Moor Farm

Feather Down Moor Farm sits at the end of a mile-long private drive near Moreton Valence, in the flat green countryside between the River Severn and the Cotswold edge. The Watts family run it as a livestock and regenerative farm, and their seven canvas lodges sit beside a copse where you'll hear the cattle long before you see them. There's no electricity and no Wi-Fi in the tents. You cook on a wood-burning stove, read by oil lamp and let the children loose among cows, calves, goats and ponies.

It's also the only one of the Feather Down farms with its own indoor swimming pool!

Why book Feather Down Moor Farm?

Most farm glamping asks you to trust the British weather. Here, if a June afternoon turns to drizzle, you book an hour in the pool in the communal barn and the afternoon's rescued. That one extra makes it among the safest bets for a family holiday in Gloucestershire, and it shows in a guest score of 9.8 from 439 reviews.

The rest is proper farm life with nature on the doorstep, from Richard's farm tour on regenerative grazing to pizza night with homemade cider you won't find in any supermarket. After that the evening's yours: a campfire beside your canvas, the wood burner ticking over and, at dusk, the odd wild deer at the edge of the fields.

It suits:

• Young families: woodland for dens and a play area right beside the lodges.
• Two families together: seven lodges that each sleep up to six, and Feather Down marks the farm as good for groups.
• Dog owners: pets are welcome for a charge per pet, per stay, on a lead around the lodges.
• Anyone who needs to switch off: a no-through road and a mile of trees sit between you and the outside world.

Which canvas hideaway should you pick?

Every canvas hideaway here has a double bed, bunk beds and the cupboard bed that children fight over, plus a fully equipped kitchen built round the wood-burning stove and your own toilet. Bed linen, towels and candles come in the welcome pack. One bag of firewood a day is included too.

So the real choice is the private shower.

Five lodges have an outdoor hot shower and two have an en-suite hot shower inside the canvas. Stays start from £250 for the outdoor ones and £260 for the en-suite pair. In July and August, showering under open sky is half the fun. For an April break, or with a toddler who hates the cold, the en-suite is worth the small step up. With only two of them, they go first.

Arrive before 6pm and your stove and lamps will already be lit in your tent.

Calves, goats and ponies: farm life for children

This is a working livestock farm, so the animals aren't a petting display put on for visitors. The herd grazes the floodplain by the river close to the lodges, and on a wander you'll meet calves, goats and ponies. Guests also love bottle feeding lambs, so in spring ask Wendy and Richard whether the sheep have lambed that week. Of everything here, the farm tour is the experience the children talk about on the drive home.

Richard is passionate about regenerative farming and sustainable livestock, and he loves showing families how it works on the ground. After a walk round the fields with the farmer, nobody looks at a herd of cattle the same way again.

Our guide to farm stays with animals compares the hands-on side at every farm we list.

From breakfast to campfire

Mornings start slowly, with the kettle on the wood burner and toast in a pan while the little ones run out to see the calves. Then it's a wander or a game of hide and seek in the woods before lunch from the honesty shop. Rain on the way? The pool opens daily from 9am to 7pm in season, with one-hour slots booked on arrival for an extra charge.

Supper's a stew bubbling on the burner, and our guide to cooking on a wood-burning stove has easy one-pot ideas. Then it's marshmallows, the night sounds of nature and bed by candlelight.

Days out from the farm

Gloucester is under 20 minutes away, the Cotswolds rise to the east and the vale opens out to the west. Most of the best trips are less than half an hour from your lodge, so you can explore all morning and still be back by teatime.

With little ones, the adventure park and the wetland centre each earn a whole outing, though the wetland centre only admits assistance animals. For a morning with your pet, walk the Cotswold Way at Haresfield Beacon, about 13 minutes away. Or try the Painswick Rococo Garden, where dogs on short leads are made very welcome.

On a grey morning, Gloucester Cathedral is about 19 minutes away with the docks close by. In autumn, Westonbirt, the National Arboretum is about 36 minutes' drive and glorious in its October colour.

Food, pubs and supplies

The farm's honesty shop stocks everyday basics alongside local produce, so breakfast never needs the car. For a bigger shop, Whitminster Stores and the Provisions Food Shop deli are both about 7 minutes' drive. There's a Little Waitrose about 9 minutes away and a Tesco Express about 10.

Fancy a night off the burner? The Whitminster Inn and The Old Forge are about 7 minutes away, Fromebridge Mill about 10 and The Pilot Inn at Hardwicke about 11.

Getting to Feather Down Moor Farm

You'll find the farm on Church Lane near Moreton Valence (GL2 7NB), just off the A38 and close to the M5 south of Gloucester, an easy run from Birmingham, Bristol and South Wales. The last stretch is a quiet no-through road and then the tree-lined drive, so take it slowly.

Coming by train? Stonehouse station is about 13 minutes away by taxi. It's on the line through Stroud and Swindon to London Paddington, while the city's main station, about 20 minutes away, is the easier change for Birmingham and Cardiff.

When to go glamping in Gloucestershire

Summer's the obvious pick, as the pool runs from mid-April to late September (18 April to 27 September in 2026), the outdoor showers are at their best and the evenings stretch on. Spring brings new life to the fields, and our lambing season guide explains what to expect. Cheese Rolling at Cooper's Hill, about 22 minutes away, falls on the late May bank holiday.

Autumn has its own pull, with Westonbirt in full colour and the farm at its quietest, a calmer experience altogether. Our October half term ideas help you plan around it.

What to pack for a night with no electricity

The welcome pack covers bedding and washing-up liquid, so packing is mostly about light and layers, and our what to take glamping list goes further.

More farm stays nearby

This is one of our farm stays in the Cotswolds, and if your dates are taken there are three more within an hour or so. Hollings Hill Farm is about 22 miles away as the crow flies, Hidcote Manor Farm about 32 and Warren Farm about 38. Travelling with a pet? Our dog-friendly farm stays page lists every farm that takes them.

Ready to swap screens for a canvas holiday? Check dates and book Moor Farm with Feather Down, or browse every farm stay we list.

Questions about staying at Moor Farm

Is this glamping with a swimming pool?

Yes. There's an indoor swimming pool in the communal barn, and it's the only one of the Feather Down farms with its own. It opens daily from 9am to 7pm from mid-April to late September, with one-hour slots booked on arrival for an extra charge.

Can we bring our pet?

Yes, for a charge per pet, per stay. Keep them on a lead around the lodges, and check each day out before you go, as some only admit assistance animals.

Is there Wi-Fi or power in the lodges?

No. You'll cook on the wood burner and light the canvas with lamps, so bring head torches and a power bank.

Which animals live on the farm?

Cows, calves, goats and ponies. In spring, guests also mention bottle feeding lambs, so ask the farmers what's happening when you arrive. Richard's tour is the best way to see the herd up close.

How many people sleep in each canvas lodge?

Up to six. Five lodges have an outdoor hot shower (stays from £250) and two have an en-suite hot shower (stays from £260), and the en-suite pair are the better pick early and late in the season.

Is it handy for glamping near Gloucester?

Very. The farm is near Moreton Valence, about 17 minutes from the docks and 19 from the cathedral, with Stonehouse station about 13 minutes away by taxi.

Do the lodges have hot tubs?

No, the treats here are the indoor pool and pizza night instead.

Canvas lodges and prices

Prices are the lowest in Feather Down's feed for a sample stay and change with dates and length of stay.

Animals on the farm

• Goats
• Calves
• Ponies
• Cows
• Dogs

What you'll find

• Dog-friendly
• Groups
• Honesty shop
• Pizza oven
• Private shower
• Outdoor playground
• Communal area
• Farm tour
• Near river
• Learn from the farmer
• Bottle feed lambs
• Farmer's swimming pool
• Dog friendly
• Close to Birmingham

Highlights

• Honesty Shop
• Farm Tour
• Swimming Pool
• Pizza night
• Play all day

Getting there

The farm's postcode is GL2 7NB. Rough driving times from the nearest cities:

Estimates from straight-line distance; check a route planner before you set off.

Other farms nearby