Wyreside Farm

Wyreside Farm is full of little surprises that are easy to miss when you first bustle in. At first glance the site consists of two simple level fields, but whilst nature has been tamed for the sake of easy camping there is plenty that thrives in the margins. Owner Penny is passionate about nature and has filled the edges of the site with conservation areas blooming with wildflowers and natural habitat. This has led to the site winning a David Bellamy Gold Award for Conservation, which is commemorated with a butterfly garden named in the great man's honour, now home to the lovely little Butterfly Bar. Alongside the butterflies and wildflowers are rare breed sheep and, best of all, hens who produce pale blue eggs that can be purchased for a special Wyreside breakfast.

It's not just these moments of delightful eccentricity that elevate Wyreside into a special campsite. The River Wyre runs right by the site and offers pastoral scenes right out of Wind in the Willows. Alongside angling the river is shallow enough for a paddle and can be followed in both directions for long countryside walks. Penny is the heart of the place, forever looking after everything (you may well spot her mowing the grass), and the little touches, like homemade jam sold for charity, are what campers remember. The thoughtful nature of Wyreside must be a cultural component of the local area: the historic market town of Garstang is just up the road and is famous for becoming the world's first Fairtrade town. However, if you want a reminder of the gaudy side of town, Blackpool is 20 minutes away and might act as a reverse palate cleanser between tranquility and those delicious blue eggs.