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Campsite Review: Inwood Campsite, Nr Basingstoke, Berkshire.

8 May

Where: Inwood Campsite, Farleigh Wallop, Berkshire.

How much: £12.50 per adult per night. Discount for families £10 per adult and £5 per child per night.

Fires: In firepits, encouraged to have fires in the site of previous fires, there are plenty.

Firewood: Large bags of logs sold for £5 each.  Delivered to pitches distant from reception by quad and trailer.

Types of camping: Tents and small campervans

Facilties:  Shower block and flushing toilets next to reception. Compost toilets and standpipes dotted around the site.

The Review:  You may, like me, be thinking ‘Basingstoke, that doesn’t sound very special’ and perhaps that is part of the magic of this place. I was expecting woodland, I was expecting campfires; but I was a little worried it might be busy, it was a bank holiday.  I was a bit worried the advertised woodland might be sparse. I was a bit worried it might be a bit, well, tame.  I needn’t have worried.  This is not woodland, this is forest.  Huge towering pine trees, give way to mature mixed woodland, interspersed with copiced hazel. Tame it is not.

Inwood

The entrance to Inwood is signposted with a couple of small, rather unprepossessing signs.  Then a longish track in until you come to a small meadow where the reception huts sit and the host greets you, suggests some possible camping areas then sends you off with a hand drawn map to choose your pitch.  We had a good drive around to find a good place.  The place is huge.

Several metalled tracks lead through the woods, you can stop anywhere really, sometimes you will see a car pulled up onto the side of the track and if you look closely you may spot a camp hiding among the trees. The tracks eventually lead to Small Meadow and Big Field. Small Meadow is like a woodland glade, space for about 10 pitches, and a tyre swing.  Big Field is huge but much of it is sloping so  people tended to camp along the top of the field, giving great views and a good spot for kite flying if there is a bit of wind.

The small meadow next to reception has a rope swing, the only washing up spot, flushing toilets and the shower block.  Some areas can be reserved for large groups, this would be a great campsite for family groups as it is possible to be far away from everyone else.  There are various other spots to find and explore, but I don’t want to ruin all your exploring fun!

Inwood campsite

View from Big Field

HIdden camps!

HIdden camps!

There are smaller tracks heading off into different areas but beware if it is a bit wet as cars will get stuck. As we were in a van we could not easily camp in the trees so we plumped for pitching among the bluebells in the meadow next to reception, as Small Meadow was full and Big Field was a tad windy. I was a tiny bit gutted not to be in the woods but as the weekend turned out sunny we were actually quite pleased to be able to bask in the sun while still being able to wander in the surrounding woodland.

Inwood

The edge of Reception Field

Camp was set and there followed two happy days of roaming the forest, building dens, stumbling across hidden camps in the woods, gazing at bluebells, swinging on ropeswings,  and frequently saying ‘ Wow, this place is amazing!’.

There are two portacabin style blocks near reception housing some decent showers and flushing toilets.  In the other areas there are composting toilets and standpipes.  Lots of people brought bikes with them to get around the site, the main tracks are roughly metalled.

Bell Tent camp
Forest tracks
Woodland games.
Composting toilet in the wood.
Little Meadow
Picturesque Bell tent camp
Spot the tent.
Fir forest
HIdden camps!
Bongo in the woods
View from Big Field
‘Best den ever’.
Spot the tents.
The edge of Reception Field
Bluebells!

So, is there anything wrong with this site?  In my opinion no, not a lot.  The smallest tweaks would include tarting up the reception area a little, maybe something more attractive than the portacabin buildings to house the toilets.  In some parts you can hear the distant hum of the motorway which is a shame but really very easy to tune out.  But that is it really.  The site is very organic as it grows more pitches will be ‘made’, but I can’t imagine it will ever become overcrowded.  It is wild, it is lovely. I will definitely be returning!

There is one more fantastic thing about this campsite, it is one of four run by the same team along the same lines. The most well known is Forgewood, near Tunbridge Wells. There is also Badgells Wood and Abbotstone Wood. Excellent news!

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Campsite Review: Nettwood Farm, North Somerset.

28 Apr IMG_4185

Where: Nettwood Farm, East Harptree, Nr Chew Magna Lake, North Somerset, BS40 6DA.

How much: £12 per night for tents. £15 per night for caravans with EHU.

Wood: Not sold but the wood can be collected in the adjacent woodland. Bring kindling and own wood if it has been wet.

Fires: There are a number of cut down oil drums that can be used as fire pits or bring a spade and dig your own pit ( replace turf afterwards).

Types of camping: Tents, campervans and caravans. No hardstanding.

Facilities: One shower and two toilets each for men and women in a clean but utilitarian block.  A small cute summer-house houses a large fridge freezer plus a few barbeques available to use free of charge, also a couple of comfy chairs to sit and enjoy the pretty rural views from among the trees.

The review:  This was out first camp of 2013, a one nighter in April – our earliest ever camp! This area of Somerset is very pretty with its reddish, stone houses and two lovely lakes, Blagdon and Chew Magna, providing pretty views, walks and watersports.  As we pulled into the long driveway of Netwood Farm I was immediately impressed by the views. The farm is 900ft up in the Mendip Hills and there are some stunning views down to Chew Valley Lake.

The camping field itself is relatively small, roughly triangular in shape, surrounded by woodland and a small pasture.  The campsite is newly opened and also includes a static caravan in the woods and a refurbished WWII cabin with lovely views.

Nettwood Farm Campsite

The kids were excited to see a wooden climbing frame with swings – most campsites we visit don’t have playgrounds.  However, they ended up spending  most of their time playing in the woodland, collecting sticks and making fairy houses.

Having set up camp we started to dig our firepit.  We love this kind of thing, it makes us feel all Ray Mears and we were looking forward to trying out our new campfire grill.  The kids and I were able to find plenty of good stones in the woodland to edge the pit. Perfect.

Making a firepit

Our visit was early in the season and there was only one other pitch taken.  However, I liked the overall feel of the site.  The owners wanted to create a campsite without signs and rules.  It feels relaxed and incredibly tranquil. There was not even a hint of passing traffic although I did see the farm’s tractor once or twice, Nettwood is a working farm.

The views are pleasantly rural from the camping field, a short walk towards the farm house or down to the nearby public footpath reveals gorgeous views down a wide valley towards the sprawl of Chew Valley lake.  The owner did confide that the trees that restrict  this lovely view from the camping field are sadly dying and might be removed, if they are this site would be even better.

Admiring the view of Chew Magna Lake

The campsite backs into a pretty, mature woodland area, not large enough for walking but lovely for collecting wood for both fires and fairy house construction.  The owner said there will be some forest school activities taking place in the woodland over the summer which would be wonderful.

The public footpath which can be accessed right at the bottom of the camping field took us across a few fields of pasture with lovely views and onto a track that passes through a beautiful, bluebell strewn copse of woodland and on into further fields and copses. We didn’t manage to go too far as the kids where tired and dinner time beckoned.  An ordinance survey map would have been handy!

There is no shop of any kind on the site; the owners are unobtrisve though very friendly when I went up to the farm house to pay.  The nearest shop is in West Harptree a small, attractive village with a well supplied village shop.

For us Nettwood Farm was a perfect, tranquil one night camp.  But it could equally be a good base for exploring the area and enjoying the Mendip Hills.  As a campsite local to us we really look forward to seeing how it develops!

Campfire cooking at Nettwood Farm

Fairy House

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Kent and Sussex Campsites

11 Mar

My mental image of the south east of England, particularly the areas of Kent and Sussex, is rather a domestic one.  This is the area that I grew up in, and while I always appreciated it was a pretty area, I would have never imagined it as a holiday destination.  However, I have noticed many rather fine looking campsites in the area and I am being forced to re-assess my opinion.  Check these out:

The Secret Campsite

‘The Secret Campsite is a peaceful, tents only campsite for nature lovers, real campers and their families, who are looking to explore Sussex, Brighton or Lewes. Our woodland meadow camping pitches are large and secluded and come with their own camp fire pit and free hot showers.’  This place looks pretty special, a prime example of unexpected Sussex loveliness.  At this campsite you also have the opportunity to try out an amazing tree tent, you may have seen it on ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ on  Channel 4.  As this site does not allow campervans I may be forced to try out one of their ‘Secret Shelters’, one of which is a Tree Tent. It looks so cozy!

Dernwood Farm

‘At Little Dernwood Farm we have one  of the largest blocks of coppice woodland in East Sussex. They are formally identified as semi-natural ancient woodland being the vestige of the dark and forbidding forest that covered The Weald in ancient time, and the camping field is set within the very heart of  these 70 acres of woodland.’ Brilliant!  Woodland camping plus the added attraction of a functioning traditional farm selling high quality products to cook over your campfire.  Car free, so no campervans again, but the opportunity to hire bell tents and safari tents.  Aiming to be real ‘Wild Camping’ so no showers, although you can borrow a solar shower bag – intriguing!

Blackberry Wood

‘The Campsite has a maximum of 20 tents and the camping pitches are in cosy little private woodland glades’. Blackberry Wood is possibly the original ‘wild camping’ campsite in Sussex. It was featured in the Guardian a few years ago and since it has been very popular, in fact people often book a year in advance.  One has to assume they do what they do very well.  They have now added a gypsy caravan, a london bus, a wooden lodge and a helicopter  (yes, I said helicopter!) to their accommodation options.  Sadly no campervans again – I am detecting a pattern here!

Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Kitts Cottage Campsite

Located very close to the well known campsite WoWo,  close to the Bluebell railway and the Ashdown Forest (home of Pooh Bear!), Kitts Cottage offers woodland camping, views, campfires and a great family friendly eco-camping vibe.’The camping ground is set in and around  a natural glade – a forest clearing if you like, although in this case the open area that surrounds the site runs to nearly 20 acres. Pitches are set both in the glade itself or along the outside of its circular edge.’ And hurrah, they accept campervans!

Forgewood Camping

In Kent this time, not far from Tunbridge Wells, Forgewood has all the right ingredients – woodland, campfires and a laid back feel.  It is situated on the Eridge Estate, a large estate originally created by William the Conqueror, the campsite itself  covers a large area. I visited the Eridge Estate last year for a festival and I can vouch for it being a beautiful location and though I have never visited Forgewood myself it has often been recommended by friends.

Image from forgewoodcamping.co.uk

Nethergong Nurseries Camping 

Another Kent campsite, love it for it’s name alone!  The campsite is part of a fruit and vegetable supply business – the type that offers those weekly veg boxes, so you can get yourself some good quality produce to enjoy at the campsite. It seems to be a lovely spot for nature watching and has some stocked ponds, great for fishing, pond dipping and paddling. UK campsite reviews are positively glowing and The Independent says ‘Nethergong Nurseries is the perfect kids’ playground: full of secret paths that promise adventure, and nooks and crannies in which to hide‘. Very tempting!

Image from The Independent

Kent and Sussex are literally thick with great camspites!  Sadly for me many of them do not accept campervans. Campervan prejudice – so unfair.  Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to rent a helicopter!

UPDATE

Eco Camp UK

How could I have missed these very beautiful looking campsites! And they accept campervans by arrangement.  Hurrah!

 ’Beech Estate Woodland Campsite and Wild Boar Wood Campsite offer ‘off-grid’ forest camping through our Bell Tent ‘glamping’ experiences, with Beech Estate also offering Forest Tent Pitches. The Bell Tents and Pitches are set apart in the trees, giving solitude and privacy. The woodland campsites also provide the chance to meet and relax with friends, family and fellow campers around the campfire.’

Image from Trip Advisor

I have not included all the campsites I have come across because, well, I am supposed to have a life away from researching campsites but I have to say the area provides a rich seam!

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Why aren’t there more campfire campsites?

31 Jan

I spend a lot of time (no, really A LOT) combing through the internet for campsites that allow campfires. Occasionally, I come across one I haven’t seen before but mostly I am seeing the same places coming up.  It never ceases to amaze me.  I know I’m a tad on the obsessive side on the subject but surely most people enjoy a campfire?

Camping is all about slowing down and enjoying the simple things in life. The campfire is the perfect embodiment of this.  Taking the time to light the fire, to teach the kids about fire, to roast some marshmallows, maybe cook and to enjoy the warmth and as the evening draws in.  How can anyone camp without it?

The fire provides a focus to camp, it provides warmth and light.  And the flickering, crumbling interior of the fire provides entertainment that never ceases to fascinate.

So why, WHY don’t more campsites allow fires?  There are so many ways to do it.

Dig proper fire pits surrounded by stones as they do at Thistledown Farm.

Love getting a small cooking fire going in the morning.

Provide an off ground fire pit at each pitch as they do at Beeches Farm.

Great views.

Hire out fire braziers for the evening as they do at Alpine Grove.

Alpine Grove

Seriously, campsites can make a few quid out of this – and why shouldn’t they?  Campers love it; a campsite with campfires is a lovely sight in the evening, as the smoke drifts, kids learn how to roast marshmallows, and the flicker of firelight lights the happy faces of the campers.

Ok, I may be slightly over romanticising it.  If it’s windy and the smoke is constantly whipping round making eyes stream, or the marshmallows keep falling in the fire or if you just can’t get the fire going it may not be all smiles but it will be a learning experience, and personally I feel a bit odd just sitting in a field at night without a fire!

C’mon all you campsites – get with it!!!

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Campfire Campsites near Beaches!

4 Jan

IMG_3393

Today is the 4th January.  It is high time planning for this season’s camping commenced!

Although we enjoyed our holiday in Cornwall last year we were frustrated that we had to pack up the campervan in order to get to a beach from each campsite. This is less of a problem if you are in a tent, but still isn’t the ideal being able to walk to a nearby beach, not worry about parking and be able to pop back if anything vital has been forgotten?

So, I have been researching campsites that appear to fit that ideal and I will be visiting some of them over the coming summer to see if they live up to expectations.

Heritage Coast Campsite, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, CF71 7QQ  – Not far from Cardiff and the M4 this is a very accessible part of Wales.   This very small site promises a ten minute walk to Monknash beach  plus a babbling brook on site and a sea view from the campsite.  It is also within walking distance of a pub which is another huge added bonus. Campfires in braziers to hire.  Sounds ideal and pretty close for us so this is high on my list of places to visit.

Mount Folly Farm, Bigbury on Sea, South Devon,TQ7 4AR – This site looks like it offers some great basic camping with fabulous sea views and the huge bonus being walking distance to Bigbury Bay. We visited Bigbury Bay last year and found a fabulous big sandy beach, very popular with body borders and with life guards on duty. The very glamorous 1930′s  Burgh Island Hotel lies just out to sea, accessible by sea tractor – an added bit of excitement.  I will definitely be going back to Bigbury Bay this year, I hope the site lives up to its beautiful beach!

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Fun at Bigbury Bay!

Sandpiper, South Milton, Devon, TQ7 3JX – Another beautiful looking site in Devon, between Salcombe and Kingsbridge, only open in August though.  Reviews describe a 10 minute walk to a beautiful sandy beach with a good cafe.  The campsite has sea views, a camping barn if the weather is less than perfect and an array of Devonish pubs, walks and beaches in the vicinity. The campsite doesn’t have its own website so here is a link to a great review from Love Camping

Shell Island, Llanbedr, Gwynedd, North Wales LL45 2PJ – It would be remiss of me to talk about campfire campsites near a beach without mentioning the famous Shell Island.  In terms of location it can’t be beaten, a massive site among the sand dunes and beyond.  Shell Island has been enjoyed by intrepid campers for many years but recently it has suffered some bad publicity via a number of poor reviews, the issue seems to be the behaviour of other campers.  I have been put off visiting by these reviews, however, as I was researching this post it seemed to me that things may have started to perk up.  A few recent reviews have mentioned more vigilant wardens keeping a lid on any boisterous behaviour. Shell Island offers such fantastic beach camping I am starting to think it may require personal investigation and if it should prove untenable there is always the lovely looking Nantcol Falls as a back up!

Porth Joke Campsite, Treago Mill, Crantock, Newquay, Cornwall, TR8 5QS – ‘A few minutes walk along a sandy path to the beach’.  And there is yet another beach a slightly longer walk away. Wonderful.  This is another site that has been around for an awfully long time, in peak season it is very popular.  Campfires are permitted in braziers off the ground but you need to bring your own – and your own fire wood. Alternatively have a fire on the beach.

Aberafon, Gyrn Goch, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, The Lyn Peninsula,  North Wales LL54 5PN – A rare campsite slap bang on the beach, sometimes you do have to go the extra mile to find something really amazing and perhaps this is one of those times. Wales’s beauty never fails to blow me away, yes, despite the rain, and this part of North Wales, close to Snowdonia and the coast is one of the most beautiful parts. On the downside fires are only permitted on the beach.  Beach campfire, sounds dreadful right – I wouldn’t  bother going…

Eweleaze Farm, Osmington, Nr Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 6ED – This post would be incomplete without a mention of Eweleaze.  It has its own beach and part of it is sandyish.  It’s a great site, not the quiet and tranquil kind but it offers lots of good old-fashioned fun for the kids. We have been there – twice! For a full review and pictures look here.

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You might need a portable fire pit have a look at these!

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Campsite Review: Cornish Tipi Holidays, Nr Port Isaac, North Cornwall

2 Sep

Top Village

Where: Cornish Tipi Holidays, nr Port Isaac, North Cornwall

How Much: For camping, £45 per night

Campfires: Yes, in dug pits surrounded by stones.

Wood: Yes, sold by the warden. Also it is possible to collect wood in the woods, ask Oggy for good places.

Types of camping: Tents, campervans and Tipis (different prices)

Facilities: Showers, toilets, outside washing up areas, lake with row boats and life jackets.

The Review:  I was very much looking forward to visiting Cornish Tipi Holidays, it is truly a destination campsite.  the location is stunning – a wooded valley centred around a quarry lake.

The woods are filled with wild flowers, mature native trees, dappled sunlight and the gentle splashing of  a shallow woodland stream. The crowning glory of the woodland is the sparkling  lake.  Surrounded by trees, with wooden pontoons jutting into the lake, the deep, clear water invites the dangling of feet.  Impressively there are some rowing boats and canoes along with essential and plentiful life jackets for all shapes and sizes freely available.   The tipis are dotted through the woods, some in little groups and some in solitary clearings.  It really is a very beautiful place.

Woodland walks

Hanging out by the lake

Occasionally, breaking the peace of the wood you will hear the buzz of the warden’s quad bike as he roams the site attending to his visitor’s requests and managing the woodland.  He met us on our arrival, with a friendly but professional patter he showed us around and took us to our pitch.

Having walked through the lovely woodland I was a tiny bit disappointed that we were in the ‘meadow’.  A large field at the  top of the valley, it was almost empty but the grass was quite long and thistly.  However, to his credit Oggy quickly re-appeared with his drive on mower and cut a good portion of the field around us to make it a little friendlier. He also dug us a fire pit and edged it with rocks.  Perfect.  A recently built wooden foot bridge led us from the meadow to the top Tipi village and our nearest toilets and washing up area.

We had some warm and sultry weather while we were at Tipi, it was perfect for hanging out by the lake.  Quite a few people swam in the lake. It was very deep and cold.  There were a couple of floating islands providing rest stops for swimmers, however, it was not a good area for younger kids to splash about, there is no beach area. The boats are great and of course we made a mini raft and sent it off sailing on the lake.

Away from the lake, the woods are good for a gentle stroll and perhaps a little nose at the scattered Tipis.  There is a lovely clearing through which the stream meanders and provides a safer area for younger kids to play around in water.  This area is used for weddings, which are not scheduled during August but if you visit on a weekend in another month you may find this area out of bounds to non-wedding guests.

A tent pitched in a Tipi clearing.

Although we were in the meadow other campers in tents were able to camp among the trees on tipi clearing which where ‘resting’. (vehicles are not allowed in the wood). However, there where some benefits to the meadow, principally a near solitary camping experience in peak season in Cornwall!  Also, being relatively high and with an unobstucted view, we had one night of fantastic star watching.  It was the height of the Perseid meteor shower and we spent several hours lounging next to the fire counting shooting stars in a fantastically clear sky.

Stargazing

As you can probably tell I did think this site was pretty special, however, it did have flaws.  It is expensive at £45 per night just to camp.  The price meant I was less forgiving of the toilet facilities.  The toilets nearest to us were clean enough but the shed in which they where housed was fairly old, cobwebby and not of a very sturdy construction.  The other big problem was with water supplies. A lot of the site uses a gravity fed water system, however, the areas of the site that were at the top of the hill had to have water pumped up by a generator (Tipi is completely off grid, has no mains electricity).  This system did not seem completely effective and there where water shortages which affected some showers, toilets, washing up areas and stand pipes. To be honest I did not find it  a serious problem but I did speak to other visitors who had found it an issue.

Hand washing area

What’s nearby?

Although the area felt like it was miles from anywhere it was actually close to Bodmin Moor, Port Isaac, Rock, Padstow, Tintagel and Boscastle.  If you can tear yourself away from the woods and the lake there is plenty to see in the area.  We tried out cycling on the Camel Trail from Wadebridge.  The Camel Trail works on a system of licences bought by the cycle hire shops from the council, in order to prevent over crowding on the trail.  Subsequently, we found that we couldn’t do the part of the trail we had hoped to do from Wadebridge to Padstow as all the licences for the day had already been sold.  So it’s worth remembering either book in advance or get there early.  As it was, the Wadebridge to Bodmin section was quieter and still very pretty so no great loss.
Cornish Tipi Holidays is a very lovely place to camp. The lake, woods and general magical feel of the place is certainly worth experiencing. If only it where a little cheaper I would have stayed there for as longer!

And finally I can’t resist sharing with you just a few more photos of this beautiful spot!

Check out some more brilliant campsites using the Campsite Map tab at the top!

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Campsite Review: Westerley Campsite, Nr St Ives, Cornwall

24 Aug

Westerley Campsite

Where: Westerley Campsite, Nr St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 3JH

How Much: To be confirmed but cheap!

Campfires: Yes, dig your own pit or use an existing spot.

Wood: Yes, bags of wood available at reception.

Types of camping: Mostly tents and campervans.

Facilities: Toilets, showers, a few basics sold at reception. NB no loo roll or soap provided in toilets.

The Review:  It wasn’t far from Henry’s campsite on the Lizard to Westerly Campsite near St Ives. I had hoped that it would be walking distance to a beach, which is what one review had told me. Apart from that I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by this site. It is close to St Ives though, which I had imagined myself sauntering around maybe buying a bit of art. (Yeah, right, but more of that later!).

My meticulous planning and booking of sites was clearly unnecessary at Westerley. The lady at reception did not have me in her book, although she did acknowledge that she ‘remembered some e-mails’. Sigh. Fortunately, they assured me it was no problem, although they were expecting a group of 40 to arrive and weren’t sure where to put them. 40! Well her husband assured me it was only 20 but still I felt a little uneasy that an enormous group might suddenly roll up. However, perhaps I was just in a bad mood because there was plenty of space and we found a decent pitch and spread ourselves out a bit (to deter big groups!).

Westerley Campsite

Plenty of space.

The site consists of two large fields. There are attractive, views of surrounding hills and the place is certainly not overcrowded. At the entrance the sweet older couple who run the site have splashed out on a banner proclaiming their inclusion in ‘Cool Camping for Kids’. Weirdly, although there was pretty much nothing on site to entertain the kids, it was indeed the site that our kids most quickly made friends and disappeared. I suspect that because the site is in ‘Cool Camping for Kids’, lots of people came there with kids and so chances of your kids finding a place in one of the roaming tribes of various aged kids is quite high. Good.

Westerly Camsite

Wandering tribes.

Other things about the site were less good. But only in a niggly sort of way. The lights in the toilets were too high up for kids to turn on. The taps on the sinks were percussion taps (you know the sort you push down and then they turn themselves off after a while). Not a problem. However, the sign asking that parents ensure taps are turned off was confusing and the combination of these two issues meant that my 7 year old was unwilling to go to the toilet by herself. Not good. Also I was slightly astounded to be asked for £5 to use the washing machine – not washing machine and dryer – just the washing machine. In fact I was so stunned I assumed it was a joke and laughed nervously. Where upon the owners looked a bit disgruntled and assure me it was cheaper than the launderette. Now, I admit I have not used a launderette in a while so I’m not sure about those prices but I do know I paid £3 for washing machine and tumble dryer combined at South Penquite Farm. AND there was nowhere to hang my washing and no dryer, exorbitantly priced or otherwise! Am I ranting? Maybe a little.

When we arrived I asked the owner if we could walk to the beach. He ummed and ahhed a bit and then gave us a very complicated description of how to get the beach, seeing our confused faces he repeated himself in a wandering and fairly incomprehensible way accompanied by pointing. He was clearly trying but it wasn’t making any sense to us. Perhaps I have been spoiled, but would some printed direction or a little map be too much to ask? We then asked a fellow camper who told us it had taken them 45 minutes to cycle there and 1.5 hours to cycle back (it’s uphill). This was not the kind of walk I had anticipated! Perhaps if we had explored further we would have found a better route but we were discouraged by these encounters and decided to take our chances with driving somewhere instead.

We did borrow a spade and dig a fine fire pit. On the second night I had lots of fun staring into clear skies looking for shooting stars. It was close to the height of the Perseid Meteor shower and I saw at least three shooting stars. It was clear from delighted cheering in other corners of the site I wasn’t the only one watching!  However, on the first night we were blanketed in thick fog which didn’t lift until well into the next day. Apparently this is a common feature of this elevated site.

Fire pit digging – Satisfying.

What’s nearby?

St Ives is close, however, I am unable to comment much on the town itself as we couldn’t bring ourselves to get out of the car and submerge ourselves in the heaving crowds.  They were impenetrable.

St Ives crowds

St Ives – and this is ON the road!

There would be no relaxed sauntering here, so we decided to give it a miss and come back out of season when I am sure it is very beautiful!  We drove instead to the beautiful stretch of sand between Hayle and Godrevy.  There is a NT car park near the lighthouse at Godrevy with fabulous views over the huge, sparking blue bay.  It was very busy here too. However, the beach is massive and it is quite possible to find a good space if you are willing to walk a little.

Beautiful Godrevy

I had been determined to visit St Michael’s Mount, so one damp and foggy day we set off.   Once again it is a National Trust property, that membership was really paying off!  The adventure of walking across the causeway into the embracing arms of the castle’s walls was enhanced by the weather (that’s what I told my daughter anyway).

St Michael's

‘Weather’ makes for more adventure!

The castle atop the mount is the sort of castle I could actually live in.  Baronial and historic but also rather cosy. Not an easy look to create!  Plus there was a series of questions for the kids to answer on the trail round the castle with the reward of a badge.  Not bad. St Michaels’ was also the site of a particularly rare beast.  A picture of me!

Me and the kids, not co-operating.

Perhaps I have been a little hard on the Westerley.  It didn’t claim to be magnificent and in most ways it fulfilled our needs. If they could just iron out all the little glitches it would make camping there even better (like not providing toiler paper – why?).  As it stands it offers some decent basic camping.

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Campsite Review: Henry’s, The Lizard, West Cornwall

21 Aug

Where: Henry’s, The Lizard, West Cornwall.

How much: 2 adults, 2 children and campervan cost us £24 per night

Campfires: Yes, in braziers you can hire. £7.50 per evening including logs and kindling. NB: No good for cooking on though.

Wood: Yes wood and kindling sold at reception

Types of camping: Mostly tents and campervans but they do accept motor homes and caravans, if they can fit it in a pitch.

Facilities: One recently refurbished shower and toilet block and a couple of older blocks. All unisex. Washing machine and dryer. Games room with pool table and table football (and chicken poo and eggs!). Shop selling cider and various basics.

The Review: Henry’s is a well regarded site and I had been excited that we had managed to get a booking. Britain’s most southerly campsite, I love chalking up those kind of things! However, as we approached the site my familiar ‘new site’ trepidation returned. Firstly, it was as little bit tucked away, so I had to ask someone the way. It is in fact very close to the centre of The Lizard, one more sign post would have been handy though. Then, when I went to register with reception I was told that someone had just mistakenly pitched in the pitch allocated to us. However, I am pleased to say that the situation was very quickly remedied and we were shown personally to our pitch which was a good size and had a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside and yey! the sea! From this point on I can find little to criticise about Henry’s.

Usually I object to being assigned a ‘pitch’ however, in this case the design of the campsite is such that each ‘pitch is really a little garden. Some are very enclosed and hidden away other are more open but still with a private feel. The campsite is not huge and the pitches are often pretty close together, but because of sensitive design with beautiful stone walls filled with wild plants, hedging, flower beds and rustic fencing everyone has a good sense of privacy. Most, but not all have a sea view.

Apart from the fantastic views over the sea and the stunning sunsets, the best thing about this campsite is the array of things to discover, a beautiful little bridge leads to a small ‘farm’ corner with ducks, chickens, pigs and alpacas. There is a phenomenal covered communal fire pit, little wooden kids playhouses, a duck pond, endless little paths and secret pitches. It really is fun to explore!

I took lots of pictures and I think the best way to illustrate the campsite is to show you them!




Our pitch, complete with our very own palm tree.




View from inside the van!




Henry's

A washing up area. Cute but ramshackle.




More secret pathways and pitches.


Henry's sunset

Sunset, sky, sea. Bliss.


Henry's communal fire pit

Awesome communal firepit, although we didn’t actually use it.







Cute bridge leading to animal field




Time for a glass of wine I think.

If I had to level one criticism of Henry’s it is that some of the facilities are a little ramshackle and I hate it when you need to have a load of 20ps for a shower, it’s just inconvenient. The ramshackleness is just part of the character, but if very clean up to date facilities are your thing you might have an issue with some of these. Try South Penquite Farm instead!

What’s nearby?

Within the village of The Lizard (which is a very easy 2 minute walk) there are plenty of amenities including a grocery shop, a post office, beach equipment shops, a butchers, a fish and chip shop,cafes, a pub and a hotel. The day we arrived there was a beer festival on at the pub, locals were out in force singing Cornish songs and enjoying the beer.

The beaches in this part of Cornwall are fabulous. Kynance Cove is well known but don’t miss out because you think its over hyped. Honestly, it is gorgeous and there is a lovely cafe. There is a bit of a walk down to the beach, choose the steep step way or slightly longer sloped way (better for pushchairs). Your reward is an amazing cove full of stone stacks, fantastic sandcastle making sand, enough waves to body board (but very few surfers when we were there), beautiful azure blue water and lots of happy people who look like they can’t quite believe their luck. It does get quite busy, but really don’t let this put you off you will be able to find a decent spot.

Kynance Cove

We also had a lovely peaceful afternoon at Gunwalloe (Church) Cove. I’m not sure if it’s because the weather was a bit iffy but it was the quietest beach we went to. It seemed like a good surf beach, there was a surf school and a small shop selling hot drinks and beach tat. My daughter had a great time building a mini rill to divert the stream that flows over the beach.

Both Gunwalloe and Kynance Cove, have NT carparks. I would definitely recommend getting yourself NT membership for a trip to Cornwall. It seems like they own half the county!

This barely scratches the surface of the beaches you can find in the area. Next time, I go to Cornwall I would love to return to Henry’s and explore the beaches and the surrounding area more. Do you know some great beaches around this area? Go on let us in on the secret!

Whilst here we also visited the Minack Theatre. Even though the weather was a bit dodgy we still really enjoyed it. We watched a kids show called ‘The Sea Show’ by Squashbox Theatre. He was very good, the kids were enthralled and the adults were roaring with laughter too. The location is of course totally unique and fantastic. Do book to see a show though, I think that is the best way to experience the magic of the place. And definitely book in advance it was totally sold out when we went!

Alternatives to Henry’s Campsite

Henry’s is a very popular site so if you can’ get in here but want to camp on the Lizard peninsular I would suggest trying Wild Camping. They allow campfires and when we stopped in the check it out the farmer was very friendly and the large fields where almost empty! No views though.

If you love camping with a campfire you might need one of these:

‘Portable Firepits’

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Campsite Review: South Penquite Farm, Bodmin, Cornwall.

14 Aug



Where: South Penquite Farm, Bodmin, North Cornwall.

How Much: Fri and Sat nights: Adults £8, Kids £4. Other nights: Adults £7.50, Kids £3.50. Kids under 5 always free

Campfires: Yes, fire pits. Or wherever, it seemed.

Wood: Wood and kindling available at the farmhouse. We brought our own so not sure how much it was. People next to us collected loads of wood on the moor.

Types of camping: No caravans. Tents and campervans ok.

Facilities: Showers, toilets, laundry facilities, games/toy room, games barn, kids play area, mobile phone recharging lockers.

The Review:This was our first stop on our tour of Cornwall. As we passed Bodmin and approached the moor the rain pelted down and I re-considered the wisdom of booking a campsite high on a moor, even if it is August. I love a good bit of wild moorland, great for hiking, nature spotting and just a really good sense of wilderness. But this was our summer hols, could this have been an error?

It was a bit tricky to find, mainly because the directions can be misinterpreted. (Take the second turning to St Breward – is that the second turning which is to St Breward
or
the second turning which has a sign post to St Breward? – The latter it turns out!) Anyway, perhaps a blessing in disguise as when we finally rolled over the mini bridge and approached the farm gate the rain had subsided and the sun was beginning to break through, phew.


Rain clearing and sun breaking through.

First impressions are good. There is an attractive, well designed shower block, a small children’s play area and plenty of space. We approached the farm house, there are signs telling you to pitch where you like and book in during certain hours. In fact its worth popping in to the courtyard and checking as there is often someone there ‘out of hours’. We easily found a pitch with plenty of space around it, a fire pit and a good view. Choose your pitch carefully , although we did have a great view, it was rather an exposed spot, we are high up here. There are more sheltered spots with less impressive views.



Cracking view from our pitch, bit windy though.

This campsite has some really great facilities. The showers are spacious, well designed, attractive. Easily the best campsite showers I have ever seen. The toilet block and washing facilities where similarly outstanding. I don’t normally make a big thing of facilities but these have been created with so much care and they where always squeaky clean, I can’t ignore them! My only tiny gripe was the piped music in the toilets, strange and unnecessary.



Showers.



Washing and toilet facilites.



Inside the toliets, fancy eh!

Other Attractions on site

Also on site is a games barn, with limited interest to younger kids but still an added attraction. (They could perhaps take some notes from Ewleaze who just equip a barn with piles of straw bales and some ropes hung from the rafters.) There is also a small play area with swings and a climbing thingy plus a handy room equipped with lego, board games, cars and a cool toy castle. A very nice touch especially in this location which does after all have, well you know ‘weather’. There are loads of free range hens, ducks, etc plus the chance to see the wild ponies frolicking round the edges of the campsite.

South Penquite Farm


Yum, marshmallows.

This campsite was pretty close to perfect, however, it was perhaps a little too perfect. A few rough edges could have made it a better experience. In this fairly remote area it would have been good if the site had felt a little wilder. There is a lovely little stream just outside the site, if only it could have been easily accessed from the pitches. The games room was supposed to be for supervised children only and the games in the barn where a little jaded. Having said that they had thoughtfully mapped out a couple of walks around the organic farm with good directions and including a short walk along the fast moving De Lank River.


Off to do the washing up!

What’s around?

Of course there is all of the moor to explore, a couple of small picturesque villages and lots of wildlife. We didn’t explore Bodmin town, but it is the start of the Camel Trail, an excellent traffic free bike trail and bikes can be hired in Bodmin.

It is roughly a 30 mins drive to the cool surfing beach of Polzeath. Approx 40mins to Padstow and 30mins toPort Isaac.

In summary: In all a nice, well run site and with plenty of space, good facilities and in reasonable driving distance of very popular areas of Cornwall such as Padstow etc. On the downside Bodmin Moor is high and does attract bad weather and if I’m going to put up with that I would like a bit more wildness to compensate! So if you are camping in North Cornwall it is definitely worth a visit. Just pack your raincoat.

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A Camping Tour of Cornwall

16 Jul

The end of term is rushing toward me towards me like a big fast rushy thing.  Schools seem to torture us with endless extra requests, permissions, thank you’s, assemblies, fetes and sports days as the end of the summer term approaches.  Thus, I have had no time to sort out our ‘tour’ of Cornwall.  I had been experiencing some fear that I had left it too late and all the good campsites would be already booked up.  So, with some trepidation I started researching campsites.

In my fear I started to consider some campsites that did not allow campfires.  I was nearly sucked in.  Afterall, there are many attractive place to stay in Cornwall, is a campfire really necessary?  On one hand I am willing to admit that it is possible to have a pleasant camping trip without a campfire.  However, as I clicked and searched through the myriad of campsites in Cornwall, it became clear to me campsites without campfires are far more likely to be prone to the closely clipped grass, hard standing ‘aprons’ , and rows, I hate rows.

Perfectly nice campsite ruined by ROWS (um, and caravans)

I know, I am a horrible campsite snob. In fact as a kid I caravanned and had a great time, completely unaware of ‘rows’.

Swiftly, I returned to the important ‘campfires allowed’ option on searches. Ah, relief.  Beautiful friendly looking,  free to pitch where you like, campfire encouraging loveliness.  Finally, after much consultation with the husband (well, maybe ‘much’ is an exaggeration), checking of reviews and considering distances, I have come up with the following sites to visit during the tour.

1. We start in Totnes, camping on private land at a friend’s house. Ace.

2. Next, South Penquite Farm, high on Bodmin Moor. With accolades from Cool Camping, The Independent, Mumsnet, The Guardian and more I have high expectations.  It is a working beef farm, set in the remarkable landscape of Bodmin Moor. There is a river and all of Bodmin to explore.  Now, that is more like it

One of our bronze age hut circles.

Bronze age hut circle at South Penquite Farm

3. Onwards to Henry’s down on The Lizard.  I have never been to this part of Cornwall and I am very pleased that I have secured a booking at Henry’s with sea views and the distinction of being the most southerly campsite in Britain. These things excite me.  Henry’s has a good reputation for being laid back, a little bit whacky, with great sea views and of course campfire enthusiastic. Brilliant.

Henry’s – no rows here!

4. Next stop Westerley Campsite, near St. Ives.  Again, I have never visited St. Ives and I am eager to do so.  However, I was suspicious of reviews of crowded campsites in the area.  I was very pleased to discover ‘Westerley Campsite’.  This is a no frills campsite, just basic facilities, friendly owners (apparently), good views, campfires and walking distance to a beach. Reviews are remarkable in noting the site is relatively empty even in peak season. Hurrah.

NB: Have yet to write up full review but it is something of an exageration to say this site is walking distance to  beach.  I mean you can walk there but it is a fair way!

http://www.westerleycampsite.co.uk//cdata/37236/img/37236_1517854.jpg

Westerly Campsite – No frills. Just camp fires and a beach!

5. Next on our whirlwind tour we will be travelling up the West coast to the totally fabulous looking Cornish Tipi Holidays, inland from Padstow.  Its main focus is clearly tipis but it also has a wild camping meadow, with fire pits.  The site looks amazing, a wooded valley with a lake in the middle.  The website does a very good job, I am already captivated. I really hope it can live up to its own hype!

Cornish Tipi Holidays – wow.

6. Finally, heading back towards home ground we are going to try out Caffyns Farm on Exmoor.  I am a big fan of Exmoor and as I describe in my post ‘Alternatives to Cloud Farm‘, Caffyns Farm looks like a great option. It is run by the people who created the well known and now slightly overrun Cloud Farm.  I look forward to testing it out!

http://www.blog.bakerandbell.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/caffyns.jpg

So there we are. Our summer holiday this year will be in some of England’s finest spots. I know the weather has been rubbish (although there have been mutterings that August might be better, maybe), but I am still very excited to explore Cornwall and checkout a load of new campsites. We set off on the 1st August, watch this space to see if these campsites can meet my expectations.

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