Camping has long been a favourite pastime in England and there are hundreds of excellent, small campgrounds to visit. These are some of the best in the English countryside.
1. Matlock, Derbyshire – The Barn Farm
( Photo Credit: markhsal)
The Barn Farm is a popular campground with school groups and families. There are numerous hiking paths that take you into the country’s Peak District where you’ll come across a variety of animals, including deer and badgers. There are also a few species of rare birds in the area such as nuthatches and peregrine falcons.
The Farm has a games room where you can play air hockey and table football as well as a swimming pool. Matlock Bath is just a few miles away and makes a great day trip as it has some excellent caves to explore as well as a cable car ride.
2. St. Kew, Cornwall – Cornish Tipi Holidays
( Photo Credit: wapster)
If you’d like to try sleeping under the stars on the beautiful Cornish coast in a large tepee this is the place for you. Each of the 40 tents is about 18 feet in height and comes with kitchen equipment, a stove, lantern, rug, and groundsheet. All you really need to take along is your sleeping bag. The ground itself is wooded and sits on 16 acres and is Britain’s first commercial tepee ground. Tregildran’s quarry features a crystal-clear lake for boating, fishing, and swimming.
3. Truro, Cornwall – Treloan Coastal Holidays
( Photo Credit: pwilson )
This wonderful campground lies on the Roseland Peninsula, close to the charming fishing town of Portscatho. The sea can be reached by a short walk and there are a couple of excellent swimming locations at Peter’s Splosh and Treloan Cove. There are also busier swimming spots at Padstow and Polzeath. There’s a nearby petting zoo for children where they can feed chickens and rabbits. A ferry trip from Place over to St Mawes and Falmouth makes for an ideal day trip.
4. Norfolk – Kelling Heath Holiday Park
( Photo Credit: rictor-and-david )
This beautiful park sits on 250 acres on the coast of North Norfolk. It’s a well-organized campsite that offers plenty of interesting children’s activities. These include hiking, swimming, and stargazing. The area is quite historical and offers a lot of natural beauty. Families can head down to the coast to try their hands at crabbing in Morston. You can also head over to Blakeney Point to get a close-up look at seals as they swim by. There are also several excellent beaches to visit.
5. North Yorkshire – Rosedale Abbey Country Caravan Park
(photo credit: grey-panther)
This caravan park sits in the North York Moors National Park and has a nearby river for fishing, boating, and even swimming. It’s an ideal location for children to enjoy the freedom of the countryside where they can climb trees and build dams. The park itself also has a large playing area for ball games as well as table tennis and monkey bars.
6. Branscombe, Devon – Coombe View Farm
( Photo Credit: Phil Bread )
There’s a wonderful beach at Branscombe for swimming about a mile from the Coombe View Farm campground, which sits on the East Devon coast. The nearby fields are ideal playgrounds for youngsters and kindling can be gathered for campfires from the woodlands. The ground features a cricket pitch where campers can get together for impromptu matches. The village of Branscombe is ideal for a day trip.
7. Farringdon, Oxfordshire – Britchcombe Farm
( Photo Credit: clogette )
This campground offers escapism for families in one of Oxfordshire’s most scenic areas. There are plenty of wide open spaces for children to explore and play in. Campfires are common here and it’s a great place to spend a few days in the summer when trying to relax.
