Coast and Camplight, an off-grid glamping destination located between Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, has steadily evolved from a personal family story into a business rooted in sustainability, seclusion, and creativity.
Founders Verity Bellamy and Ed Gaskarth officially launched the glamping site in 2018 after returning to Gaskarth’s childhood home—Low Rigg Farm—a property his parents purchased in 1970 as part of their effort to live a self-sufficient lifestyle.
The couple’s return came after years of traveling and living off-grid on a narrowboat. “We met in 2010 when Ed was living on his boat ‘Joker’ on the Leeds Liverpool canal with his lovely Labrador Lewis,” said Verity.
The pair spent years moving slowly along the UK’s waterways, eventually settling in Hebden Bridge in 2016 after floods led the Canal and River Trust to issue mooring orders during recovery efforts.
Their desire to start a business that combined outdoor living, sustainability, and creative reuse led them to the fields of Ed’s family farm.
“We came back to the farm in 2018 to start our own grand adventure of building Coast and Camplight off-grid glamping site,” said Verity. Located within a National Park, development required planning approval, and their first structure, Northern Skies, was erected on the most level ground available.
According to the Yorkshire Post, the glamping site now includes four unique camps: Northern Skies, The Wild Woods, Writers’ Retreat, and The Outpost.
The camps feature safari and bell tents furnished with proper beds, private hot showers, composting toilets, and upcycled décor. “Each camp has been hand-built entirely by us from scratch from things that are recycled, found, car-booted, made, upcycled, saved or rescued,” said Verity.
Electricity is generated through solar panels and rechargeable batteries, and fresh spring water is sourced on-site.
To minimize environmental impact, no vehicles are allowed on the property—guests walk from a designated parking area to their accommodations. Wildlife, including deer, owls, and badgers, is a frequent presence.
While the couple plans to expand the site with additional tents and a potential cabin, they remain focused on privacy and environmental stewardship.
“Due to its hilly nature, you can’t see another tent from your own camp, and that’s something we want to maintain,” said Ed. “It needs to be the ultimate getaway.”
Featured image by Coast and Camplight via coastandcamplight.co.uk