THE Great Bear – Ursa Major – burns bright against the darkening sky.
And if I twist my body a little, I can spot the Cygnus constellation shimmering through the gaps between the branches of a nearby tree.
It’s not every day that you get to stargaze from your bath. But at Liba Vineyard, the woodfired tubs are perfectly positioned for it beneath some of the darkest skies in the country.
This glamping site, on an old farm in rural Wiltshire, is home to just three snug pods, each set just beyond the vineyard’s young vines which are preparing for their first harvest next year.
Chris, the founder of the vineyard and glampsite, fires up the hot tub furnaces ahead of guests’ arrivals to ensure waters are kept at a balmy 40C.
Although that evening, I’m left to tend the dying embers solo, chucking on extra logs until smoke billows from the bath’s chimney in a magical plume.
It’s pretty satisfying to watch nature work its magic beneath the glittering sky.
That’s a big selling point of the off-grid Liba, whose name stems from a blend of the words ‘life’ and ‘balance’. Here, you’re fully at one with your surroundings and there’s a huge emphasis on organic materials and natural methods.
The vineyard’s alpacas, for example, are used to keep the site nice and tidy instead of fertilisers. Every so often, they roam among the vines and gobble up weeds, trim the grass and . . . provide some of the best natural fertiliser.
It’s much easier to manage this type of natural wine-making on a smaller scale, and this small-scale production is partly what will make Liba’s wine so special.
After a soothing evening gazing up at the stars and toasting marshmallows, I was up early the next morning to feed the alpacas before helping out with some grape-picking at a neighbouring vineyard.
While Chris is currently waiting for his own vines to ripen, he has still been able to hone his wine-making techniques by using grapes from nearby vineyards.
I discovered how to weed out the ripe fruit from the rotten stuff and even got involved in the sticky action of smushing grapes the traditional way – with my bare feet.
This is the sort of hands-on experience Chris is hoping to introduce to guests once he produces his first bottles.
The glampsite has only been open for around a year and already enjoyed a sell-out summer.
I can’t say I’m surprised. It is idyllic, especially during autumn when the outdoor fire pit can be used to its full advantage.
The finer details are just as important. The mattress in my pod was incredibly comfy, while fairy lights around the fence ensured I could easily get in and out of the hot tub at night.
A small kitchen is well equipped for fry-ups and the sofa can be turned into a bed for two extra guests.
The pods also have lots of windows, to fully embrace nature – including that glittering night sky.
GO: LIBA VINEYARD
Self-catering stays in a two to four-person pod at Liba Vineyard cost from £149 per night, with a minimum two-night stay.
See liba-vineyard.co.uk.