Hunter Wellingtons are a festival must even if you can't face spending several sleepless nights under canvas, head for the nearest luxury B&B or hotel instead.
Camping seems to be the new cool, but it isn't for everyone.
The Big Chill Festival August 6-9, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire (www.bigchill.net). The ultimate laid-back weekend in tranquil surroundings includes Basement Jaxx, Orbital and Friendly Fires. Weekend tickets £145 (£4 or £60 for children); Sunday tickets £70.
Where to stay:
Aspen House (01432 840353, www. aspenhouse.net; doubles from £74), a lovely 18th-century cottage about ten miles from the site in idyllic Hoarwithy. The four-room property is avowedly eco, from its low-energy light bulbs to the locally sourced organic breakfasts in a communal dining area. You can even have an Indian head massage if you ask nicely. The family-owned Cottage in the Wood (01684 588860, www.cottagein the wood.co.uk; doubles from £99) in nearby Malvern Wells also makes a relaxing retreat.
Green Man Festival August 21-23, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons, Wales (www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk).
Lovely, folk-oriented festival, as popular with families as it is with earnest young men with beards. Headliners include Wilco and Bon Iver. Weekend tickets £115 (ages 13-17 £50, age 12 and under free).
Where to stay Just a short drive away, the New White Lion (01550 720685, www.newwhitelion.co.uk; doubles from £90) in Llandovery is a gorgeous, intimate retreat. Opt for the largest room, the wonderfully named Physicians of Myddfai. The Angel Hotel (01873 857121, www.angelhotelabergavenny.com; doubles from £85), a Georgian coaching inn just around the corner from the festival in Abergavenny, is another stylish and comfortable option with a smattering of family room.
Rufus Purdy edits the hotel guides Mr and Mrs Smith (0845 0340700, http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/)
Lovely, folk-oriented festival, as popular with families as it is with earnest young men with beards. Headliners include Wilco and Bon Iver. Weekend tickets £115 (ages 13-17 £50, age 12 and under free).
Where to stay Just a short drive away, the New White Lion (01550 720685, www.newwhitelion.co.uk; doubles from £90) in Llandovery is a gorgeous, intimate retreat. Opt for the largest room, the wonderfully named Physicians of Myddfai. The Angel Hotel (01873 857121, www.angelhotelabergavenny.com; doubles from £85), a Georgian coaching inn just around the corner from the festival in Abergavenny, is another stylish and comfortable option with a smattering of family room.
Rufus Purdy edits the hotel guides Mr and Mrs Smith (0845 0340700, http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/)
V Festival 22-23 August, Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex; Weston Park, Staffordshire (http://www.vfestival.com/). Tickets are now sold out.
Where to Stay: If you already have tickets for the Essex event, then the 15-room Bell Inn & Hill House (01375 642463, www.bell-inn.co.uk; doubles from £55, not including breakfast) in Horndon on the Hill, makes a comfortable, traditional retreat. Going to the Staffordshire event? Book yourself into High Meadows Guest House (01889 882449, http://www.highmeadowshouse.co.uk/; doubles from £60) in the bucolic riverside village of Great Haywood. Its enviable position in the Cannock Chase country park is the perfect peaceful antidote to two days of beered-up Oasis fans swaggering between drinks tents.
The Reading and Leeds Festivals (28-30 August), Tickets are sold out.
Where to Stay: For the Reading Festival, opt for the out-of-town Thameside charms of Goring's 18th-century inn the Miller of Mansfield (01491 872829, ), which blends traditional and modern features. Simply catch a train into Reading for the festival. For the Leeds event, stay at 42 The Calls (0113 2440099, http://www.42thecalls.co.uk/; doubles from £89), a smart riverside boutique hotel within easy reach of the festival site.
Bestival (11-13 September), Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight (Bestival still offers a line-up that most other festivals could only dream of. Weekend tickets £140, age 13-15, £70, (age 12 and under free).
Where to Stay: There is nowhere on the island more in keeping with the festival's playful ethos than the Enchanted Manor (01983 730215, http://www.enchantedmanor.co.uk/; doubles from £285 for a three-night minimum stay, including car-ferry transfers). The seven-room B&B is a celebration of all things winged and magical, even the gardens, which twinkle with fairylights from dusk onwards, offer an enchanted folly. It's not all style over substance, though. Comfy four-poster beds, luxurious bathrooms and a hearty breakfast make it the perfect Bestival base. The Indian-themed Bonchurch Manor (01983 852868, http://www.bonchurchmanor.com/), is a fun alternative.
Where to Stay: There is nowhere on the island more in keeping with the festival's playful ethos than the Enchanted Manor (01983 730215, http://www.enchantedmanor.co.uk/; doubles from £285 for a three-night minimum stay, including car-ferry transfers). The seven-room B&B is a celebration of all things winged and magical, even the gardens, which twinkle with fairylights from dusk onwards, offer an enchanted folly. It's not all style over substance, though. Comfy four-poster beds, luxurious bathrooms and a hearty breakfast make it the perfect Bestival base. The Indian-themed Bonchurch Manor (01983 852868, http://www.bonchurchmanor.com/), is a fun alternative.
So remember as long as your Hunter Wellies are packed, some sort of rain mac, and sun screen, you will be fine!
Buy cheap Hunter Wellingtons from http://www.targetwholesale.co.uk/ Official Hunter Boot dealer who ships world wide!
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