Meet Derval from Teapot Lane! Here the comforts of well designed, quirky accommodation meet camping, and close contact with nature. In this post you can read about glamping in Ireland and how people open up when they are brought together by a communal space. This stay was a dream come true, as we got to sleep in a tree house! 

Let's Go Slow video from Teapot Lane:

This post was made possible with help from the Slow Adventure in the Northern Territories (SAINT) project. Read more about our fantastic new sponsor here!  Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are our own.

What is Glamping? 

Glamping is where authentic nature meets modern luxury. You could call it glamorous camping!
Glamping combines all the good things about camping: fresh air, simple living and being close to nature, with a few luxuries from our modern lives. Like a warm shower, soft beds, clean sheets and toilets. The word "glamping" is quite new and when we told our friends and family about this trip, only half knew what glamping was. In other worlds, don't feel silly if you haven't heard the word until now. Teapot Lane has multiple traditional Mongolian yurts, a vintage caravan, a self catering cottage and even a tree house!

The story of Teapot Lane 

As we arrived at Teapot Lane, it's heart and soul (plus founder), Derval came to greet us. Together with her lovely dog, she walked us around and showed us the fantastic tree house we would be staying at. As we walked, she told us the background to how she developed the concept, and the story to the charming name "Teapot Lane":

Many years ago there were two little cottages in the woods. In these two houses lived two very lively men. They were both musicians and the local people knew that if they wanted a Ceilidh (a traditional folk dance/party), this was the right place to go. This is also the reason for why the locals started calling it "Teapot Lane". Because there was always a cup of "tea" for the one that wondered through the narrow lane. The name came naturally for Derval. 

Teapot Lane today

Today Teapot Lane is still a festive place. Many people come to stay here and hundreds of teapots (actual teapots) welcome them in all kinds of different shapes & colours. Teapot Lane was the first glamping site to open in Ireland, and Derval has a special flair for knowing exactly what people want. It has a charming atmosphere, with glowing lights in the trees, a big campfire and amazing details everywhere. The communal campfire and open living room with kitchen provides a social atmosphere and a great place to connect with other guests. 

Connecting with other people 

The social aspect of a place like Teapot Lane is significant. A reflective campfire can create a sharing atmosphere that is unique to camping (or glamping in this case).  We find that people open up when they are brought together by a communal space. Cooking in the same area and being considerate, washing up and sharing, makes it easier to talk and adds a social aspect to the holiday that would be difficult to find in a hotel. 

It's all in the details

The site is full of unique details that catch the eye. A fairy garden, hammocks and cute details make it feel like walking with Alice in Wonderland. Derval has an eye for creating interiors and other touches that catch your attention and somehow awaken the imagination, transporting you to another world. It helps increase the distance between you and everyday life.

The "Alice" of Teapot Lane

Derval's understanding of how the simple things create the best memories has greatly influenced Teapot Lane. Gathering around the campfire, or chilling in a hammock with a good book and blanket, are the treasures people talk about once home.

Seeing the potential in the woodlands surrounding her cottage, she's brought her imagination and passion for interiors together to make a beautiful wonderland that captures our imagination, and she's thrilled to see people's reactions as they walk around their new eco-home for the first time!

Self catered slow food for breakfast

With being self-catered, we brought our own locally sourced breakfast hamper to Teapot Lane. A lot of our experience of a new place is connected to food. We feel that local food is a very tangible way to get to know a place better. Slow Food is tied to many other aspects of life including culture, politics, agriculture and the environment. Through our food choices we can collectively influence how food is cultivated, produced and distributed, and as a result bring about great change. And holy-moly local produce from Leitrim tastes good!

Slow food dinner at the Courthouse restaurant

We decided to get dinner at the Courthouse restaurant where Derval used to work before she started the Teapot Lane glamping site. This restaurant uses great local produce, and simple, fantastic dishes - it's really popular with locals and visitors, and we had a lovely time.

The first thing we saw after entering the charming building was a large photo of the staff, including Derval, with a big smile on their face. We told them where we were staying and they all wanted to know which yurt or cottage we were staying in. When we told them about the tree house one of the ladies said she recently spent her wedding anaversery at the same place! 

Irish ingredients, mediterranean chef

The restaurant is located in the old courthouse of the attractive village of Kinlough, Ireland. Piero Melis’s little restaurant is a welcoming place and offers good contemporary cooking in the Mediterranean style, with some local influences.

Glamping and Camping

We both love to wild camp, but not all people do and the glamping discovery will make it possible for us to bring a lot more people to our fresh air adventures. If you feel like checking out Teapot Lane or the Courthouse restaurant you can follow the links provided below. 
 
Teapot Lane: https://www.glampingireland.ie/
Courthouse Restaurant: 

For more slow adventures in Ireland: www.slowadventure.ie

We'd like to thank SAINT, the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, and the European Union for their support in making this post happen!
The SAINT project: www.saintproject.eu