Park up for your hols five minutes’ drive from Ellesmere, Shropshire, at Archers' Meadow Glamping, a family-friendly glampsite owned and operated by Janet and Ian Kelly. The dog-friendly site is well situated for stays with four-legged best friends - not only welcome in pods – there are plenty of dog-friendly coffee shops and pubs within easy reach too, and a whole host of lengthy rambles to choose from to earn that pint or cream cake. Prefer to explore without the dog? The site is on a popular Land’s End to John O’Groats route, and a local business will deliver rented bikes to site if needed. If staying put is preferable, the views from site are pretty fine too. In the lakelands of Shropshire, overlooking Cheshire Plain and the Welsh hills, vistas seen from the pods’ private decking add a rural charm to proceedings. On days when cosiness is key, the pods will do the job nicely: underfloor heating ensures no icy toes, and electricity and wifi keep entertainment on hand. Food is sorted in the pods too – a starter pack of tea, coffee, sugar and milk awaits guests’ arrival, the kitchenette allows for basic cooking, and a lawned area outside is set aside for barbecues.

After 9 months of house-hunting, we saw Birch Hill by chance when we came to feed the ducks at Ellesmere's beautiful lake - with views of 9 counties, we fell in love with the place and moved-in 3 weeks later. Ian had never heard of Ellesmere before buying the farm, but a year later, started family history research and was surprised to find that his ancestors lived in Ellesmere 200 years ago. He volunteers as a church bell-ringer in the same church where his ancestors were married and baptised. Ian and Janet Kelly have run Birch Hill Farm – an award-winning 5-van caravan site for over 17 years: voted ‘Best Small Site’ in the UK for 3 years running, and named as the Caravan Club ‘CL of the Year’, with prize awarded in the House of Commons, plus an invitation to meet the Queen at Windsor Castle. We diversified in 2019 to add luxury glamping pods – away from the caravans – yet still enjoying the same panoramic views that our regular guests return to share year after year.

Ellesmere is a quiet lake-side market town mid-way between the historic county towns of Chester and Shrewsbury . Please support our local economy rather than bringing all your food with you – Ellesmere has shops, pubs, fuel, banking and a laundrette. Don't miss our wonderful bakery & delicatessen, and our butchers are known for an interesting range of sausages and pork pies. A good base for a short stay or longer holiday – we are just 2 miles from North Wales and within 20 minutes to about an hour you could be at one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites or numerous castles, historic houses and National Trust properties. Our lane is on one of the main Land's End to John o'Groats cycle routes and Ellesmere is a lovely spot for country walks and bird-watching, especially around the Meres. We have 8 golf clubs within 16 miles. There are plenty of places to dine-out, including cosy British pubs plus Indian, Greek and Thai restaurants. If you choose to have a barbecue at your pod, you can get great quality meat from our traditional butcher. If you prefer a takeaway, Ellesmere has a good selection including kebab and fish & chips shops and Indian and Chinese take-aw