the wooden sledge slides and the giant jumping pillows. She also disappeared into the large soft play which, along with the other fun activities in the indoor barn, make a good rainy day option.

wallabies Tapnell Farm Park Isle of Wight

Fortunately the sun is out for our autumn visit and we follow a super-knowledgeable ranger into the meerkat and wallaby enclosure, where (impressively) we’re introduced to the animals by name. Cute as the scampering meerkats are, it’s the friendly joeys that totally capture our hearts as we stroke their soft backs and hand-feed them wallaby nibbles.

Space Weekend Tapnell Farm Park Isle of Wight

Happily, our visit coincides with Space Weekend, of many brilliant regular events at the Farm Park. This one features DIY rocket blast demos and workshops the teens and older children we see are absolutely loving, along with drop-in space craft sessions and (slumped on a beanbag in a dark barn), the most entertaining and educational 30-minute guide to the solar system I’ve ever had.

SCOFF & QUAFF

the cow restaurant eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

All grades of accommodation come with self-catering kitchens and outdoor BBQs to whip up a family breakfast or hot supper. Head to the onsite farm shop and if you’re lucky, you might get some eggs from the free-roaming hens in the middle of Tom’s Eco Glamping site. If they’ve not laid any, you can pick up some from other nearby farms along with other local produce.

pizza oven eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

There’s also some brilliant outdoor wood-fired pizza ovens with fresh herbs growing right beside them you can use to whip up a quick, outdoorsy supper.

the cow restaurant eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

If you don’t feel like cooking, head to the onsite restaurant, The Cow, for comfort food classics like mac and cheese, steak, fish and chips and an absolutely huge burger menu. Housed in a wooden barn conversion with ski-chalet vibes, there’s plant-based and vegan picks, a kids menu and a good selection of cocktails and mocktails including ‘The Cow G&T’, made with Isle of Wight Mermaid gin and refreshing cucumber and watermelon.

the cow restaurant eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

PILLOW TALK

modulog eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm review muddy stilettos

A real get-away-from-it-all in a peaceful rural setting, Tom’s Eco Lodges are surrounded by fields of cows, with dark, starry skies and outdoor wood-burning tubs. All of which (if you don’t have kids in-tow) would make for a pretty cosy little romantic break. Located a short walk from the carpark and other eco-designed glamping accommodation, including Safari Tents, Wood Cabins, Eco Pods and Geo Domes, our home for the weekend is this wooden chalet-style Modulog.

bedroom modulog eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm glamping

Like the rest of the accommodation here, it’s thoughtfully designed to provide an exciting place to stay while making the smallest possible impact on the environment, from the wood-fired hot tub to compost bins and a biomass boiler.

shower modulog eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

Opening the doors to the loo, shower room and second bedroom in our Modulog takes a little co-ordination as they all open the same way and getting to the far side of the king-sized bed is a bit of a squeeze but other than that, we’re pretty comfortable.

tea and biscuits self-catering eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

Always a must for me, we find a good stock of tea and coffee in the kitchen as well as a litre of milk from the nearby Briddlesford Farm Dairy and a tub of tasty shortbread, which gets our stay off to a good start.

Hot tub view eco stay Isle of Wight Tapnell Farm

Suitably spread out from our neighbours, when we finally manage to extract our daughter from the Farm Park we make the most of the chance to kick back on the deckchairs and enjoy the beautiful views. After a careful read of the instructions, Mr. Muddy turns firestarter and manages to light the stove that heats the outdoor wood-burning tub – highly recommended for a sundown G&T.

ACCESSIBILITY

Each of the accommodation types has an individual accessibility guide and there are a number of wheelchair-friendly options including Cabin One and Dairyman’s Cottage. There is disabled access to the Farm Park and the Cow restaurant.

DOG-FRIENDLY

The accommodation at Tapnell Farm is all dog-friendly and a great place to bring them, with space to run outside and some fantastic walks starting right here, including a 50-min walk to nearby Freshwater Bay (where Tennyson lived). Well-behaved pooches are also welcome at onsite restaurant, The Cow. The Farm Park is off-limits to dogs other than assistance dogs.

OUT & ABOUT

Nowhere on the Island is far from Tapnell Farm by car, including The Needles, less than 15 minutes’ drive from here. The cobbled streets of Yarmouth are a ten minute drive away with the iconic and cosy Gossip’s Cafe by the Pier, Michelin-rated Terrace restaurant and Yarmouth Castle, Henry VII’s coastal fortress. The nearest sandy beach at Compton Bay is 10 minutes’ drive or head a bit further afield and take a walk and paddle along Sandown Beach (above), around 40 minutes’ drive. If you’ve never been, Queen Victoria’s magnificent Osbourne House (20 minutes) is a real must see. We’re also big fans of the National Trust’s Mottistone Gardens and the Garlic Farm (all 30 minutes).

GETTING HERE

Victoria of Wight at sea Wightlink isle of wight ferries weekend break

Sticking with the sustainablity theme, we hopped over from Portsmouth to Fishbourne on the Victoria of Wight hybrid energy Wightlink car ferry, a smooth and well-organised 45-minute crossing which gave us time to enjoy great views of the Spinnaker tower and Southsea seafront then have a coffee while our little one tumbled around in the onboard soft play. Onwards from Fishbourne, Tapnell Farm is around 30 minutes’ drive (14 miles).

Before our return leg, we left just enough time for a quick stroll around Quarr Abbey (around five minutes’ drive from the Fishbourne Terminal) and enjoyed a magnificent slice of homemade cake in the tearoom garden.

Wightlink also has car ferry crossings from Lymington to Yarmouth, taking around 40 minutes, with a little over 10-minute (4.5 mile) onward car journey.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Families, romantic breaks and a dog-friendly getaway. The beautiful natural setting is stunning year-round, with warm fires and hot shower glamping that make back-to-nature glamping breaks here a fun experience whatever the season.

Not for: If you like fine dining or can’t live without a flat-screen TV, a stay at Tapnell Farm will likely be a little too rustic. The living room sofa converts to a bed but tall people and larger families might find the modulogs a bit of a squeeze at full capacity.

The damage: Eco Pods start at £110 per night, Modulogs cost from £186 per night with a minimum two-night stay. In The Cow restaurant, cocktails are £7-£8, mains cost between £10 and £22 and kid’s meals are £5-6.

Tapnell Farm Park, Newport Road, Yarmouth, PO41 0YJ, Tel: 01983 758722, tapnellfarm.com.

Review: Tapnell Farm, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight

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