Name: Camp Katur
Address: Kirklington, Bedale DL8 2LS, UK, Bedale, Bedale, Bedale, DL8 2LS, United Kingdom
Rating: 9

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Common kitchen

Meals

Internet access

Internet

Barbecue grill(s)

Mini golf

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Spa tub

Pool and beach

Cycling

Sports

Massage

Beauty and wellness

Children's playground

Kids

Pets allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Durham Tees Valley Airport

Leeds Bradford International Airport

Camp Katur

Bedale

First time visiting camp Katur (Orion) and we would go back again in a heart beat. The geo dome was spotless, lovely little set up for a family of 3, didn’t feel like we were on top of each other at all. Masses of wood land to explore, the outdoor gym was a hit with our 10 year old. Great location for going out and visiting the local area. We did 2 long walks, one from Masham and the other up to druids temple. The communal kitchen area was also a great asset, however we did only use it for washing up, but other families were using it for cooking and being able to sit inside was a bonus, especially when it was raining one evening. 
We did not experience any negative aspects and it was one of our favourite “staycations” we’ve been on. 
The log fire was used each night and was welcomed, heated the dome throughout. The whole area has many different styles of glamping available, but due to the size of the site we felt relaxed and comfortable with lots of our own space. In fact one night we didn’t even see a single person, was soo chilled. Would definitely recommend.

Best “staycation” we’ve had.

We stayed in the Lepus geodome last weekend (27th-29th October 2023). We specifically booked a dome with a hot tub, and we were very much looking forward to using this during our visit. However, we were very disappointed with this, and other aspects of our stay. We arrived on Friday evening, and were advised by the lady in reception that the hot tub would take around 2 hours to heat. We lit the fire at around 7pm and hoped to use it that night. However, by 10.30pm, despite us adding logs at 15 minute intervals as advised the water had barely warmed up and it was clear that we would not be using it that night. The next day we were off site visiting the local area, and I called the out of hours phone number to explain our frustrations, and request some help in pre-heating the hot tub for that evening (after reading several trip advisor reviews stating the same problem it was clear that management are aware of this ongoing issue for guests and acknowledge the need to pre-heat these in advance and so we expected some assistance). I was extremely disappointed to be told that there were no staff on site over the weekend and no help could be given – I was just told to ‘email management with the issues’ which I did not find particularly helpful. I was very surprised at the lack of staffing over the weekend, particularly when the price increases considerably compared to weekdays, and yet the customer service level drops. Feeling rather let down, nonetheless we persevered in lighting the hot tub again on Saturday evening, starting at 6pm, and again adding logs every fifteen minutes and monitoring closely, however after 4 and a half hours again it was clear that the hot tub was not going to reach the required temperature. There really was no more we could have done, and what added to the disappointment of not being able to use the hot tub was the annoyance that we had spent around 8 hours in total monitoring the fire and adding logs somewhat pointlessly, rather than relaxing and enjoying the weekend together. As this was a big part of the appeal of staying on the site, and having paid a premium to have a geodome with a hot tub we feel bitterly disappointed that the Camp Katur team do not make sure that guests are able to fully enjoy the facilities they have paid for. 
There were other aspects that fell below our expectations. The geodome is advertised as sleeping 4, however the extra bed is not a double as stated in the description, but more of a single in size, and our two teenage children did not find it a comfortable sleeping experience. We could not understand why two sets of bedding were provided for a bed only big enough to accommodate one. 
Other, admittedly minor, issues really just added to an overall feeling of a lack of attention to detail. The thermometer in the hot tub was broken. There appeared to be lights in the outside decking but no obvious way to turn these on (in general information about the property was limited). We were told there was a pumpkin and carving kit provided for the Halloween competition, which we though was a nice touch, however when we reached the accommodation we found the pumpkin to have a hole in the side and to be partially rotten – when I picked it up to lift it off the sofa bed my thumb went through the side, carving it was not a particularly appealing prospect. Although we were advised about the issues with water pressure (on the information leaflet given on arrival, NOT prior to our stay) we were not expecting intermittent ice cold water in the shower. The windows which did have lovely views across the field were quite dirty – again as these were really a selling point of the domes, making them quite unusual compared to other glamping options, I would have expected these to have had a bit of a clean, as it was one of the first things that struck us on entering the dome. 
All in all, we expected a luxury experience, and unfortunately this weekend fell far short of our expectations. We feel that for the price we paid – over £500 for 2 nights – for a special occasion (our 20th wedding anniversary) was not reflected in the experience or customer service we received. Having read a significant number of reviews of customers having similarly poor experiences (which I do in hindsight wish we had read before booking) we feel that these issues should have been rectified by now. We wish now that we had not booked a geodome with the hot tub, as this wasted a lot of our weekend family time, and it was actually a source of frustration, stress and upset. 
I emailed Camp Katur a week ago with our grievances and have yet to receive a reply (other than an automated thankyou for your feedback, and an invoice for the kindling we used while we were there).  This only reinforces our opinion that once Camp Katur management have your money they really are not bothered about customer care.


Very disappointing stay - far from luxury. 

I honestly do not recommend this site. There were multiple problems with accessibility - including a ramp up to the space with an accessible toilet with a drop on the other side that would tip a wheelchair completely over. This is not acceptable, if you have a ramp it should be usable and not wildly unsafe. 

That aside, we were in a small dome that was advertised as "peaceful and tranquil" but was positioned not far from the generator buildings for the domes with electricity (ours didn't, not a complaint, that's the point of the dome) so all day and night it's like a truck is idling. The dome nest to us has the same complaint, it was loud. 

The personal shower shed must have been piped directly to the septic tank because we couldn't even use it, the smell of sewage was so strong you gagged when you opened the door. The dome next to us also complained of this. The field also stank of sewage multiple times a day. 

I'm sure there's a reason for this, but it was utterly baffling to me that our dome had a separate little kitchen, a hot water shower and toilet, but no drinkable water plumbed in. This normally wouldn't be an issue but it's just confusing you'd make these choices and still have people walk across a field to get water to drink. Perhaps the first luxury should be drinking water? 

The dome leaked, which potentially isn't anyone's fault as we had heavy rain, but it's still an issue. 

We were told our friend who is a wheelchair user could access the dome, but this wasn't true. We weren't allowed a ramp because they only had one, and it was the inadequate one for the accessible toilets at the other end of the site. 

I know the owner keeps responding that complaints could have been sorted if someone had just somehow found him and he would... What, fix these issues immediately? That doesn't seem like a thing. 

Positives: beautiful scenery, incredible bar staff doing way more than their job requires. All the staff were great, but only in the barn and bar. Saw zero staff anywhere else, apart from what I assume is the owner occasionally zooming past at full speed on his little quad bike. 

If you want to stay here then shell out for the luxury domes or the cabins, I'm sure they're better. Don't expect to be able to find anyone to express complaints to. If you're camping be aware the main camping field has terrible drainage and we saw tents washed away. 

Definitely don't stay if you're disabled.

Not luxury. Barely even regular.

We stayed in the Bellatrix geodome, and despite apprehensions at our first time glamping, we absolutely loved it.  The dome was very spacious and had a seating area, dining area and good kitchen.  The bathroom was well equipped with a proper toilet, basin and shower.  The deck area was huge and had excellent seating and an amazing hot tub.  The only down side was the double bed on the mezanine which had to be reached by a vertical metal ladder and not suitable for anyone with a slight disability.  Luckily the bed on the ground floor was a king size that my daughter and I ended up sharing.  Instructions on where to find the kindling and matches on the site and how to light the wood burner would also have been helpful!  Despite minor problems, we would definitely use this accommodation again.  The website description is quite vague and more photos and extensive description would really help people deciding on whether to book.

Exceeded our expectations

I stayed in the Hobbit Hide for 2 nights with my 7 and 8 year old boys and had a fantastic time. I was slightly worried that the accommodation would be very small, but I was pleasently surprised. It had enough room for all of our stuff (and you can store things under the main bed too) and the beds were spacious for the 3 of us. 

We checked in on a Wednesday at 3pm and out on a Friday at 10am. The check in staff were super helpful with directions and where we needed to park etc. I really liked how the staff left you too it throughout your stay.

Most of the site is car free, which is brilliant so you need to use wheelbarrows to get your things to your accommodation which was great fun for the boys. 

I had planned on going on a day trip out on the Thursday but didn't need to in the end as the site had plenty to explore and kept the boys entertained. They enjoyed the swing park, adventure playground (the zip line was a big hit!), outside gym and exploring the woodlands and finding the plane. We also saw frogs, bats, rabbits, ducks and pea hens. The stars were out in all their glory on our last night, which was spectacular. 

The communal facilities were great and clean. We didn't need to use the communal kitchen, other than to wash up, but it had items that you could borrow if you needed too. The log store had plenty of logs, which was great for making the most of the fire pit on a night time to toast marshmallows. We also made use of the communal pizza oven on out first night. I was on a budget, so took our own pizza dough and toppings and thankfully they came out great and the boys enjoyed making and cooking their own pizzas.

I would really recommend Camp Katur and would go back. It was a lovely couple of nights away making memories.

Awesome adventure 

On arrival, all looks great. Impressive grounds, stylish reception and bar area. Checked-in on time (not before) and without any drama. Like someone else said, there are just a few things I wish I'd known so here we go...

HOT TUB
The hot tub is free to use but takes three hours to heat up. You have to keep adding logs as well so can't disappear for those three hours. Logs are free but take your own lighter, firelighters and kindling or buy from the 'store' near reception. The nearest log store is a short run from the dome so stock up as much as poss (using wheelbarrows provided) before it rains or gets dark.

BBQ
What BBQ? As it turns out the firepit is also the BBQ. I was hoping for a gas fired effort or separate grill, ideally undercover. Because basically if it rains, BBQ is off the menu. You can buy disposable BBQs from the store but they are not the best as you probably know. Coal is available for the firepit at £10 a bag.

COOKING
Inside there is a small kitchen with a camping stove (3 different sized rings). So you can use the saucepans etc to cook pasta, sausages, bacon etc. Kettle is also provided along with mugs, plates, glasses and cutlery. But no tea, coffee or sugar so take all the things you normally like to have. There was some washing up liquid and a scrubber too. Some people may be fussier than me but I thought it was all clean enough.

LIGHTING
There is no electricity. They could be clearer about that. So take battery packs to charge devices etc. You would be wise to take torches, lamps and head torches. It does get very very dark. There are several larger candles in lanterns and a bunch of tea lights provided (more available from the store). Also, some solar powered fairy lights around the dome which are nice and pretty but don't provide much light (controls by the front door). My advice is to light every single candle as it gets dark but also keep a head torch handy.

SLEEPING
No bedding provided so let them know you want to hire it at extra cost or bring your own as we did. Also, there are beds for 4 people, not 6. One double bed and two singles. There is a swinging hammocky bed type thing but I wouldn't fancy that and you'd have to sleep foetal. Plenty of room on the floor or sofa though so could take inflatable beds. You'd better hope it doesn't rain. The noise of the rain on the tarp roof is relentlessly annoying and we got zero sleep on night one. Especially as the double bed is really creaky and makes lots of noise each time you move a muscle. Not particularly comfortable. Maybe take some ear plugs.

TOILET & SHOWER
There is a small toilet room just outside the front door. I don't think it's for number two's. We saved those for trips out or went to reception/bar. Basically it's a toilet seat with a funnel leading to some kind of tank. Take some toilet roll or buy from the store. The shower is extremely temperamental. You have to enjoy it while it's hot, then turn it off for a second when it gets cold. Then turn it on again and it's back to hot. Repeat. There seemed to be enough hot water for me and my two girls. There is a sink to wash your face and brush teeth etc. No towels, toothpaste or body wash though.

GENERAL STUFF
They also provide blankets but they all smelt of dog. And smoke. You can borrow wind up torches and hot water bottles from the store at no extra cost so this is good. Both are useful. Take jumpers and blankets for sure.

To store any food you might bring, they only provide a regular size cool box. You can also take ice packs from the store to help keep things cool. But there were only three of us for two nights and we had it full to the brim. Did an ok job of keeping things cool though.

Use the fire but keep the doors closed ideally, otherwise smoke fills the room. Smoke detector went off a few times. 

They will happily charge your electrics on reception (when they are open) and the staff all seem friendly and helpful.

All in all, we had a good time but felt like we had to try hard to make it work. Very nearly went home after night one. On the second night we ate out, were better prepared, had plenty of logs, all the candles on, making it nice and cosy. Made sure we had charge on the laptop to watch a film. 

In summary, expensive for what it is. Glad to be home.

Forest Retreat - Good But Not Good Enough

On arrival to Camp Katur, you’re sold. It’s so picturesque, the setting is beautiful and there’s so much space to explore. 
We arrived too early to check in but were told we could have a wander around the estate with our children. First impressions were fantastic, there’s a big swing area that was fun for both adults and children alike. As we walked further on we explored the children’s play area, it’s so much fun for the kids with lots of wooden houses to explore, things to jump over and stand on too. Our kids are too little for the zip line but we enjoyed it, until the next day when I presume someone undid one of the knots to make it lower and we weren’t the only ones to have to stop ourselves crashing into the tree! The actual play structure itself was great although it could do with another one or two slides. 
Elsewhere there’s so much space to run around, lots of little dens for the kids to explore too. It’s just beautiful, so many squirrels and bunnies running around my children just loved it. 
As it got closer to check in time we went back to reception and the bar was open so we had a drink in there. It’s a lovely little bar area, service was great and super friendly and the weather was also good so there’s a nice outdoor seating area too. Eventually we were handed a map and advised the best way to get to our lodge, Bears Place. Cars are only allowed up to a certain point so we parked the car before the meadow area and loaded up wheelbarrows with out things. We got to the lodge and it was just beautiful from the outside, everything we had hoped for for our short break. 
Unfortunately that’s where it started to go a bit downhill. We started settling in and checking everything out which takes a while so by the time we did that we realised the hot tub for the first evening was just not going to happen. This should really be warmed for arrival because it takes so long. On lifting the lid we also found a rubber duck under there which ensured that I would not be going in there, it just suggested a lack of thorough cleaning for me. My husband decided to use it the second day and he only went in because he’d taken so long trying to get it to temperature. It was still cold at the bottom when he got in but it’d taken so long at this point he saw it as more of a challenge. 
Other issues are the cleanliness, some things I tried to let slide and just think of it as a camping experience, thecobwebs littered over every window, door, basically everywhere but the dirty plates, mugs and weetabix caked on placemats I couldn’t accept. 
The floor was wonky and dipping/peeling in parts which was fine for the setting but not ideal for my small children. Also, the decking was so slippy in certain areas, it was far from ideal.
There was a lack of attention to detail like the outdoor chairs weren’t brushed off, the table there wasn’t wiped down so not only was it full of leaves but also old drink marks. For the price, you do expect the standard of cleanliness to be better, these basic things would give a much better impression. 
It would be helpful to give a card with tips for your specific accommodation too. On the website it states to bring bedding and pillows etc but doesn’t mention towels. No towels are provided as standard, luckily we brought some for the hot tub but otherwise this would’ve been an issue. Additionally, in the kitchen no tea towel was available, had I know this I would’ve brought one with us. Those small things are just inconveniences that can be avoided. As well as this, we aren’t people that camp and had no idea that you needed to use a match for the hob so that took some time to figure out. 
I also need to mention the cold, the log burner was fantastic for the living area but the heat didn’t travel and it was freezing. So much so we spent most of our night worried that it was too cold for the kids because the bed just felt so damp and the pillows we brought ended up soaking wet. This was August so I dread to think what it would be like in colder months. I can’t complain too much about the cold because it’s a camping environment but it’s worth noting if you have children, we had to stop at a supermarket in the way home to buy new bedding for them because it got so wet I was worried it would end up mouldy. It also meant my husband spent so much of his time tipping up the logs and keeping the fire going, plus he had to start the fire early on the morning for the kids to get out of bed and not be freezing cold. 
The kids loved the room with the bunks, their den as they liked to call it and they loved playing in there. 
It’s about a 20 minute drive to Ripon with an M&S, Aldi and Sainsburys which have everything you may need. We bought things for a bbq only to realise there were no bbq utensils in our lodge and we couldn’t find any in the communal area either so that wasn’t great. 
We bought pizza kits on the first evening. You make and cook the pizzas yourself which would be fine but there’s no hot water and detergent just a spray which just spreads around the mess rather than degreasing and cleaning the surface so cleaning between parties is difficult. Pizzas tasted great though. The bar was only open one evening until 8pm and offers no other meals which is a huge shame.
The setting is great and would make a lovely location for a pub/restaurant.  
A couple of other issues were the locks, on the front door and the bathroom door we all ended up cutting our fingers as they were so stiff. The dining table chairs are also worth noting if you have children they’re low and if you put the cushions in for the kids to prop up on it’s very slippery for them. My children are too big for the high chairs available in the communal areas but we’re too small for the dining chairs. 
My review is comprehensive just to help families who may be thinking of booking but these things would’ve helped us for sure. Overall, I’m not sure we’d go back.

This has the potential to be amazing but just misses the mark

We stayed in the Hill Farm Geodome - lovely big grounds, friendly staff. However, we arrived at around 16:30pm and was told the hot tub takes around 4 hours to heat up. by the time we got sorted and worked everything out we started the burner about 17:30 so it wasn't ready until 21:30 - which wouldn't be too bad but the domes/decking/hot tubs don't have lights.... so we sat in the dark with our phone lights on for two nights - we couldn't believe it - not even fairy lights or decking lights or anything. Thinking about it, it's actually really unsafe to have no lights around slippy floors and fires and made us feel really uncomfortable. We couldn't even charge our phones (for lights) either as theres no sockets. There's no glasses or cups in your dome either.  I think the best thing Camp Katur could do is pre-heat your hot tub for you a few hours before so you're not waiting 4 hours for it in the dark and just get A light. 2 nights for £500 I expected a little bit more though.

Hill Farm Geodome - Overly priced and YOU NEED LIGHTS.

We stayed for 2 nights in Lepus - family of three. Fantastic experience. Hot tub was wood fired - took about 3 hours to heat with logs on burner but stayed warm the next day too - little top up on second day with a log or two but easier than I thought. Bag of logs provided with matches, fire lighters and kindling in a little bag. GeoDome was spacious - kept curtains closed during the day due to the heat and you can close the roof windows with magnetic coverings also east to do. Pull out sofa bed was decent and extra pillow and bedding in a box behind toilet. Toilet and shower were modern and clean. Decking had the most comfortable wooden seats around a fire pit which we used the logs supplied for the hot tub to get that going. Views are fantastic and the pods well spaced out. Communal kitchen better than we thought - two ovens, kettle, toasters and loads of pans and cutlery to take back to the pod to use. The site is fantastic to explore - we walked to the outdoor gym which is really an obstacle course the little ones can manage. We also headed to the adventure park which has castles, swings and kids play huts to explore. The swing park is also great for the little ones but you might miss it - it’s tucked away near the entrance to the pods. We thought the on-site pub at reception served food but it doesn’t so we ventured five minutes to the Fox and Hound pub which was very friendly and served very good food. Bedale is 10 mins away and does takeaways and restaurants too. BBQ was gas and bottle provided so we had bbq tea first night. It was clean and had utensils under the bbq. The fridge in the pod was a small cube fridge but had enough space for our 2 day visit and even a little freezer to store our freezer bricks for the cool box. We would go back in a heartbeat and explore other plots on the site. For our 5 year old is was a fantastic adventure and the on-site parks and obstacle courses kept her busy especially when making holiday friends - adds to the experiencef.

Fantastic Experience - Lepus Geo Dome

We stayed in the Nashira geodome. The site was lovely and peaceful and you weren't too close to other geodomes. The site was relatively clode to a few different towns/cities (Bedale, Northallerton, Madham). The geodome itself is a cool idea however the execution wasn't great. The laminate flooring was bumpy and didn't fit; the QR code to the information pack didn't work; and it was missing basic things you would expect for a luxury £200 a night stay such as hand soap, dressing gown/slippers, kettle in the room etc.
The £200 price tag per night did not reflect it's value for money. It was missing the finer touches to make the experience worthwhile.

Camp Katur

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