Still unsure where to go on holiday this year? This guide can help. Camping is a great opportunity for families, friends and couples to enjoy time together away from their working lifestyles.
First camping holiday? Want to try somewhere different? Need a lot of activities onsite for the kids? Our guide — put together by leading gas cylinder supplier, Flogas — will show you which camping site to choose to have an unforgettable get-away in 2018…
Lee Valley Almost Wild Campsite
Open: Mainly weekends, March-September
Location: Nazeing New Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 6TD
Contact number: 03000 030 632
No matter your age, you will love the entertainment at Lee Valley Almost Wild Campsite near River Lee.
Lee Valley Almost Wild Campsite is the ultimate in nature and activity. Stroll or take a bike ride from Stratford to the Olympic Park or take on the river in a canoe. In the evening, you can unwind in one of the hammocks that swing from the trees onsite.
Key amenities:
Woodland camping | Dog friendly | Campfires permitted | Waterside campsite
Size: 17 pitches altogether — including 12 riverside and 5 woodland glades.
Further information: https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/where-to-stay-and-short-breaks/lee-valley-almost-wild-campsit/
Gimme Shelter
Open: All year
Location: 2 Dales Farm Cottage, Duloch, Nr Dunfermline, Fife KY11 7HR
Contact number: 01383 417 681
Gimme Shelter is one of the most environmentally friendly sites you can find. You won’t find any showers or access to hot water at this site, while the toilets are of a sawdust-composting style.
Just a few miles from Forth Bridge and based out in rolling meadows, this is also a great place to unwind. This tranquil campsite is set amid rich woodland and features fantastically designed, hand-carved wooden furniture.
Key amenities:
Campfires permitted | Woodland camping | Forests nearby
Size: No size given, as the site consists of a campsite and a holiday cottage.
Further information: https://coolcamping.com/campsites/uk/scotland/near-edinburgh/fife/1094-gimme-shelter-campsite-and-holiday-cottage
Pleasant Streams Farm
Open: Easter-September
Location: Pleasant Stream Barn, Lower Sticker, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 7JL
Contact number: 01726 74837
Are you bringing the family and need plenty of entertainment nearby? Try Pleasant Streams Farm, which features ducks, goats, hens and pigs — ideal for animal lovers and excitable kids!
If you decide to head offsite, you can reach a beautiful beach within ten minutes by car, as well as the Roseland peninsular — offering stunning coastlines and family photo opportunities.
Key amenities:
Campfires permitted | Caravans & campervans permitted | Electrical hook-ups
Size: Pitches for 50 tents within the site’s main camping field, as well as five vintage caravans available for rent.
Further information: http://cornwallfarmcamping.co.uk/
Hooks House Farm
Open: March-October
Location: Whitby Road, Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire YO22 4PE
Contact number: 01947 880283
Hooks House Farm, found in the stunning county of Yorkshire, is a hiker’s paradise. Relax on a grassy field and choose to look out to sea, along the neighbouring fields, woods, rolling hills or moors.
Hooks House Farm is also a great holiday destination for exploring areas that are further afield than your campsite. Why not take up the challenge of the coast-to-coast walk that will take in the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and parts of the Lake District?
Key amenities:
Electrical hook-ups | Dog friendly | Caravans & campervans permitted
Size: Pitches for 50 tents and 20 caravans/campervans.
Further information: https://www.hookshousefarm.co.uk/
The Secret Campsite
Open: March-October
Location: Brickyard Farm, Town Littleworth, Cooksbridge, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 4TD
Contact number: 07730 525560
Is city life getting you down? Then head to The Secret Campsite. This location is for tents only — no cars or pets allowed unfortunately — and is based on a stretch of land that was once occupied by rail tracks but has since seen countryside foliage reclaim the land.
Lovers of nature and peaceful places will adore The Secret Campsite. Enjoy sitting around a campfire pit in scenery that is surrounded by a beautiful collection of ancient oak and hornbeam trees. Just be sure to keep an eye out for a passing deer, as they are known to live close to the site!
Key amenities:
Disabled facilities | Perfect for a romantic retreat | Campfires permitted
Size: Pitches for 15 tents, as well as a Tree Tent and the Gridshell facility.
Further information: http://www.thesecretcampsite.co.uk/
Aberafon
Open? Easter-September
Location: Gyrn Goch, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 5PN
Contact number: 01286 660295
Aberafon in Wales is an incredible campsite that has plenty of excursions and relaxing areas to enjoy for couples, groups and families. Here, you have the chance to enjoy a private, sandy beach on one side of the site and the mountains of the Llyn Peninsula on the other.
Of course, if relaxing walks is not your thing, you can also get active as a guest at Aberafon. You’ll be pleased to hear that the surrounding area of the campsite is perfect for canoeing downstream and paragliding. The nearby Glas Fryn Park sports facility even accommodates wakeboarding lessons, too!
Key amenities:
Campervans permitted | Playground | Dog friendly | Waterside campsite
Size: Pitches for 65 tens and tourers.
Further information: http://www.maelor.demon.co.uk/aberafon.html
Cleadale Campsite
Open: March-October
Location: Cleadale Campsite, 13 Cleadale, Isle of Eigg, Scotland PH42 4RL
Contact number: 01687482480
Reportedly, JRR Tolkien chose to spend his holidays around the area of Cleadale Campsite and inspiration for the fantasy landscapes that he created in books like The Lord of the Rings can certainly be seen everywhere — from the imposing mountains of Rum that serves as a stunning backdrop, to its grassy vantage point that looks out towards the sea.
On your ferry crossing voyage to this campsite, you may even be lucky enough to see dolphins, minke whales and orcas during the ferry crossing.
Key amenities:
Dog friendly | Wi-Fi | Remote location
Size: Pitches for ten tents.
Further information: http://www.eiggorganics.co.uk/index.html
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping
Open: All year round
Location: Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk, PE31 8DD
Contact number: 01485 210256
If you want to stay somewhere a bit quirky, try the Deepdale Backpackers & Camping site in Norfolk, which has tepees for you to book! As well as being well-maintained, each tepee comes with a stove — perfect for heating — as well as comfy faux fur-clad mattresses, a barbecue and a lantern.
At Deepdale Backpackers & Camping site, you have plenty to pack your days with activity and fun. Why not take up one of the cookery classes which sees meals being prepared using local produce? Or enjoy stargazing after sunset?
Key amenities:
Short walk to a nearby pub | Campervans permitted | Campfires permitted
Size: 75 grass camping pitches, as well as 7 hard-standing, fully serviced pitches.
Further information: https://www.deepdalebackpackers.co.uk/
