Spring’s English Tourism Week was kicked off to an enthusiastic start with the welcoming of MP Steve Brine to the Ascough family’s ‘Two Hoots Glamping Site’ in Bighton, near Alresford.

Rooting from a ‘dream project’ which has culminated in a five-acre site with both human and animal residents, owners Shaun and Michele have created a wildlife-enriched sanctuary, which Shaun told Steve Brine he believes is integral for “couples and families to achieve a more healthy work-life balance."

Shaun and Michele Ascough’s hilltop site boasts a range of animal, bird and plant species including a wildflower meadow, offering panoramic views across Winchester and its surrounding countryside.

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The tour included the MP being shown an oak-frame barn in which the couple live, which will, after conversion, use solar power and an air source heat pump to self-generate most of its own energy.

Hampshire Chronicle: Steve Brine MP at Two Hoots Glamping Site Steve Brine MP at Two Hoots Glamping Site (Image: Steve Brine MP)

This up-and-coming site does not just offer city-based workers with a rural antidote to the high-pressure life which encumbers much of Winchester, however, Shaun explained how other local businesses directly benefitted by the existence of their glamping site, as well as employment around the city, and a recent economic survey exemplifying how these type of businesses in areas such as these generate just over £9.2 billion in visitor expenditure each year.

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English Tourism week runs from March 18 until March 24 and shines spotlights on businesses within the tourism sector and the annual contribution that they make to the UK economy in general.

Going forward, Shaun and Michele have ambitious plans for more luxurious and profitable lodges, accompanied by EV electric charging points in the near future.