Chesters - a Country House Hideout, Scottish Borders
Luxury Camping, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scotland
"After meeting at the old stables we picked up our gear and headed out. Our guide led us through the woods, across the footbridge over the river, through a hidden hole in the hedge and into a secret walled garden, beyond which we found our hideout."
Not the beginning of a Famous Five book but what we experienced as we arrived at our Country House Hideouts weekend at Chesters Estate near Jedburgh. Billed as a cross between a settlement from Swallows and Amazon's and the hideout that Tarzan built for Jane, it is all of these and more and is the epitome of every adventure novel you ever read as a child.
The camp
Our encampment (of which there are four in total) comprised a main tent, explorer tent and shower tent along with a hot tub, BBQ and outdoor cooking cart. The main tent is your living quarters and inside is more like a log cabin than anything else. There's a wood burning stove for heat and cooking, dinner table and chairs, insulated food chest and a flushing (yes flushing) toilet. This is ‘glamping' big style.
Be an explorer
The discovery tent had all we needed to investigate our surroundings. Binoculars, microscope and a telescope were just some of the items that make this an adventurers paradise along with reference books, paints and more. There's even communication between the two tents in the form of old army field telephones that you wind up to use. We all had fun with those - over and out!
Then there's the shower tent. Hot water you collect in a bowser (barrel on wheels) fills a metal bucket above your head which has holes in it. Het presto! A hot shower. The hot tub is wood fire heated and does take a few hours and a fair bit of attention to get ready, but is well worth the effort.
Supplies
This is self catering so come prepared, but there is the ‘Bothy' for basics. There's a fridge with milk, butter, cheese etc and a freezer full of locally produced mince, burgers and sausages. Note what you take on the honesty sheet and pay for it at the end of your stay (cash or chq - no card facilities). Other supplies come from what's growing in the walled garden. A chalk board in the Bothy tells you what's ready to eat and you help yourself. We all enjoyed the strawberries.
Your encampment is set in 1565 acres of the Chesters Estate on the banks of the river Teviot and is just begging to be explored. Paths lead you around the estate and my girls suddenly became the first ever explorers to this part of the jungle! Many items were gathered for further study back at the camp.
What's around?
Locally the main town is Jeburgh with a good Co-op, cafes and pubs and has free wi-fi should you need a fix whilst out and about. The Cross Keys in Ancrum is the local pub and serves good food and real ales and is within walking distance. There's also an archery centre, horse riding and golf as well as local attractions to explore like Floors Castle, Jedburgh Abbey, Monteviot Gardens......the list goes on and is well detailed in the pack you get prior to your arrival.
Top tips
Store ALL of your food in the food chest - as we learned after being visited during the night by a family of field mice who had a taste for crisps and rice crispies.
In addition to the list of ‘useful things to bring' add fold up chairs for a comfy seat (the only criticism I have of the facilities).
A First Aid kit is essential and should have wipes, plasters, sting cream, antihistamine and a pain reliever for little ones. This is a natural wood with all the wildlife that comes with it, so the odd squeal on finding a bug or scratch or nettle sting should be expected, experienced and as we found soon forgotten.
Bring books, puzzles, colouring books and crayons etc in case the weather keeps you under cover. The discovery tent is an ideal space for kids to hang out and get creative.
So what did we think?
We all loved our stay at Chesters, especially the kids, and it comes highly recommended. John and Ellie, who own and run the estate, made us feel very welcome and were happy to help should we have needed anything. The ‘tents' were clean, tidy and well equipped. It's a kids' outdoor adventure and the girls loved exploring and spotting wildlife. From lighting your fire to cook or heat water to studying finds under the microscope or simply enjoying the peace of the walled garden, Chesters is ideal for those who like to truly get away from the bustle and technology of modern day life to a more golden age of discovery. Dr Livingston I presume?