42 campsites
Every site here is hand-picked for the guide.
Low Greenside Farm Campsite
A beautifully simple handful of pitches in a walled field just east of the Lake District, where camping is done as it used to be but thought through properly
Cumbria
Turner Hall Farm Campsite
A no-frills, first-come-first-served farm site for walkers and the peace loving, tucked away in the little-known Duddon Valley with the fells rising straight from the gate
On a farm
Hollows Farm Campsite
A Tolkienesque pitch-and-pay site in a secluded Borrowdale valley near Keswick, with two tree-ringed fields, peaks shooting from their edges and the Cumbria Way running right past
On a farm
Baysbrown Farm
A vast, gently sloping, first-come-first-served site in the Langdale valley at the foot of Bowfell and the Langdale Pikes, where any point of the compass reveals a vista
In a valley
Chapel House Farm Campsite
A simple stone-walled tent field at the foot of Bessyboot just off the Borrowdale Road, easy to reach by car yet refreshingly honest Lakeland camping with stunning fell views
In a valley
Fieldhead
Back-to-basics Edale base for walkers, cars left at the gate.
In a valley
Scaldbeck Cottage
A tiny, unpretentious tents-only gem set on Morston Marsh, born from a garden wedding and capped at twelve people, with the Norfolk Coast Path minutes away
By a river
Treen Farm Campsite
A gloriously exposed clifftop campsite in a former WW2 radar station above Treen, Cornwall, where the perfect turquoise beach of Pedn Vounder lies right below
Cornwall
West Hook Farm
A simple, grown-up clifftop site above St Brides Bay in Pembrokeshire, where you sleep by a big blue ocean with the coastal path and the boat to Skomer right on the doorstep
By the sea
Llanthony Priory
Gloriously basic camping in the shadow of an 11th century priory, pitched in a circular clearing under the Black Mountains in the Vale of Ewyas for a few pounds a night
In a valley
Middle Beardshaw
A tiny, sheltered field for a few tents on a working farm in the Brontë country hills of East Lancashire, a mile from Trawden with campfires allowed on a stone platform
Lancashire
Fox Camping
A tent-only North Cornwall field run by an owner who drives to Halfords for you and makes pizzas on site, small, generous, and genuinely good.
In a field
Glynmarch Camping
A tent-only meadow beside the River Marlais in the Carmarthenshire hills, with campfires, river paddling, and a sociable barn for wet evenings.
In a valley
Gwersyllfa Glyndŵr Campsite
A tent-only farm stop on Glyndŵr's Way with barn-conversion facilities and valley views that make the steep climb from Machynlleth worth every step.
In a valley
Aber Camping
A quiet valley campsite outside Aberystwyth where craft workshops, clean facilities, and views from sunrise to sunset reward those willing to leave the main road.
In a valley
Bryher Campsite
A tent-only island campsite on Bryher with Atlantic views west and Tresco Channel east, 28 miles off the Cornish coast.
By the sea
Cuckoo Fen Campsite
A tent-only, off-grid field in the Cambridgeshire Fens where the RSPB reserve is five minutes' walk and the owner brings a wood-fired pizza oven on Friday evenings.
In a field
Dyfi Adventure Campsite
A riverside basecamp in the Dyfi Valley built for riders, walkers, and anyone who'd rather fall asleep to the sound of water than electricity.
By a river
Four Oaks Camping
Two secluded Norfolk meadows run with genuine eco conviction by hosts who clearly love what they've built.
In a field
Lamarth Farm Campsite
A no-frills Cornish farm field on the Lizard Peninsula gateway, with sunset views over Mounts Bay and owners who actually care.
On a farm
Nether Oaks Camping
Tent-only oak woodland in East Suffolk where each pitch gets its own glade, a firepit, and the forest to itself.
In the forest
Bakesdown Farm Camping
Three private fields, three fire pits, thirty rewilded acres: Bakesdown Farm offers a genuinely exclusive pitch on the Cornwall-Devon fringe.
On a farm
Camping in Nature at Vallis Veg
Organic farm camping one field from Frome, run by a climate activist with barn owls for neighbours and compost loos for humility.
On a farm
Freshwell Camping
Two minutes from Croyde Beach with full bay views across the field, this family-run seasonal site earns its reputation through owner care and a genuinely relaxed coastal atmosphere.
By the sea
Gumber Campsite
A converted flint barn and tent field on the South Downs Way, inside a National Trust sheep farm, with dark skies that earn the journey.
In a field
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
Holistic Woods Wild Campsite
Legal heathland wild camping in Suffolk with open fires, a host who actually shows up, and Sutton Hoo on the doorstep.
In the forest
Iona Campsite
The only campsite on the Isle of Iona: tent-only, family-run, and sitting inside one of the most spiritually charged small islands in Britain.
By the sea
Pentre Du Camping Club
A tent-only farm field above Colwyn Bay where stone fire circles, a present owner, and dead-quiet nights earn the place its reputation.
On a farm
Chiltern Retreat
A 3, 700-acre Chiltern farm with woodland pitches, a fire grate on every pitch, and the kind of spacious layouts that make neighbours feel theoretical.
In the forest
Higher Aunemouth Camping
Tent-only farm fields a 20-minute walk from Bantham Beach, with moorland and sea views, real campfires, and nothing switched on.
In a field
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
Cider Farm Orchard Campsite
Adults-only tent camping among 3, 000 apple trees on a working organic cider farm in West Dorset, with a fire pit on every pitch and cider poured from the source.
In an orchard
Dreamy Hollow Woodland Campsite & WW1 Trenches
Seven and a half acres of private oak woodland where every pitch has its own fire pit, its own name, and a corner of the canopy to itself.
In the forest
Orchard Wild Camping
An orchard field in the Suffolk countryside where every tent pitch comes with its own fire pit and a sky worth staying up for.
In an orchard
Palace Farm Campsite
A no-frills tent field in the Kent Downs AONB where the pull is the landscape, the pub is a five-minute walk, and London feels genuinely far away.
On a farm
Cae Du Campsite
A working beef and sheep farm on Cardigan Bay where every tent pitch faces the sea and you can fall asleep to waves.
By the sea
Inver Coille
Family-run woodland site with direct Great Glen Way access, sitting four miles from Fort Augustus on the Loch Ness shoreline.
In the forest
Gwern Gof Uchaf Campsite
A no-frills working hill farm at Tryfan's foot, where the mountain is ten minutes from your tent and the price is £10 a night.
In a valley
Barrisdale Estate Campsite
The walk-in proves the point: Barrisdale is a wilderness campsite on Knoydart's south shore where the mountains do all the talking.
By the sea
Camping Field
The only campsite on Lundy Island, reached by ferry or helicopter, sitting at the heart of a car-free village in the Bristol Channel.
In a field
Lakeview Campsite
Twelve tent pitches on the bank of Gunwade Lake inside Ferry Meadows, with watersports, walking trails, and a decent lakeside bar all within easy reach.
By a river
Why these made the list
- Aber Camping
Canvas and groundsheet in a Ceredigion valley, with walking trails to old mines and dams right from the field.
- Bakesdown Farm Camping
Three private fields, three fire pits, canvas only, Bakesdown is built for people who want to sleep in the countryside rather than on top of it.
- Barrisdale Estate Campsite
No vehicle access means no engines. Canvas, groundsheet, and the sound of the Barrisdale river.
- Bryher Campsite
No engines, no roofs you didn't bring: Bryher Campsite is tent-only (or bell tent hire) on one of England's remotest inhabited islands.
- Cae Du Campsite
Tent pitches on coastal farm fields with no engines in sight, open from Easter to October with fire pits as standard.
- Camping Field
Forty tent pitches on a car-free island, no engines, no hookups, just a solid shower block and the Atlantic on all sides.
- Camping in Nature at Vallis Veg
Canvas only, pitches spread through rough ground and young trees, barn owls optional but likely.
- Chiltern Retreat
No hookups, no engines overnight, just canvas, fire grates, and enough space between pitches to make the woodland feel yours.
- Cider Farm Orchard Campsite
Canvas only: no caravans, no hookups, no engines. Just tents, fire pits and an apple orchard.
- Cuckoo Fen Campsite
Tent-only, no engines, no EHU, a Fenland field run on solar power and composting toilets.
- Dreamy Hollow Woodland Campsite & WW1 Trenches
Overwhelmingly tent-focused, with fire pits per pitch and proper canopy cover from mature oaks.
- Dyfi Adventure Campsite
Tent and wild pitches only, grass underfoot, and no engines on site.
- Four Oaks Camping
Canvas-only, no engines, no roofs you didn't bring: Four Oaks in North Wootton is what tent-only actually means.
- Fox Camping
Canvas-only field in North Cornwall, no engines, no hookups, no exceptions.
- Freshwell Camping
A tent-first field in one of North Devon's best surf villages, with canvas as the default and a coastal outlook to match.
- Glynmarch Camping
Fifteen-pitch tent-only meadow with no engines and no roofs you didn't bring.
- Gumber Campsite
Tent pitches on a working farm field, no engines, no hookups, just the South Downs and the dark.
- Gwern Gof Uchaf Campsite
Tent-only hill farm in Eryri with direct ridge access and no distractions.
- Gwersyllfa Glyndŵr Campsite
Tent-only, no engines, no hookups, the Glyndŵr Way campsite is a walkers' and cyclists' stop the way they should be.
- Hennock Hideaways
No hookups, no caravans, no roofs: just a big grass field, fire pits, and a Teign Valley panorama.
- Higher Aunemouth Camping
No hookups, no engines, no roofs you didn't bring, three farm fields above South Devon doing tent camping the right way.
- Holistic Woods Wild Campsite
Canvas only on Sutton Heath. No caravans, no hookup, no engines. Legal wild camping done properly.
- Hook Farm Campsite
No-frills AONB valley site with campfires, choose-your-own pitch, and a village pub four minutes away.
- Inver Coille
No caravans or motorhomes, just tents and glamping under the trees on the Loch Ness shoreline.
- Iona Campsite
Thirty-one grass pitches, no engines, no hookups, and a Hebridean island that repays the effort of getting here.
- Lakeview Campsite
Canvas-only, twelve pitches, lake views, and a quiet conservation ethos from the Nene Park Trust.
- Lamarth Farm Campsite
No EHU, no caravans, no noise -- just grass pitches, fire pits, and the Lizard Peninsula on the doorstep.
- Nether Oaks Camping
Canvas only in a Suffolk oak wood: each party gets a glade, a firepit, and the trees to themselves.
- Orchard Wild Camping
Canvas-only orchard pitches with no engines and no roofs you didn't bring.
- Palace Farm Campsite
Canvas only, AONB countryside, and fire pits for hire: Palace Farm keeps it honest.
- Pentre Du Camping Club
Canvas-only field above Colwyn Bay with fire circles, generous pitch spacing, and none of the caravan noise.