The best campsites near waterways

Whether you want to mess about on the river, watch boats go sailing by or wander at your leisure along a canal towpath, we've picked six great campsites near waterways for you.

Somerset
Bath Marina & Caravan Park

Brassmill Lane, Bath, Somerset BA1 3JT
01225 424301
bwml.co.uk
Open: All year

Just five miles from the city of Bath is the Canal Visitor Centre (BA2 7JD). Based in the Brassknocker Basin at Monkton Combe, the centre offers access to many a waterway attraction. For a start, a short walk will take you to the Dundas Aqueduct which carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon and the Wessex Mainline railway. There’s also Claverton Pumping Station (closed during 2014 for refurbishment) and a cycle track alongside the canal to explore. A few miles walking canalside will lead you into the city. You can also hire electric day boats and Canadian canoes from the Bath & Dundas Canal Co, should you wish to traverse the waterways yourself. The caravan park at Bath Marina has a large riverfront setting on the River Avon with pitches among landscaped lawns and woodland. There are hardstanding pitches with electric and TV connection and modern facilities. It is two miles to the centre of Bath with a bus service available from the site.

Cumbria
Hill of Oaks

Tower Wood, Windermere, Cumbria LA12 8NR
01539 531578
hillofoaks.co.uk
Open: 1 March – 14 November

The proximity of Windermere, England’s largest lake, makes Hill of Oaks an excellent location for family-friendly boat-based and watery fun. The site has its own slipways and a total of five private jetties, as well as about a mile of exclusive lake frontage, and welcomes tourers bringing their own watercraft. Reception houses a fully-licensed shop with provisions and watersports equipment. There’s a great range of touring facilities, with pitches being large enough for an allocated boat parking space and with room to sit around your barbecue.

Northamptonshire
Yarwell Mill Caravan & Camping Park

Yarwell, Nr Peterborough PE8 6PS
01780 782344
yarwellmill.co.uk
Open: 1 March – 31 October

The River Nene runs around the perimeter of this site, seeing many river cruisers and narrowboats traverse its waterways daily. Children will be entertained as the boats navigate the lock gates, or spotting the variety of waterfowl which frequent the river and the five-acre fishing lake. There are many public footpaths (the Nene Way being one) and bridleways from the site and along the waterway. You can walk from the site by waymarked paths to the Yarwell Victorian station, which forms part of the Nene Valley Railway, and enjoy a ride on a steam locomotive.

Lancashire
Bridgehouse Marina and Caravan Park

Nateby Crossing Lane, Nateby, Nr Garstang PR3 0JJ
01995 603207
bridgehousemarina.co.uk
Open: 1 March – 4 January

Bridgehouse Marina and Caravan Park is located adjacent to the Lancashire canal, 10 miles north of Preston, close to the market town of Garstang. The canal has an unusually long lock-free stretch of 42 miles. There’s a sprinkling of towns and villages, along with canalside pubs, along the canal – perfect for leisurely boating or walking days, with somewhere to stop off for refreshments. The marina offers self-drive day hire boats which seat up to eight people. Prices start at £80 for weekday hire, which includes fuel, life jackets and up to seven hours boating time.

Scotland
Linwater Caravan Park

West Clifton, East Calder, West Lothian EH53 0HT
0131 333 3326
linwater.co.uk
Open: 14 March – 3 November

Standing 100ft high, the Kelpies are two of the largest equine sculptures in the world. Located at the entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal, they are the landmark feature of the Helix Environmental Regeneration Scheme, near Falkirk. These vast steel sculptures pay homage to the area’s industrial heritage and the powerhouse Shire horses which worked the foundries, fields and canal itself. Linwater Caravan Park is a 25-minute drive from Helix Park (FK2 9EE) – home of the Kelpies, on a 350-hectare park with woodlands, wetlands and 16 miles of pathways.

Shropshire
Wharf Caravan Park

Goldstone, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 2LP
01630 661226
wharfcaravanpark.com
Open: All year

The Wharf Tavern is a popular boater’s pub on the banks of the Shropshire Union Canal, about three miles south of Market Drayton. The pub has two camping fields, one of which is devoted to tourers with 50 generously-sized pitches, mainly on hardstanding and all with electricity. The toilet and shower block is across the road, but no further away than on many sites, and there is a play area suitable for younger kids. The towpath provides plenty of walking opportunities with many boats to watch sailing by.

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