Alpine Grove

Alpine Grove sits in 8.5 acres of oak, beech and birch woodland on the Somerset side of the Devon and Dorset borders, near the small town of Chard. Rhododendron planting between pitches gives real privacy, and the tree canopy earns its keep: reviewers repeatedly mention the shade during hot spells. This is not a field that has been called a wood, the trees are old, the floor is dappled, and the pitches sit properly within them.

The owners run it themselves, and it shows in the details: the on-site shop stocks essentials at fair prices, there is a fridge-freezer block for cool boxes, and the toilet and shower facilities are kept clean. The heated outdoor pool is bookable in 45-minute slots, a sensible arrangement that keeps it from becoming a scrum. A hot tub and a well-regarded children's play area round out the facilities. Log cabins are available for those who want a roof, and the combination of cabin, caravan and tent pitches means the site serves a range of travellers without feeling incoherent.

Dogs are welcome throughout, and the woodland loop around the site makes a good morning walk before breakfast. The Chard to Ilminster cycle path is reachable from the area for longer days out. The South Somerset landscape here is quiet and unspectacular in the best sense, close enough to the Devon and Dorset borders to make those counties accessible, but without the peak-season crowds of the coast.