Campsites you'd recommend (or not)

[ThunderOnlyHappens]

Recommended:

Green Haven in Halesworth. So quiet and relaxing, family friendly and well located. Not too expensive.

Pitch and canvas at Broad Oak Farm-Chester. Small, nice okay area in the middle of the pitches, nice showers, close to the Welsh Coast and Liverpool.

Not recommended:

Kelhem Hall and Country Park. Hell on Earth. The worst showers I have ever to encounter.

Side Farm, Patterdale, Cumbria. It's right by Ullswater on the side away from the road, and the view across the lake to Glenridding meant it was a wonderful place to camp even when the only facilities were a toilet and a washbasin with a cold tap (there are now luxuries like hot showers and sinks for washing up). I just wish they allowed fires.

Both of my recommendations allowed firepits, and it does mean you can sit out at night and not freeze. Totally in agreement about that. I did see someone using their bbq as a makeshift fire pit, I do wonder whether we could get away with it, or if it would be spotted??

Brotherswater campsite in the lakes. Spectacular scenery. Hot showers. Pub on site. Nice, small and quiet. Brotherswater is short stroll away, described as either the smallest lake or the largest tarn in the lakes.
Also within around 30 mins drive from all the big more touristy lakes.

Small contained fires allowed but must be out by 11.

I like camping at Wicksteed Park in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The site itself is fairly basic (toilet and shower block and that's about it) but it is inside a theme park. A very small theme park but you can walk around the whole park after all the rides etc have closed - which always feels like you are being a little bit naughty.

Mandate Campsite near Bakewell, Derbyshire. Beautiful scenery, pitch where you like, clean hot showers and looks and no playground. You can have a fire as long as it's off the ground and it's about £5 a night. I love it there.

Hook Farm in Uplyme, which is near Lyme Regis. Really friendly site run by a lovely family. You can walk into Lyme Regis as well.

Tom's Field in Langton Matravers, Dorset. Clean site with good basic facilities and you can walk to what has to be the very best pub in the world (Square and Compass, Worth Matravers).

Red Bank Farm, Bolton le Sands near Carnforth. Cafe on site. Walkable to pub and restaurant too. Can ha e fire pits and it’s got a beautiful shower block

Don’t bother with Uttoxeter Caravan and Motorhome Club site. No security, caravans packed in like sardines in a tin and a sea of mud where you have to cross the racecourse to get in. Asbestos warnings on the ceiling in the (very dated & basic) showers and toilets.

Highly recommend Upper Hurst Farm near Buxton. Spotless facilities, small, family friendly. Space for kids to play in separate field.

Firepits allowed (off the ground)

Would not recommend Stable fell in Yorkshire Dales. Endless rules, the most basic and horrendous toilets, cold showers, overbearing owners. Beautiful view though.

Stanwick Park in Siloth, has a lovely feel to it, good facilities, clean toilets/showers, campers kitchen, pool, clubhouse, entertainment on for kids during the day either free or a nominal amount, family entertainment at night. But it can be ridiculously windy, it's the only place we've been to that a tent pole snapped due to the wind!

Just spent the weekend at Muddy Creek Farm in the New Forest which is only open for August and it was pretty good. Fires allowed off the ground. Proper loos and hot showers however you can only buy your logs or freeze your cool blocks in office hours which are 5-7pm which is a pain. It's a basic site but suited us.

Also had a week at Meadow Farm in Tenby. Great site. New owners who intend to rebuild the shower and toilet facilities for next year. Fab views but exposed to the elements somewhat!

Would also recommend WoWo. It's our favourite but mostly out of season. During the summer it has more of a festival feel to it and facilities can get stretched (according to others). We tend to enjoy it more at Easter and in October half term.

I think with campsites it really depends what you want....

For us fires are essential - and we have a dog now. Also we like space between us and the next people, quiet, and to see the stars....

If you don’t have a dog Freshwinds In Pett, Sussex, is lovely. Near the beach and walkable to a really wild woodland. In a valley with a wood next to the site.

We just went to Alpaca Camp in Sussex. Lovely and next to a lake. Alpacas wandering around the field next door. Lovely. The same people run Kitts Camp which is equally lovely

For the best views it’s North Morte Farm in North Devon. No fires though which is a shame. It is totally stunning though. They don’t take bookings either - which is either brilliant or annoying depending on your view.

Yes to Wowo too!

Freshwinds is lovely - the compost toilet needed sorting out when we went a few years ago though. The straw was all slipping down, rats....

We love:
Whitehorse Farm in Dorset
Blackberry Wood in W Sussex
Heathfield Farm on the Isle of Wight (currently there now)
Westacott Farm in Bideford, N Devon (all time fave)

Wouldn’t go back to Woodlands in South Devon for all the money in the world.

Britchcombe Farm near Uffington in Oxfordshire is one of my favourite places in the world.

Wowo. Big fires and woods to play in.

South Penquite Farm in the middle of Bodmin Moor. Its an organic farm so has ducks and geese wandering around. Only tents or campervans allowed (caravans can't get across the bridge/fford option at the entrance) allow fires, pitch where ou like but they don't cram people in. Immaculate warm toilets and Huge shower rooms.
No EHU, but has a freezer and fridge and lockers for charging phones or power packs.
Small playground, games room (just come kids toys, a sofa, loads of books and a telly, people barely ever use it) a barn with a table tennis table (and a lamb when we were there)
No light pollution, so you can easily see the milk way. No dogs allowed as it's a working sheep farm.
Also has pods and yurts to hire.

Also Church Bay cottages on Anglesey.
Small site, only 15 pitches, 2 minutes walk from Church Bay. Basic shower and toilet facilities, but the owners are working on improving them. (They have hot water in the toilets now!) Owners are really helpful and friendly. They've had to get rid of the freezers this year as they're doing building work, but were more than happy to put my ice blocks in their own freezer.

Glad to see some around Derbyshire have been suggested. I struggled to find somone rond Bakewell that I'd visit again.

Red Shoot near Ringwood in the New Forest. They sell themselves as family friendly but we don't have kids so went this week and it was lovely. Quiet at night (they have a no noise after 10.30 policy) but enough people around to make it feel friendly. Pub on site which does really good food and of course beautiful surroundings. You can also order croissants etc for breakfast and the shop sells everything you could possibly want!

We enjoyed a week at Lleithyr Farm near St David’s in Pembrokeshire this Summer. Walkable to fabulous beach, extinct volcanoes to walk up close by and cute St David’s for Cathedral and cafes. Small fires in pits allowed. Great shop, play area and open space for kids to play in. Only downside was could do with more showers and washing up facilities. There were quieter facilities in next field but was a bit of a trek. Would definitely stay again.

We love
White Horse Campsite near Weymouth
The Croft Ubbeston
Manor Farm near Cromer
Lings Meadow Suffolk
Rushbanks Farm near Nayland (although this has been getting busier every time we've been to the point where it's almost too crowded for us)

Wouldn't recommend Beares Den in Cornwall- lovely host but the compost loos stank and there was never any loo roll. The host's dogs shat wherever they fancied too, eg almost under our awning 🤮.