AS the rain battered down while we packed our bags I began to question how enjoyable this venture into the great outdoors was going to be.

Fortunately this was no ordinary camping in the countryside – the brochure sums it up perfectly with the phrase: "the most unique holiday experience in Britain".

From the moment you load your luggage into a wheelbarrow to transport it to your tent, you know you're in for a trip with a difference.

From there on it's about stepping back in time, adapting to a slower, more peaceful way of life, and living in harmony with nature – on a family-run working farm.

Surprisingly that doesn't mean roughing it.

This is camping with class.

There's no stumbling across fields in the middle of the night to reach the toilet block ; no impossibly hard, cold, uneven floor to sleep on and no worrying about flooded sleeping bags when it rains.

The Feather Down Farm tent is pretty permanent and incredibly spacious, with a traditional rustic-looking interior.

It's fitted with a wood-burning stove to cook on, running water, master bedroom with comfy, cosy double bed, bunk beds, a traditional Dutch box bed hidden in a cupboard, and yes, even a flushing loo.

It looks more like a log cabin than a tent, with its wooden floor and fittings, but the roof and walls are tarpaulin, and the front can be rolled up just like a normal tent.

The innovative set-up removes the hardship from the camping experience but remains basic enough to feel 100 per cent authentic.

There's no electricity inside – you use oil lamps and candles for lighting.

And you might not have to pitch your own tent or dig your own loo but you can't avoid getting your hands dirty or stinking of smoke – and that only added to the appeal for our gang of four.

Having no mobile phone reception was an unexpected bonus, meaning we really could sever all ties with city life and the outside world for the whole weekend. Dolphinholme House Farm, Lancashire, is only around a 90-minute drive from Leeds and only 10 minutes from the M6 but it felt a million miles away from both.

Within two hours of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city we had the stove fired up, oil lamps lit and were marvelling at the joy of getting back to basics.

There are only seven tents at Dolphinholme, sited on the edge of woodland and a 10-acre field bordered by the river Wyre.

Both mornings we woke to the sounds of a crowing cockerel and mooing cows, then rolled up the front of the tent for a panoramic view of the lush green meadow stretching down to the river, where you can fish for trout and salmon and even swim if you're brave enough.

Freshly-laid

The farm's honesty shop is open 24 hours for guests to help themselves to whatever they need, from washing-up liquid to disposable BBQs, and of course freshly-laid eggs straight from the hen coop, goat's cheese and milk produced by the farm's own goats, plus locally-produced vegetables, cakes and fresh meat.

We spent just £40 between four of us and ate like kings.

On the first morning, after cooking up a full English breakfast, we set off on a six-mile walk that took us across farmland and over the river Wyre to the beautiful Abbeystead weir.

Dolphinholme House Farm sits on the western edge of the Trough of Bowland, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty.

Much of the land is part of the Duchy of Lancaster and the area is internationally important because of its bird population.

We saw hundreds of pheasants on our walk, as well as huge hares, ducks, geese and a heron.

Our hosts, the Gorst family, have farmed there for the past 70 years.

It's a traditional dairy farm, milking both cows and goats, with sheep grazing on the permanent pastures.

The fancy tents have only been up a few months but John, wife Barbara and son Mark were perfect hosts, happy to advise or help as much as we wanted but mostly letting us discover things for ourselves.

Attracting tourists is a way to diversify and boost their income at a time when many farmers struggle to make a living using traditional methods.

The Feather Down Farms concept is the brainchild of Luite Moraal, the man who brought Center Parcs to the UK.

But it's the polar opposite to holiday villages jam-packed with activities – here everything is small-scale and low-key.

We were able to watch the goats having their hooves trimmed and being milked and even had a go at milking them ourselves.

There are regular farm tours and a petting area where guests young and old can get up close to the cute calf, baby rabbits, hens, ponies and goats.

Barbara presented us with freshly-baked bread one morning, so fresh it was still warm.

And in the true spirit of the trip we relished the chance to get our hands dirty one last time and make our own pizzas in the outdoor wood-fired oven.

By the time we left we were pretty grubby and a bit smelly but we were very happy campers.


Factfile

There are nine Feather Down Farms, from Somerset to Scotland.

The tents are open from April to October.

They can be booked for a weekend, (from £195 to £425) ; a mid-week break (£155 to £435) or a week (£345 to £679).

The tent sleeps five adults in comfort, six at a push.

There's a £15 booking fee but online bookings get a £15 discount.

Rental prices exclude bed linen – £5.75 per person.

Bikes can be hired for £8.50 per day, £5 for children.

Pets such as dogs are not allowed on every site but were allowed at Dolphinholme.

For reservations ring 01420 80804 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or go to www.featherdown. co.uk or email info@featherdown.co.uk.