Walnut Farm Glamping: Dorset Yurts with Spring-Fed Swimming Lakes on Site
Five yurts, two roundhouses and two spring-fed swimming lakes across twelve acres of West Dorset. Walnut Farm at Melplash, just inland from Bridport, is one of the clearest examples of a stay where the swimming is on the property rather than signposted from it.
The stay
There are seven units in the fields: five fully insulated yurts — Russet, Pippin, Skylark, Bracken and Willow — plus two newer roundhouses, Mistle and Hazel. Each has a super-king bed, a heated en-suite bathroom with a hot shower and flushing loo, a fully equipped private kitchen, a log burner, a sun deck and a fire pit. The 20ft yurts take a family of six with extra single beds added for children. Bracken and Willow look out over the swimming lake, and Skylark has views of it across the orchards. A hot tub is available to hire, there are regular pizza evenings, and there is an old grass tennis court.
Swimming on site
Walnut Farm’s own terms and conditions leave nothing to interpretation: “Our natural spring fed swimming lake is available for your use during your stay. The water is up to three metres deep. A sign signifying deep water is in place and a life ring provided. There is no life guard in attendance and guests use the lake at their own risk. Children should never be permitted to use the lake unattended by a responsible adult.”
Their families page describes what actually happens down there: the lake comes with a boat, and it gets used “whether for diving, somersaulting, boating, swimming or simply dipping with a bucket to try and catch a newt”. Three metres is a real swimming depth rather than a paddle, and spring-fed Dorset water stays cold enough to be interesting well into summer.
Worth knowing
No lifeguard, deep water, a life ring on the bank: treat it as you would any unmanaged lake and keep someone on shore. Children need an adult in attendance every time. The yurts are en-suite and insulated, so the season runs well beyond high summer, and the hot tub is an extra rather than a standard inclusion. Melplash is a short drive from Bridport, with West Bay and the Jurassic Coast close by if you want salt water as well as fresh.
Bookings and full details: walnutfarmglamping.com.
Yurts beside the swimming lake at Walnut Farm. Photo: Walnut Farm Glamping.