Farrs Meadow, Dorset.
Few sites can match Farrs Meadow for ingenuity and peace. Quirky touches include upcycled horsebox showers and cattle troughs converted into washing-up sinks. There’s a separate paddock for campervans, and accommodation in a yurt, a vintage Dandy camper and a converted stable. It has wild swimming in the Stour river, and is a 10-minute walk from one of the National Trust’s tiniest properties, the Vine Inn in Pamphill, and half an hour from one of its biggest, the 8,500-acre Kingston Lacy estate. • Pitch for two £25, then £10/£5 per extra adult/child, yurts (sleep 4) £100, stable £130 (sleeps 4), May-September, 07913 838726, farrsmeadow.co.uk
Embers Camping Beaulieu, New Forest
As the name suggests, it’s all about campfires at Embers Camping Beaulieu, where every pitch comes with its own firepit. Campfire cooking is an essential part of the “purist” camping experience the site aims to offer, along with acres of space, no electrical hook-ups, and a tents-only policy. On a farm beside the tranquil Beaulieu river, Embers has pitches scattered among the trees and lawns, and beyond it lie cycling or walking trails in the New Forest, plus the chocolate-box village of Beaulieu, the National Motor Museum, and Beaulieu Abbey. • Adults from £20 a night, children 4-16 £5, open July-September, 0845 257 2267, emberscamping.co.uk
The Fire Pit Camp, Norfolk
On the leafy fringes of the village of Wendling, the Fire Pit is a family-friendly camping paradise, usually scented with campfire smoke. The large, car-free meadow is home to 420 saplings planted by the Woodland Trust and just 10 spacious pitches. The centrepiece is the Wren’s Nest, a two-level glamping dome sleeping eight, made from locally harvested hazel wood and recycled materials. The campsite hosts a food festival on 6 and 7 June. • Adult £15, child £7, Wren’s Nest £130 for up to four people, £12 per extra person (sleeps 8), open all year, 07717 315199, thefirepitcamp.co.uk
Ninham Country Holidays, Isle of Wight
Given its nickname as “the garden isle” it’s appropriate that the Isle of Wight can boast such a green and well-groomed campsite. The camping areas are spread across two fields, one large with a stylish softwood-clad ablutions block, the other slightly smaller; but both sets of campers get to use the heated swimming pool. The mature woodland and rolling countryside of Ninham’s sprawling 120 acres have a fabulous network of footpaths and cycle routes leading directly from the campsite, and it’s less than a mile from the seafront resort of Shanklin. • Adults from £6.50, children from £3.55, pitch from £3.60, open May-September, 01983 864243, ninham-holidays.co.uk
Ocean Pitch, Devon
Only a short strip of meadow and the sandy descent to the beach separate Ocean Pitch from the waves of Croyde Bay, north of Bideford. Its uninterrupted beach views mean surfers can keep an eye on the sea from their tent and race down with their board when the surf’s up. The wetsuit-averse will like the fact the site is on the coastal path, so it’s an easy ramble to quieter, neighbouring beaches. • Adults from £13, children half price, cars £3, open 17 June-6 September, 07581 024348, oceanpitch.co.uk
Tehidy, Cornwall
This family-run campsite near Redruth, with its red phone box and old-fashioned Roskilly’s ice-cream sign, is quaint without being twee. There’s an array of pitches for campers and caravanners, and a carefully maintained feel, from the neatly trimmed grass to the well-stocked shop in the old blacksmith’s forge. The brand-new insulated wigwams are equipped with mod cons such as fridge, microwave and kettle. The sands and hidden coves of St Ives are a woodland walk away, through Tehidy country park. • Pitch for two from £14 then £4pp, wigwams from £50, open March to end of October, 01209 216489, tehidy.co.ukCashel, Loch Lomond
Located right on the loch’s “bonnie banks”, this campsite couldn’t be any closer to the water without being in it. Despite the fact that there are more than 160 camping spaces on the site, it’s not hard to find a pitch with unobstructed loch views. Facilities include very powerful showers, and a small shop selling groceries and pre-hike cups of coffee. Scaling nearby Ben Lomond is a must, for far-reaching views across the rest of Scotland’s first national park. • Pitch for two adults from £13.50 or £17 for family of four, open March-October, 0845 130 8224, campingintheforest.co.uk
Twitey’s Tipis, Warwickshire
This is a back-to-basics campsite with a relaxed approach and acres of car-free space. Upon arrival, guests are presented with a wheelbarrow to help move their kit and can choose from 15 flat, mown pitches spread between two wildflower meadows. There are tipis to rent, furnished with lanterns and kitchen utensils, table and chairs, and logs for a sunset campfire. The site is four miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, and there’s lovely countryside to be enjoyed along Shakespeare’s Way, a walking route that replicates the 146 miles the playwright regularly travelled to and from London. • Pitch for four from £25 then £5pp, tipis sleeping four from £195 for two nights, open all year round, 07725 944204, twiteystipis.co.uk
The Sunny Field, Kent
It is little more than a year since Sasha and Philip bought eight grassy acres on the Kent Downs, yet already their rural campsite is much-loved. Surrounded by ancient trees sheltering the wildflower meadow from the outside world, this peaceful enclave is blessed with lovely light. Facilities are basic (portable loos and standing taps), but there are campfires at each pitch and dogs are welcome. It’s a short stroll downhill to a hot shower in the couple’s farmhouse, and the city of Canterbury is a 15-minute drive away. • Pitch for two £25, then £10/£5 for each extra adult/child, two-night minimum, open all year round, 01233 750024, thesunnyfield.co.ukThe Meadows, Cornwall
The Meadows’ adults-only policy means tranquillity reigns supreme at this campsite in the heart of the Pentewan valley, south of St Austell. A few dozen tents and campervans can pitch up right beside the stream that leads to the Little Winnick river, or guests can opt to stay in one of two retro-chic vintage caravans. A shop sells newlaid eggs from the Meadows’ own flock of chickens, and homemade wild garlic pesto – and it also runs a handy book-swap service. It’s a 20-minute walk to Pentewan beach, and just a little longer to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. • Pitch for two from £10 then £4pp, caravans for two from £300 a week or £200 for a weekend, open May-September, 01726 844383, themeadowspentewanvalley.co.uk The Ceridwen Centre, Carmarthenshire In 40 acres of lush west Wales farmland, the Ceridwen Centre has just five stunning camping pitches in the fabled Teifi Valley, straddling Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The farm has a wealth of environment-friendly features, including solar water heating, a biomass boiler and solar electricity. Glamping guests can choose from three handcrafted Welsh yurts, an “eco-pod” for two and a 19th-century Romany Gypsy caravan. The centre also hosts workshops, retreats and courses. • Tents from £5 per stay plus £7.50pp (under-threes free), yurt/eco-pod from £130/£132 for two nights, caravan from £185 for two nights, open all year, 01559 370517, ceridwencentre.co.uk
Camping at Ynysfaen, Brecon Beacons
Underhill Farm, Shropshire
Despite its yurts, tipi and small cabin, Underhill Farm in rural Shropshire doesn’t call itself a glamping site. The focus here is on back-to-basics, eco-friendly camping, with almost everything made from recycled materials. Wild grass meadows, a copse and a small apple orchard surround a barn space that hosts workshops on making use of materials found on the doorstep – willow, clay for pottery, and wool for weaving. There are just five tent pitches, with campfires permitted in certain areas. Walks nearby could take in limestone cliffs for climbing and caving, or the famous Offa’s Dyke footpath. • £15 per tent for up to four people, barn (sleeps 10) £60 a night, open May to the end of the summer holidays, 07773 046111, underhillfarm.org
Eskdale, Lake District
Tucked away down a narrow country lane, the Eskdale Camping and Caravanning Club site is in one of the Lake District’s most secluded pockets, with eight acres of flat, well-maintained, tree-backed grassland and generous pitches bordered by a small stream. It’s ideally placed for climbing Scafell Pike. The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is also right on the doorstep. It may be part of the colossal Camping and Caravanning Club, but Eskdale has a cosy atmosphere. • From £7.70pp, open March-mid January, 01946 723253, campingandcaravanningclub.co.ukWalkmill, Northumberland
Pinned in a meander of the weaving Coquet river, Walkmill’s waterside pitches have vast amounts of space, shared only with the sheep that graze here. A short stroll away in a caravan and campervan area, facilities include a proper bathroom alongside a mobile home that serves as an information centre. It’s two miles downstream to the beaches of the Northumberland coast, and on the way there’s the impressive cross-shaped keep of Warkworth Castle, one of the strongest fortresses in England. • Adults £6.50, children £2.50, open May to end of October, 01665 710155, walkmillcampsite.co.uk
All sites can be booked at coolcamping.co.uk and feature in Cool Camping Britain, 2nd edition, £16.95. Available from guardianbookshop.com for £13.56 including UK p&p http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/23/uk-cool-campsites-camping-glamping-yurts-britain
