Eco-friendly campsites for motorhomes

Our selection of campsites have all won awards for their 'green' credentials and commitment to helping the environment

Mother Ivey's Bay Holiday Park, Nr Padstow, Cornwall

This David Bellamy Gold Award campsite has received recognition for its protection of plant and animal habitats and the efficient use of energy and recycling. The local area abounds with places of natural interest and the areas close by have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest because of the rarity of the plants and wildlife found here. There are four touring fields set within landscaped grounds and direct access to the campsite’s private golden sandy beach. The fishing port of Padstow is close by, as are many of Cornwall’s attractions.

Ballyness Caravan Park, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

This luxury campsite is located in the north Antrim countryside just a few minutes from the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The whole campsite has deliberately been planted with native trees and shrubs in the hope that it will attract wildlife and birds. The campsite benefits from immaculately maintained grounds, a nature walk, plus ponds that are teeming with wildlife. In fact, Ballyness holds the honour of being the first campsite in Ireland to win the David Bellamy Gold Award for Conservation.

Beech Croft Farm, Nr Buxton, Derbyshire

Surrounded by the Peak District and located in the hamlet of Blackwell in the Peak, between Buxton and Bakewell, Beech Croft has stunning views of the rolling hills. Beech Croft has been awarded a David Bellamy Gold Award for its conservation efforts. That hard work includes the creation of new wildlife meadows and woodlands and construction of a shower block powered by sustainable energy – the underfloor heating is powered by air source heat pump, has lots of insulation and is built from local stone.

Hawthorn Farm, Dover, Kent

It’s little wonder this campsite has a David Bellamy Gold Award. There’s 28 acres of beautifully landscaped park which includes the planting of thousands of fruit and woodland trees – everywhere you look here is green – from the trees forming a sheltered backdrop for the pitches, to the tree-lined avenue you head down to access more of the campsite. With quaint traditional villages to walk around and a railway station close by, you can do your bit for the environment by leaving your vehicle on-pitch. St Margaret’s Bay is only two miles away with its beautiful cove and home to Pines Gardens – a six-acre organic garden and shaded woodland that represents beauty, innovation and sustainability.

Greendale Farm Caravan & Camping Park, Oakham, Rutland

Situated in the smallest county in England, Greendale Farm is a garden campsite that packs a lot of conservation into an acre. Nearby your pitch, cottage garden plants, wild flowers and fruit trees are magnets for butterflies, moths and birds. Bat and owl boxes can be seen in trees surrounding the site along with bird feeders and breeding boxes. You will also notice the hedge borders have a narrow margin of uncut grass to provide cover for small mammals. The swimming pool is heated entirely by solar power, as is the campsite’s lighting. Cycle hire reduces carbon emissions en route to the nearby pubs, the market town of Oakham and Rutland Water.

St Helens in the Park, Nr Scarborough, North Yorkshire

St Helens is set in 36 acres of countryside on a 3,000-acre family-owned estate. Six acres of the estate is devoted to a country park for walking, relaxing and enjoying nature. There are sheep, pigs and alpacas to see too. The whole campsite is divided into terraces with tree screening creating private areas. Miles of coastal paths, forest trails and cycle routes surround this campsite, which sits on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. St Helens is within walking distance of a local pub and restaurant, and has an on-site café and shop. The bus route to Scarborough/Pickering has a stop outside the campsite.

The Old Oaks Touring, Glamping & Camping, Nr Glastonbury, Somerset

This adults-only touring park leads the way in terms of ‘green’ features and eco practices having received many David Bellamy Gold Awards and a Special Distinction Award in recognition of truly innovative environmental work. The park have introduced 1,000 hedging plants, added further recycling points and sowed wild flower seeds, and they source local suppliers for produce. A Victorian-style reed bed filters water in a natural, chemical-free way and the new facilities block uses many eco processes. Set amongst the Somerset countryside, Glastonbury Tor is a short walk direct from site, there’s an on-site fishing lake and plentiful walking in the surrounding area.

Lee Valley Caravan Park, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire

Lee Valley has the best of both worlds. It has easy transport links to all the sights and sounds of London but is a spacious campsite surrounded by lovely countryside. There’s so much you can access here on foot or by public transport, you can leave the motorhome on its pitch and help the environment, too. For starters there’s miles of walking and cycling routes, fishing is available, you’re surrounded by nature and a 1,000-acre country park is on the doorstep. With an on-site shop and riverside pub nearby everything is set for a back-to-nature holiday. And, if the bright lights of the capital call, you can get the bus or take a half-hour riverside walk to Broxbourne station where you can catch a train into the city.

Daisy Bank, Powys, Wales

An adults-only park on the Shropshire/Wales border surrounded by lovely countryside.The toilet block was built using recycled materials wherever possible and was crowned most ecologically-friendly loo in Wales for its rainwater harvesting system, solar water heating and energy-efficient lighting. Lighting is limited on the park so as not to add to light pollution and on a clear night you can see millions of stars in the sky. Recycling is encouraged as much as possible and bird boxes and feeding stations are all over the site to encourage birds to the site. All grass mowings are used as compost and mulch for the flower-beds and as an aid to keeping weeds down in the hedgerows.
 

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