Following some top suggestions for UK camping in winter, we’ve teamed up again with the experts at Cool Camping to bring you our favourite UK campsites to enjoy the emergence of spring!
Embers Camping Bentley, East Sussex
Campfires, pizza and ice cream, with the option of a pre-erected bell tent and a Bundle Bed!
Sitting on the doorstep of the South Downs National Park and boasting acres of grassy fields, aging oaks, wood-fired pizza, ice-cream, and an adventure playground, this is a family camping paradise. A tent-only site where campfires and marshmallows are practically obligatory, it opens for bookings in May. Get in early and check-out the Bushcraft Courses for kids offered over the half term holiday.
Across the road from the campsite you can visit the Bentley Motor Museum and hop aboard the miniature railway or wander through the wildfowl reserve (the most diverse private bird collection in Europe).
AND if you don’t have a Bundle Bed of your own you can rent one from Embers Camping when you make your booking. They will also set-up one of their bell tents for you, making the camping experience oh-so-easy!
Racquety Farm, Powys
The perfect combination of tourist-town proximity and remote, countryside feel with plenty of opportunities for riverside adventures.
A 5-minute walk across meadows (or canoe trip downriver!) to Hay-on-Wye town centre makes this the perfect place to stay to visit the world-renowned Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts (24 May - 3 June 2018). Pitch your tent beside bushy hedgerows and feel hidden in the verdant Welsh wilderness, but still be a stroll away from the bustling hive of town.
Racquety Farm is a mix of woodland, orchards, organic crops and grazed pastures, on the banks of the River Wye (designated Site of Special Scientific Interest). The result is a conscientious campsite, with plenty of recycling and composting toilets.
In addition to tent pitches, there are five geo-domes built by the owner himself. Furnished simply but practically, with a wood-burning stove, to create warmth and comfort they’re a great option for spring.
Hire canoes, go wild swimming, take part in a guided river adventure or learn survival skills on a Bushcraft course – there’s plenty for the more adventurous camper!
The Real Campsite at Park Farm, Oxfordshire
No frills, no gimmicks, just endless views of the Cotswolds.
With only eight spacious camping pitches, each with their own private toilet, this site books up fast. As well as the opportunity to collect eggs in the morning, visit in spring, and watch the newborn lambs take their first wobbly steps. There are also two mischievous pygmy goats to befriend and, if you peep from your tent at the right time, you can spy hares, buzzards, red kites and deer.
The star of the site however is the ever present, and ever-changing, landscape. Each of the individual designated pitches boasts a spectacular vista stretching out from the Upper Thames Valley to the Cotswolds beyond. Watch it from your tent door coming back to life in spring!
Birds & Bees Campsite, Suffolk
Eco-friendly, family-centric, tents-only camping nestled among the long grasses of Suffolk's Alde Valley.
A wildlife- and family- friendly campsite with abundant hedgerows that create privacy, but with proximity to excellent facilities (including a family shower room which is a boon for those with young children). The owners work hard to provide you with a pitch that meets your priority for absolute seclusion or picturesque views or family convenience.
The giant hedges, mature tree lines and ancient pastures make the perfect habitat for a wide variety of nature and the owners are heavily involved with various planting schemes to promote the environment further. Spend your time spotting birds and butterflies, or nip down to the coast in the car for a dose of Vitamin Sea.
Woodland Escapes, Shropshire
Fill up on the great outdoors whilst retreating to luxury at the end of the day.
This woodland site, set within 45 unspoiled acres on the edge of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty, is awash with bluebells in the spring. If you love a little luxury, their aptly named Star Dome with all mod-cons, including a Scandinavian wood fired hot tub, is for you! Open the drapes in the morning to allow the dawn light to flood in through the expansive front window and, at night, soak in the hot tub under the star-studded sky...
Bundle Beds: the all-in-one solution to keeping cosy under canvas!
Whichever of the UK’s abundant range of fantastic campsites you choose to visit, Bundle Beds are an easy, convenient way to ensure the whole family sleeps well. With a waterproof outer layer, you won’t risk your bedding in a muddy puddle when struggling with the tent! The self-inflating mattress (guaranteed for ten years) negates the need for a foot pump, whilst the jersey cotton sheets, moisture-wicking pillow and 15-tog duvet, are warm, cosy and feel more like your bed at home than a sleeping bag. If you add a custom-made double sheet you can turn two Bundle Beds into a double.
Bundle Beds are easy to use, take up less room than stacks of bedding in the car, and are ideal for children:
“they’re an all-in-one solution - so long as you’ve got a Bundle Bed per child you don’t need anything else!” ~ Bambino Goodies.
For more UK camping/glamping suggestions take a look at our winter camping recommendations (great all-year-round, and especially for star-gazers) and a Bundle Bed customer's review of their camping trip with kids to East Sussex.
Based on their leading guidebooks, the Cool Camping website now offers an online collection of the very best camping and glamping sites in the UK and Europe. Discover their full collection of campsites open all-year-round here. Discover their full collection of campsites open all-year-round here.
Happy Bundling!