Editor's picks - The best campsites for a grand tour

Situated on the edge of Ross-on-Wye, Broadmeadow Caravan Park is a short drive from the Forest of Dean. A 10-minute walk leads to the centre of Ross-on-Wye, where there are shops, cafés and restaurants.

There are two castles in the area, both of which are close to the site and both are well worth a visit. Five miles away, Goodrich Castle offers spectacular views from the battlements across open countryside and the River Wye.

A little further (a 30-minute drive) is Eastnor Castle, which sits at the foot of the Malvern Hills, surrounded by a deer park and arboretum. At Broadmeadow, there is a choice of grass and hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up and an adults-only touring area.

Dogs are welcome, with dedicated walking areas on the campsite. Facilities include toilets and showers, a family room, laundry rooms, dishwashing areas and accessible offerings. There are also two fishing lakes on the campsite.

Ross-on-Wye
Herefordshire
HR9 7BW
01989 768076
1 April – 31 October

Broadmeadow Caravan Park  

A scenic one-mile walk from Padstow’s harbour, this campsite is ideal for anyone wanting to visit the pretty Cornish fishing town.

Just outside of the town, and only one-and-a-half miles from the campsite, is Prideaux Place, a Grade I listed Elizabethan country house. Completed in 1592, it is still lived in by the family for which it was built. The gardens include an 80-tree lime avenue, woodland walks and an acer glade. The grounds overlook the ancient deer park, where there is also a café.

Padstow Holiday Village has a shop, toilets and showers, laundry room, motorhome service point, dog exercise area and shower, play area, and pop-up restaurant with al fresco dining. Pitches are grass or hardstanding, with electric.

A389
Padstow
Cornwall
PL28 8LE
03332 002550
2 May – 31 October

Padstow Holiday Village  

Blickling Estate comprises a Jacobean mansion with ancient yew hedges, formal garden and historic parkland set 15 miles north of Norwich. Under the care of the National Trust, visitors are welcome inside the house to view the many rooms, including several bedrooms, a dining room, Great Hall and the Long Gallery containing a collection of 10,000 books.

You can enjoy the acres of parkland on foot or by bike and dogs are welcome in the parkland, too.

Six miles away from Blickling, surrounded by five fishing lakes, is Cobbleacre Park. This campsite is home to a variety of wildlife and offers hardstanding or grass pitches with electric hook-up. There are also some fully serviced pitches.

Facilities include toilets, showers and a washing-up area. There is a bus stop under a mile from the campsite so you can easily explore the area while leaving the motorhome on the campsite. Note that the easiest route to this campsite is via Norwich.

Brick Kiln Road
Hevingham
Norfolk
NR10 5NL
01603 754305
4 January – 23 December

Cobbleacre Park  

At just 40 minutes from Windermere, 40 minutes from Skipton and 30 minutes from Morecambe, Riverside Caravan Park couldn’t be better placed for a location from which to explore the Yorkshire Dales, the Lakes and the coast.

The campsite is nestled on the banks of a river, within walking distance of the market town of High Bentham. There are plenty of local walks, you can fish on the river, and a golf course is close by. There are 61 touring pitches, including 12 fully serviced harstandings.

Campsite facilities include toilets and showers, a family bathroom, laundry, games room and play area.

Buxton Road
Sandybrook
Ashbourne
Derbyshire
DE6 2AQ
01335 344020
1 April – 5 November

Callow Top Holiday Park  

Standing atop a hill, the ruins of Corfe Castle make for an iconic silhouette that can be seen from miles around. The castle is 1,000 years old and wildlife has set up home among the ruins.

The pretty village of Corfe Castle itself lies in the shadow of the castle ruins. Around the village square is a cluster of tea rooms, gift shops and pubs. There’s also a train station here, where you can take the heritage railway to the coastal town of Swanage on the Jurassic Coast.

Eight miles away from Corfe Castle is Wareham Forest Tourist Park. This 40-acre woodland campsite is a haven for wildlife. There are hardstanding and grass pitches with electric hook-up, or you can have a fully serviced pitch. Facilities include toilets, showers, a launderette, shop, games room, and outdoor pool.

North Trigon
Wareham
Dorset
BH20 7NZ
01929 551393
Open all year

Wareham Forest Tourist Park  

Located just outside Kilkenny city, Tree Grove is surrounded by fields, but with easy access to the main road network, the city and the River Nore. There are hardstanding and grass pitches with toilets and showers, a laundry room, and pool table.

Kilkenny itself offers plenty to see and do, and a host of shops and places to eat, but the highlight must be Kilkenny Castle, standing dramatically above the river in the centre of the city.

It’s just a 30-minute walk from the campsite, and visitors can explore 50 acres of parkland, a terraced rose garden, woodlands and man-made lake.

Danville House
New Ross Road
Kilkenny
Republic of Ireland
00353 868 308845
1 March – 30 November

Tree Grove Caravan & Camping Park  

Home to the Mortlake Tapestries, woven from cartoons painted by Raphael, Forde Abbey and Gardens was originally farmed by monks in the twelfth century. You can explore the house interiors, gardens and a plant nursery, all surrounded by beautiful Somerset countryside.

Just over the border in east Devon, and a 20-minute drive from Forde Abbey, is Andrewshayes Holiday Park. The campsite features tiered pitches that are all-weather bases covered with artificial grass, each offering electric. Super pitches also have a water tap and grey water drainage.

Guests can enjoy a heated pool with retractable roof, plus a bar and café (open Fridays and Saturdays), and a woodland walk. Facilities include toilets and showers, family rooms, and a laundry room.

Dalwood
Axminster
Devon
EX13 7DY
01404 831225
24 March – 31 October

Andrewshayes Holiday Park  

In northeast England there are several iconic and historic castles located along the dramatic coastline. Two of them are a short distance from Waren Caravan and Camping Park.

The first is Bamburgh Castle, just three miles away. The castle sits on the clifftops towering above the beach and inside is a treasure trove of unique pieces and artefacts.

The other castle is on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, which is a great adventure to get to, as it can only be reached via a tidal causeway; check the safe crossing times at holyislandcrossingtimes.northumberland.gov.uk

There are also lots of walking routes around the island and vast, sandy beaches.

The campsite, which sits in woodland on the headland above Budle Bay Nature Reserve, offers four pitch types, from basic grass to fully serviced, and there’s also an adults-only section.

Facilities include toilets, showers, a pub and restaurant, shop, outdoor pool, games room and launderette.

Waren Mill
Bamburgh
Northumberland
NE70 7EE
01668 214366
3 March – 2 November

Waren Caravan & Camping Park  

Just a few minutes’ walk from the Shropshire Union Canal, Foxtail Holiday Park is only a mile from the Wales/England border.

One-and-a-half miles from the town of Chirk, the site itself is actually in England. It’s the ideal location for a chance to explore both countries. Impressive Chirk Aqueduct, which carries the canal over the border, is just over a mile away and only a 10-minute drive is historic Chirk Castle – a medieval fortress with over five acres of award-winning gardens and 480 acres of estate parkland to walk through.

Foxtail Holiday Park has hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up, fresh water and grey waste drainage. There are toilet and shower facilities on site and a pub serving food nearby. An indoor swimming pool is due to be completed for this summer.

Other activities in the area include day trips on the canal on a horse-drawn barge, or those with a sense of adventure can head to Llangollen and try their hand at white water rafting.

Chirk
Wrexham
Wales
LL14 5DG
01691 410134
Open all year

Foxtail Holiday Park  

 

Even if you’ve never visited, you will undoubtedly have seen an image of famous Leeds Castle – rising beautifully from the peaceful waters of its moat. With an opulent interior to explore, over 500 acres of gardens and parkland, and falconry displays throughout the year, there’s plenty to enjoy on a day at the castle. You can even ride a train from the main entrance up to the castle!

With easy access just two miles from junction 8 of the M20, The Finches Caravan and Camping Park is only three miles from stunning Leeds Castle. There are 20 touring pitches, which are all hardstanding, with electric, and separated with a grass pitch in between. Facilities on the campsite include toilets and showers, a laundry room, an accessible wet room, plus a play area and games room.

Chartway Street
Kingswood
Maidstone
Kent
ME17 3DN
01622 844388
1 March – 31 December

The Finches Caravan Park  

Set on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Langcliffe Park is just one mile from the market town of Settle where you can take the Settle to Carlisle Railway, considered to be the most beautiful and scenic railway journey in England. The route crosses the Ribblehead Viaduct with incredible views of the Yorkshire Dales.

The campsite has hardstanding pitches of two types – standard with electric hook-up, or deluxe with the addition of individual water and waste points. There are toilet and shower blocks, accessible facilities, a motorhome waste point, a launderette, plus a dog walking field.
For guests who enjoy a good walk, there are several waterfalls and caves in the local vicinity, all no more than three miles from Langcliffe Park. To stretch your legs even further, it’s seven miles to Malham Cove, a large curved formation of limestone rock, where you can also pick up the Pennine Way for even longer hikes.

Anderson Road
Ballater
Aberdeenshire
Scotland
AB35 5QW
01339 755727
25 February – 27 November

Ballater Caravan Park  

Sitting atop a promontory, three miles from North Berwick in East Lothian, Tantallon Castle is a ruined mid-fourteenth century fortress overlooking Bass Rock, an island that is home to large colonies of seabirds.

Just under two miles along the coast is Tantallon Caravan and Camping Park. The harbour town of North Berwick is 15 minutes’ walk away, with shops, restaurants and transport links to Edinburgh. The campsite has a range of pitches, from fully serviced hardstandings to traditional grass pitches. Facilities include two toilet blocks, a launderette and games room.

Tantallon Road
North Berwick
East Lothian
Scotland
EH39 5NJ
01620 893348
5 March – 31 October

Tantallon Caravan & Camping Park