33 campsites
Every site here is hand-picked for the guide.
Henry's Campsite
The most southerly campsite in the UK, an eccentric, characterful and unique Lizard hideaway of gaudily painted buildings, wildflowers and a menagerie that even runs to llamas among the palm trees
By the sea
Camping at Banks
A back-to-basics trail camp 150 metres from Hadrian's Wall, run by hosts Oli and Emma who make £5-a-night feel like a genuinely cared-for stop.
In a field
Hill Farm Campsite
Eighteen-pitch Chilterns hillside site with Wendover Woods on the doorstep, run with the kind of care that refunds you for nights you don't use.
On a hillside
Holyrood Campsite
A working farm above Shaftesbury with wide views over the Blackmore Vale and a ten-minute footpath into town.
On a farm
Llandyfan Camping
A small, unhurried valley campsite west of the Brecon Beacons, run by a couple who genuinely like their guests and own a fishing lake.
In a valley
Llansawel Agored
A 20-acre social enterprise in Carmarthenshire, limited to six pitches and run with real warmth by host Rhys.
In a field
Park Farm Campsite
A pitch-where-you-want organic dairy farm in North Wiltshire with campfires as standard, a wood-fired sauna next door, and owners who actually come round to check you're OK.
On a farm
Barn Owl Camping
Eight generously spaced pitches in a 10-acre Suffolk meadow, where barn owls hunt at dusk and every pitch gets its own fire pit.
In a field
Brigs Farm
A laid-back West Dorset farm with sea views, communal fires, and weekend pizza nights two miles from the Jurassic Coast.
On a farm
Cledan Valley
A nine-acre valley in Mid Wales where red kites circle overhead, llamas wander nearby, and Karen runs the whole thing with quiet, unhurried care.
In a valley
Etties Field
A boho field campsite built around a vintage Airstream, where every pitch comes with its own chiminea and the neighbouring farm supplies donkeys and chickens as free entertainment.
In a field
Farrs Meadow
A hilltop Dorset woodland site where horse-trailer shower blocks, goats in the morning and a ten-minute stroll to the River Stour make camping feel genuinely alive.
On a hillside
Foxholes Camp Site
An eco-minded South Shropshire Hills campsite where converted railway carriages and big AONB views earn their keep, a 10-minute walk from the market town of Bishops Castle.
In a valley
Hennock Hideaways
A pitch-as-you-please tent field above the Teign Valley, where every spot earns its views across to Haldon Forest and the Palk Arms is two minutes on foot.
In a valley
Hillside Farm Camping
A small East Anglian meadow site where every pitch gets its own fire and the skies go on for ever.
On a farm
Loves Hill Camping
A genuinely easy-going Somerset field campsite, 20 minutes from Bath, run by hosts who actually care about who turns up.
In a field
Mattiscombe Farm Camping
A hilltop working farm above Start Bay where the view does the talking and the host family makes you feel like a regular on your first visit.
On a farm
Beryl's Campsite
Liz's valley campsite on the South West Coast Path: well-spaced pitches, Beesands beach on foot, and the kind of quiet that only arrives when you're truly off the beaten road.
In a valley
Hook Farm Campsite
A working-farm valley site in the High Weald AONB where you pitch wherever you like, campfires are on, and the village pub is four minutes on foot.
In a valley
Lupine Woods Camping Rose Cottage
An 18-acre woodland campsite in the Haxey countryside where the standout draw is an on-site dog training centre and owner-planted forest to roam.
In a field
Eco Camping Wales
A family-run eco campsite in the heart of the upper Swansea valleys, with valley views, compost loos, and a pub at the gate.
In a valley
Denny Wood
Ancient New Forest woodland campsite where the ponies wander between the tents and the only facilities are a water tap and waste point.
In the forest
Lampeter Caravan and Camping
A family-run woodland site in the Teifi Valley that earns its place through setting and price, not polish.
In the forest
Campsite on Bromyard Downs
Woodland-edged campsite on Bromyard Downs where the walking starts the moment you step off your pitch.
In the forest
Fox Hagg Farm Camp Site
A working farm on Sheffield's western edge that doubles as your base for the Peak District, run by the same family who've tended the land for years.
On a farm
Haddon Grove Farm caravan and campsite
A working dairy farm in the Peak District with a private gate onto Lathkill Dale, five fields, and a pizza van that makes evenings easy.
On a farm
Little Eden Riverside Campsite
A simple, owner-run riverside pitch on the Somerset Levels where kingfishers pass close enough to startle you and every pitch has its own fire pit.
By a river
Mourne Camping
Owner-run mountain-and-sea site at the foot of the Mournes, where grazing sheep share the hedgerows and Frank comes by to take your money.
By the sea
Bluebell Camp Site
Woodland glamping from a small East Sussex operator who takes fire pits, yurts, and the Bluebell Steam Railway seriously.
In the forest
Llwyn Celyn Bach
A back-to-basics Snowdonia base where both the Llanberis Path and the Snowdon Ranger route begin at the gate.
In a valley
Boyd Valley Lake
A lakeside valley site between Bath and Bristol where the owner's 25 years of care shows in the water, the wildlife, and the welcome.
In a valley
Cerenety Camp Site
Rustic, eco-minded camping a five-minute walk from a quiet Cornish beach, with compost loos, solar showers, and communal fires under genuinely dark skies.
By the sea
Kinlochleven Wild Camping Area
The first place you reach walking into Kinlochleven from Glencoe on the West Highland Way: a practical, no-nonsense base that walkers have been leaning on for years.
In a valley
Why these made the list
- Barn Owl Camping
Wild meadow, blackberries along the edge, moss and long grass between pitches, kept, but never manicured.
- Beryl's Campsite
Coin showers, an honesty shop, spring water, and bunting somewhere: Beryl's has the unselfconscious warmth of a site that's never needed to try.
- Eco Camping Wales
An eco campsite in the upper Swansea valleys where the compost loos are a feature, not an apology, and the meadow does all the work.
- Bluebell Camp Site
Compost loos, last year's woodland, a communal yurt, and a fire pit you actually want to sit at.
- Boyd Valley Lake
Former cornfields that have become meadow, lake, and campsite through decades of owner effort: there's life here, and it's still growing.
- Brigs Farm
Compost loos, sloping pitches, a converted Bedford lorry and pizza from the wood-fired oven on weekends: perfectly imperfect.
- Camping at Banks
A proper back-to-basics stop: last-yard grass, compost loos, cold drinks from the house, and a shepherd's hut that leans into its own character.
- Campsite on Bromyard Downs
Flower beds, cut grass, and a warden who fixes your plumbing without being asked: cared-for without being manicured.
- Cerenety Camp Site
Compost loos, loaned fire pits, solar showers and alpacas at the back - Cerenety wears its rougher edges with clear intent.
- Cledan Valley
Wild rather than manicured, natural rather than polished: the kind of valley site that prioritises otters over matching towels.
- Denny Wood
No mown edges, no painted kerbs, no entertainment programme; just woodland the way it grows and a water tap when you need it.
- Etties Field
Solar lanterns, last season's bunting energy, a vintage Airstream, and no airs whatsoever, this is the kind of place that doesn't need to try.
- Farrs Meadow
Horse-trailer shower blocks, moss underfoot, open fires and a host who describes the place as offering rustic charm rather than apologising for it.
- Fox Hagg Farm Camp Site
Dated push-button showers, a sloping field, a welcoming old farmhouse, and views worth the gradient. Exactly what this category is for.
- Foxholes Camp Site
Metered showers, cash-only, rainwater in the loos, and some of the best views in South Shropshire, with no pretension about any of it.
- Haddon Grove Farm caravan and campsite
Informal and unhurried, with a relaxed owner and the kind of easy atmosphere where the camping matters more than the polish.
- Hennock Hideaways
Tea shed for washing up, last-pitch honesty shop, communal fires: rustic without apology and entirely the point.
- Hill Farm Campsite
No airs whatsoever, a half-acre hillside field, free tea and coffee in the kitchen room, and owners who'll help you put your tent up if you need it.
- Hillside Farm Camping
Horsebox showers, a barn with a fridge, and a host who moves your picnic bench on request. Zero airs.
- Holyrood Campsite
No airs, no stage-set landscaping, just a well-run farm field with a spectacular view and hot showers that actually work.
- Hook Farm Campsite
Slopey meadows, compost toilets, coin-op showers, and an owner who checks in by walking the field: exactly as it should be.
- Kinlochleven Wild Camping Area
Hostel practicality with no airs: worn edges, good showers, and the kind of place that cares more about getting you back on the trail than about the décor.
- Lampeter Caravan and Camping
A 2021 site with honest roughness: worn fire pit benches, rustic showers, long grass in late summer, the kind of place that apologises for nothing and charges £20 for the privilege.
- Little Eden Riverside Campsite
Rustic without apology, moss, grass, fire pits, and the Somerset sky doing all the heavy lifting.
- Llandyfan Camping
Firepits made from old washing machine drums, geese wandering between caravans, and zero pretension about any of it.
- Llansawel Agored
Rustic in the right ways: moss, wood, compost loos that actually work, and no interest in impressing anyone.
- Llwyn Celyn Bach
Sloping hillside pitches, coin-operated showers, and mountain views that make every scuff worthwhile.
- Loves Hill Camping
Composting toilets, a pop-up breakfast roll setup, and a relaxed field in Somerset: all the right roughness in all the right places.
- Lupine Woods Camping Rose Cottage
Basic facilities, owner-planted trees, and no frills beyond what you actually need: exactly what budget woodland camping is supposed to feel like.
- Mattiscombe Farm Camping
No frills by design: composting loos, fire pits, open fields and a view that makes up for anything the facilities list is missing.
- Mourne Camping
Outdated facilities, wind-sheltering hedgerows, Frank collecting cash by hand: all the right signals.
- Park Farm Campsite
Uncut meadow grass, last year's honesty shop jars, and a sauna that arrived because the owners felt like it: this is a farm campsite that has never tried to be anything else.