REVIEW: Five-star ‘Love Dome’ glamping experience on the edge of the North York Moors National Park

Angrove Country Park, located on the edge of the North York Moors National Park just outside Great Ayton, has undergone significant upgrades over the past 12 months, including the addition of a children’s playground and adventure golf course and three recently launched ‘Love Domes’ which provide a five-star glamping experience.

Reporter Louise Perrin was invited to the park to check out the accommodation and shared her experience.

There is no denying that the drive to Angrove Country Park is spectacular, whether you approach through the picturesque village of Great Ayton, or travel along the A172 with Roseberry Topping in your sights, there is a sense of tranquillity which envelopes you as you get closer to the site.

As you turn off the main road, you drive first through green fields before passing over a wooden bridge which gives you the sense of rusticity.

At the main reception, we were welcomed by a friendly lady who said that we would be shown to our accommodation by one of the groundsmen who would meet us at the lodge’s car park.

This proved to be very welcome, as the car park is a short walk from the lodge and our heavy bags were very helpfully loaded into the back of a small golf buggy and driven the 200 yards to the ‘Love Dome’.

The strange futuristic looking pod, made more unusual by the addition of a UPVC front door, certainly stands out among the other accommodation on site, and my fiance Dave and I looked at each other uncertain what to expect.

What we saw on the other side of the door was way beyond anything we could have anticipated.

Large, light and spacious, the ‘Love Dome’ has been cleverly divided into four separate sections with the use of a central hub which incorporates the luxurious bathroom, kitchen, wardrobes and TV screen.

Beautifully furnished, with a massive window looking out over open fields, the ‘Love Dome’ was the perfect place to escape for a recently engaged couple.

An outdoor kitchen, seating area and hot tub completed the perfect abode, and after the compulsory cup of tea on arrival (this is, after all, Yorkshire), we decided to cook dinner.

This initially posed an issue. We had cleverly bought lamb moussaka that simply needed to go into the oven for 45 minutes, however as we looked in the kitchen there was no oven and only a two-ring hob.

Not to worry though, we had bought sausages with us for breakfast and the outdoor kitchen had a barbecue that we decided we could use instead - problem solved.

The ’barbecue’ was a revelation - it was, in fact, a Big Green Egg, which while functioning as a barbecue, if used correctly also works like a conventional oven.

After lighting it and following some simple instructions, we decided to use it to cook the moussaka and about an hour later our original meal was ready to eat - cooked to absolute perfection.

While dinner cooked we took advantage of the outdoor hot tub, the perfect size for two people, with a peaceful outlook and cleverly screened from the rest of the park with intelligent planting.

A good night’s sleep followed and the following day we took advantage of Angrove’s perfect location to explore Great Ayton, although we could just have easily visited Saltburn, Whitby, Staithes or braved the walk to the top of Roseberry Topping.

In the evening we decided to take advantage of Angrove’s on-site restaurant, The G & Tea House, which is a short five minute walk from the ‘Love Dome’.

We sat outside in the sunshine and enjoyed a delicious meal of cheese souffle followed by a beautifully presented steak.

The service was faultless and the meal was much enjoyed by us both.

On the way back to our dome, we stopped to play crazy golf on the newly laid course next to the restaurant, the only downside in the whole weekend was that I lost to Dave - badly!

As we walked back to our home for the weekend, I was struck by the peace and quiet that Angrove offers, the large open spaces between the lodges which creates the perfect play area should you wish to bring children, and the convenience of having everything you need available to you on site.

Dave and I had a perfect weekend escape at Angrove Country Park and have vowed to return, who knows, next time we may even tackle Roseberry Topping!

You can find out more about the ‘Love Domes’ at Angrove Country Park by visiting their website at https://leisureresorts.co.uk/parks/angrove-holidays/