For sale: live-work haven and glampers paradise

This award-winning glamping business has a lot to offer those looking for a lifestyle change.

It is in an idyllic spot on the edge of the village of Melbourne, just 10 miles from York, and comes with a four-bedroom house with a paddock orchard and barn, a glamping site with two yurts, a log cabin and a gypsy wagon plus an amenity building with a kitchen, toilets and showers.

The property also has a workshop and is set in 3.5 acres with woodland, a wildflower meadow and a picturesque fishing lake.

Acorn Glade, which has a certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor, was created by empty nesters Julie and Richard Arme who swapped busy careers and stressful lives for a fresh start in the country. Richard, who worked in banking in the City of London, and Julie, a former surveyor and construction engineer, before buying the house in Melbourne, which came with land and a lake.

The won planning approval and tackled the hard physical task of preparing the site and buildings. Their efforts paid off and Acorn Glade opened in the summer of 2014. The couple have modelled the site on their own idea of the perfect short break, so it is ‘grown-ups only' with off-grid accommodation in the yurts, cabin and a beautiful 100 year-old gypsy wagon by the lake.

Richard and Julie's lives have changed dramatically since moving to Melbourne. With a commute to work of only seconds, they mainly work outdoors in a beautiful and tranquil setting and feel healthier and happier.

Passionate about the environment, they have incorporated as many eco-friendly ideas as possible.

Their accommodation is off-grid with solar powered lamps and fairy-lights and the hot water is provided by air-source heat-pumps and solar power.

“The great thing is that so many of our guests are really interested in what we do. Some stay here two or three times a year and some have become great friends. We love the way that people bond here, either as a couple spending quality time together or with other couples chatting in the kitchen or having a beer or a glass of wine around the communal fire-pit,” says Richard.

The couple are selling to pursue new ambitions and to travel. “It's going to be a real heartache to leave the wonderful and idyllic setting that we have created,” says Julie. www.acornglade.co.uk