Is this the poshest festival in Britain? Cotswolds crew flock to middle-class gathering that boasts wood-fired saunas, champagne on tap and a cricket match where ‘streaking is encouraged’

Set amid the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, the Grade-1 listed Cornbury Park Estate is better known for its roaming fallow deer than its all-night parties.

But this weekend the 5,000-acre Oxfordshire estate will be transformed into a ravers’ paradise as the Cotswolds set descend for three nights of debauchery in a gathering that’s been nicknamed ‘Poshstock’ by festival-goers.

Some 30,000 revellers are expected to attend the fifteenth edition of Wilderness Festival, held just a stone’s throw from celeb haunt Soho Farmhouse near the picturesque village of Charlbury.

Operated by Live Nation, it’s described by organisers as a ‘wholesome weekend of escapism’ but has also earned itself a reputation as a place for the landed gentry to let their hair down.

Each year, the great and good of the English countryside swap their tweeds and wellies for sequins and feather boas as the bucolic landscape is festooned with fairy lights, marquees and speakers the size of Friesian cows.

Hosted by Robin Cayzer, the 3rd Baron Rotherwick, in recent years the ‘festival for the Waitrose crowd’ has attracted the likes of David Cameron, Benedict Cumberbatch and society beauties Lady Amelia Windsor and Cara Delevingne.

Other high-profile guests have included Sophie Turner, Florence Pugh and Olivia Colman, with the site’s exclusive VIP areas proving a popular choice for stars wanting to keep a low profile.

Aside from the Veuve Clicquot marquee and the wood-fired saunas, one of the unofficial highlights of the itinerary is the Sunday cricket match, an annual tradition in which fancy dress is mandatory and streaking is ‘highly encouraged’.

And just down the road at Blenheim Palace, a lavish lunch hosted by George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess Blandford and future Duke of Marlborough, kicks off the weekend with a glittering roster of celebrities.

This year, alongside sets from the likes of Annie Lennox and Scissor Sisters, activities include wine tasting, martini masterclasses and even a spot of wild swimming in the lake.

But despite its hedonistic reputation it is regarded as a uniquely family-friendly addition to the festival circuit, popular with young families and their camping trolleys. 

A world away from sausage baps and lukewarm beer, the menu at Wilderness is a decidedly glitzier affair with champagne on tap and opulent banquet-style feasts hosted by the likes of Dame Prue Leith and Monica Galetti (this year Atul Kochhar and Andi Oliver will feature on the bill).

And forget soggy tents, as well-heeled guests can choose from luxury teepees (£1,918 for three nights), yurts (around £2,000) and log cabins (£2,563) to catch some R&R after partying into the small hours.

Those wanting to splash out can opt for a Luxury Mahal tent, complete with proper beds with memory foam mattresses, towels, linen and dining furniture. Currently sold out, it can sleep up to ten people and will set you back over £7,000. 

Day tickets start at £105 with this year’s line-up featuring the likes of Groove Armada, Carl Cox plus a host of celebrity DJ sets.