Extend your Retro Festival stay with top touring tips
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Retro Festival: The best caravanning ideas for your visit
Newbury’s Retro Festival, from 8-10 August, 2025, returns for its twenty-fifth anniversary and for caravanners, there’s a good case for making it more than just a long weekend.
While thousands will pitch up at Newbury Showground from Thursday to Monday, those travelling with a caravan can easily turn the event into a full week away. The surrounding region offers excellent campsites, historic landmarks and family-friendly attractions, making it an ideal base for a short holiday.
Whether you’re keen to avoid the rush or explore more of what Berkshire and Oxfordshire have to offer, here are a few ideas to help extend your Retro Festival break the caravanning way.
Macaulay Nichol Content Editor: Caravans
Macaulay Nichol Content Editor: Caravans
Campsites nearby
You don’t need to head straight to the showground on day one. Why not ease into the festival weekend with a few nights at a local site beforehand?
High Street, Standlake, Oxfordshire OX29 7RH
Lincoln Farm Park (Oxfordshire)
Set at the gateway to the Cotswolds, this five-star campsite offers excellent facilities, including indoor pools, a spa and a gym.
There are bus stops directly outside the campsite entrance taking you to Abingdon-on-Thames and Witney where you can take buses to Oxford and many other destinations.
On site you can enjoy:
- Choice of standard and fully serviced pitches
- Hardstanding pitches
- Toilet blocks, including washing cubicles, baby facilities and dishwashing areas
- Launderette
- On-site shop
- Leisure centre complex featuring two heated indoor pools, children's pool, spa and steam room
Marlow Road, Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 2HY
Swiss Farm Touring and Camping
Just a 10-minute walk from the riverside town of Henley, Swiss Farm is a scenic spot for a few days of gentle touring. The site features a café, heated pool and fishing lake and location takes a spotlight here, as this is the ideal Thames Valley spot from which to explore, whether that's the Chilterns or historic towns, including Windsor, where you'll also find Legoland. Even a day trip to London is easy, with several stations nearby.
On site you can enjoy:
- Home cooked food in the Farm Kitchen café
- Heated outdoor swimming (seasonal opening)
- Shop selling local produce and camping essentials
Hurley, Berkshire SL6 5NE
Hurley Riverside Park
Tucked between Henley and Windsor, this riverside site offers quiet pitches and a family-friendly feel.
It’s perfect for visitors planning to explore the Thames Path and there is also a number of walks you can take using the local footpaths up the side of the valley into Ashley Hill Forest.
On site you can enjoy:
- Heated shower blocks
- Family shower rooms
- Shop
- Laundry
- Disabled facilities
- Slipway
- Nature trail
- Riverside picnic area
What to see nearby
If you’re in the area for a few extra days, consider these local attractions – all suitable for a day out before the music kicks off.
- Highclere Castle – the filming location of Downton Abbey and a remarkable country estate
- The Vyne, National Trust – a Tudor mansion rich in history and nestled in peaceful Hampshire woodland
- The Living Rainforest – a fascinating indoor ecosystem with tropical plants, birds and butterflies
- Shaw House – a rare Elizabethan building open to the public with family activities and exhibitions
Enjoy a high-quality holiday with Premier Parks!
A collection of the best campsites across the UK and Ireland, all editorially selected and offering the ultimate holiday experience.
If you’re looking for the perfect campsite and a first-class experience, look no further than a Premier Park.
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