About our family glamping business- why we’re here and how it all came about:
The History
Phil was born at the farm when it was a small self-subsistent operation with some livestock and arable crops. His Uncle Ern had bought the land to mine for gravel for road-making back in the 1930s. There is a long seam of gravel in the bedrock around these parts running for around 10 miles; a deposit from a glacier in the ice age. Once all the gravel had been mined, huge holes were left which naturally filled with water, mainly from underground springs. These have now become the large amount of lakes you can see on the maps. Now the two large lakes are here for you to enjoy at Kingfisher Lakes.
Three generations of the Lee Family share life at the farm. We’re all involved in some way with the Potato Farming, Kingfisher Lakes or both. Even teenager Maisie who is excellent at all things website-wise and helps out during changeovers in the school holidays; we’re a hard-working family team!
The Path To Potatoes
Phil and his wife Yvonne built their own home on the farm and brought up their two sons Dave & Rob here. The boys helped by working on the farm which was now a larger mixed farm with pigs, wheat and potatoes. Phil realised the business needed to become more niche and went down the route of specialising in the potatoes. They packed them into bags and sold them into the fruit market in nearby Hull; as well as to local fish & chip shops and fruit & veg shops in Hull and the nearby towns of Driffield and Beverley.
Busy times at the farm include planting the seed potatoes in April; irrigating them day & night (if if doesn’t rain enough!) throughout the Summer. Then the main harvest time starts end of September. We do harvest small quantities in July & August each week for our deliveries. There’s a chance you might get to try some freshly dug potatoes for your campsite evening meal!
Glamping Beginnings
In more recent history the idea of using an area of land between the two lakes not used for potato production, to diversify into Glamping was born. We wanted visitors to enjoy a previously unseen area of natural beauty, spot the Kingfishers and perhaps have some kayaking adventures of their own, like we do as a family. Building of the site started in 2016 with the first guests staying in the Summer of 2017.
Jo (married to youngest son Rob) is the site manager. She is generally the person you’ll see for checking in when you come to stay. However, the whole family is involved in some way with landscaping, maintenance and building work.
Phil just so happens to be an excellent carpenter too! He has built pretty much everything you see that is made of wood; from the communal kitchen barn to the beds and walls inside the safari tents (with Yvonne being his trusty painter and decorator!).
The site has evolved to include the year-round Log Cabins so guests can experience lakeside living in all seasons, we look forward to welcoming you and hope you love the place as much as we do!
