to ask you to give me your best camping locations

[PlinketyPlinketyPlonk]

Sorry, shameful aibu post for traffic. But just got home from yet another horrendous camping weekend.

Our last 3 camping trips have been ruined by god awful campsites and locations.

I'm very close to giving up on this whole camping malarkey, but DH and DS would hate me. And we can't afford 'proper' holidays anyway so it would just mean no holidays if I refused to do it anymore.

Are there any campers on MN who can share with me their favourite UK campsites, and what they like about it?

We're the opposite to you OP. We've never had a bad experience camping, and although we do go abroad, prefer camping as it is soooo much easier with the children. They love it! We do get electric hook up and camp quite comfortably. Do you get electric? If you don't, I'd definitely recommend you do. It makes such a difference. Our favourite, repeat, sites are:

Gill Head Farm, near Keswick in the Lake District. It has immaculately kept facilities, a great children's park and lovely walks from the site. We're actually going next week for a week. www.gillheadfarm.co.uk/

We also loved Waterside House near Ullswater which a few other posters have mentioned. It attracts quieter families , and has a good park. There aren't many electric pitches.

Cove Park on Ullswater is gorgeous. Very, very quiet. I think you'd like The Quiet Site right next to it. It has a bustling bar, live music and great facilities for kids.

Finally, further south, we love Gwithian Farm in Cornwall. We often surf; it's close to the beach. It's very safe and enclosed so fab for younger kids.

We've been to so many great sites, but based on what youve said, I think The Quiet Site would be right up your street.

Far peak camping in The Cotswolds.

Lucksall campsite in Herefordshire

Karrageen campsite in Hope Cove

These are my favourites. Either for lots of stuff for the kids, location, or lovely site with great shower and toilet facilities.

The Quiet Site, Penrith

The Quiet Site in the Lake District. Absolutely brilliant!

Shamelessly place marking as we need some new campsites to visit in Wales and Lake District!

@CaravanHero great suggestion!

BrieAndChilli I’ve discovered this week that there are campsites where on your pitch you get your own little shower/toilet/kitchenette
OMG, where are these campsites?!! I NEED to know!! Totally with you on not enjoying the traipse to facilities but also disliking being so close you get no peace.

BathshebaKnickerStickers Ouch! Poor you

LakieLady In my tent camping days I would research sites before booking and found it really helpful. The ones we've enjoyed are always the ones I've researched and thoroughly planned beforehand. I've left it to DH the last 3 times as I got tired of being the planner of everything in our lives. But I'm going to have to take over again as I can't stand any more of these awful trips. DH is too disorganised and lazy to plan anything like a holiday.

Ah cross posted changes!

My dcs favourite thing there was the bear upstairs in the bar

We’ve been camping, glamping and stayed in a caravan in The Quiet Site - all equally great!

"I’ve discovered this week that there are campsites where on your pitch you get your own little shower/toilet/kitchenette (fridge and sink)!!! "

omg where????

Tregarten Park in Cornwall is is my opinion the best campsite in the UK - set slightly inland so you need to drive to the beach ( Porthluney is beautiful and only 5 mins in the car) ) but you can park right next to the beach and there is a great gastro type beach cafe.

The campsite has a great pool area and serves lovely Gin and Tonic and has a takeaway that does proper home cooked meals at really reasonable prices.

The other really nice one we've been to is Clipsby Hall in Norfolk.

Kelling Heath is nice but it has a very corporate vibe - a bit like a camping version of Centre Parks.

Interested to know which Essex one you went to just so we can avoid if! We went to Osea Leisure Park and it was nice. We also like Fen Farm on Mersea Island but only for a weekend and not so much now the kids are older - they absolutely loved it as toddlers but have grown out of it now they are 10 and 13 .

Went to Highlands End in Dorset last year - that was idyllic right up until the night a storm hit the cliff top pitches and wiped out 80% of the tents!

profpoopsnagle How old is your DS? Are you looking for weekends away or longer? Do you fancy trying sites abroad?

DS is 6. Very energetic kid that likes absolutely anything that gets him active or mentally stimulated. Being bored for even a second makes him an utter nightmare!

Mainly looking for weekend breaks, but one of our best camping trips was a lakeside Eurocamp site I found in south east France for a full week. But that was an expensive trip for us and we couldn't do it again this year. But I'm still very much open to abroad suggestions for future longer-stay camping holidays.

The Hideaway at Baxby Manor in North Yorkshire is gorgeous.
You can camp or rent a hobbit house or eco pod, or even a luxury all mod cons tree house.
I love it and go as often as I can.

The Caravan Club site Trewethett Fearm near Boscastle, Cornwall is right on the coast path and wonderful

Sorry, posted too soon, it takes tents and has good loos, showers and facilities.

MrsPworkingmummy
We do get electric hook up and camp quite comfortably. Do you get electric?

Usually we do, yes. But I have to say that one of the other great campsites we stayed at was one of those basic wild camping sites with no electric hookups on any plot. It only opens during the school summer hols. We had tractor wheel firepits, hay bale seating, eco loo's (amazingly clean and no smell!), showers in porta cabins (clean), archery and den building activities, fishing in the stream, rope swings in tree's, water slides made on hillsides from tarpaulin, a little hut selling fresh farm produce and homemade bread & treats, tractor rides and a big teepee set up for evening entertainment. It was so much fun.

www.trellyn.co.uk/facilities/

Have a look at this site OP. I'm really keen to go here!

www.campsites.co.uk/search/campsites-with-private-bathrooms

@PlinketyPlinketyPlonk
@shesgrownhorns

I havnt been to one..yet, think they are more common in France (which is how I first found out about them, then googled to see if any in the uk)

Burrowhayes on Exmoor and warcombe farm in woolacombe are our favourites.i can only stay places with a really good standard of showers 😄

This place is lovely and well situated for fab walks around Malham Cove

www.masonscampsite.co.uk

www.wooda.co.uk/touring-and-camping/

This one in Bude is lovely. There’s a nice restaurant, good play equipment and a ‘fairy glen’ walk that littlies liked. And it’s in Bude, so nice beaches!

71wheretogo it is really near port! It's camping la bien assise & is small but has nice pool & bar & we go to beach at place called Wissant.
www.camping-la-bien-assise.com/fr/

Don't mind me, just placemarking because also need ideas x

Send DH and DS without you

Have a lovely peaceful few days at home by yourself

In France the Huttopia and Castels sites are nice.
In UK forest holidays sites are nice.

Some great recommendations here. Thank you so much. Looking forward to properly researching them all and naming some summer weekend bookings!

Interested to know which Essex one you went to just so we can avoid if!
I really hate to slag it off publicly as I'd hate to offend anyone. It's clearly an area burdened with poverty, and I'm hardly minted myself. But it really wasn't nice. Its a site on Martello Beach. We realised as we drove up to the site past some dreary & bleak, but weirdly familiar, housing estate, that the area had previously featured on tv for being the most deprived area in Britain