As we approach the nicer weather, it’s prime camping time, with many of us dreaming of pitching our tent and relaxing in the sun at our chosen site. If you’re wondering where to go for your next trip, our best campsite in the UK guide is here to help.
Each site that has made it into our guide offers an excellent location, with plenty to do in the area, including hiking routes, walking trails, and attractions to visit. Plus, they all provide great facilities, an important consideration when you’re choosing the best camping site for you.
Something else that a good campsite offers is a beautiful setting to relax in – after all, getting away from it all and soaking up the peaceful surroundings is one of the most enjoyable parts of camping. That’s something each option in our guide provides.
Once you’ve chosen your campsite, be sure to check out our best camping chair and best camping table guides as well, so you have the right accessories to truly allow you to sit back and relax.
Looking for somewhere to stay in your ‘van instead? Then be sure to check out our best campervan campsite round-up!
The best campsites in the UK:
Park Foot Caravan & Camping
South Lytchett Manor
Pinecones Caravan and Camping
Tyddyn Isaf Caravan and Camping
Back of Beyond Touring Park
Colchester Country Park
Silver Sands Holiday Park
Meadow Falls
Bagwell Farm Touring Park
Callow Top Holiday Park
Which is the best campsite in the UK?
Park Foot Caravan & Camping
Howtown Road, Pooley Bridge, Penrith CA10 2NA, parkfootullswater.co.uk
Well done to Park Foot Caravan & Camping, the best camping site in the UK in our Top 100 Sites Guides 2023!
It’s a family-run site that is set in the Lake District and overlooks Ullswater, providing direct access to the water.
Yet there’s more to the campsite than its stunning surroundings, with excellent amenities on offer too. This includes modern washing and toilet facilities, as well as an onsite bar and restaurant, which also offers a takeaway service. Children can make use of the play area as well.
For ease, drinking water taps are dotted around the camping fields, and the site offers both electric and non-electric pitches.
Unsurprisingly for a campsite in the Lake District, there is plenty to do in the surrounding area – this includes a number of hiking routes, as well as the option of taking to the water on one of the Ullswater Steamers. Guests can hire mountain bikes to explore the beautiful setting too.
The contenders for the best camping site in the UK are:
South Lytchett Manor
Dorchester Road, Lytchett Minster, Poole BH16 6JB, southlytchettmanor.co.uk
The picturesque South Lytchett Manor sits in 20 acres of relaxing parkland, and proved popular with our readers in the Top 100 Sites Guide 2023, making its way onto our best motorhome sites list, as well as into our best camping site round-up.
The campsite offers good public transport links, with two buses stopping at the gates – guests can use these to visit some of the highlights of Dorset, including Swanage, Poole and along the Jurassic Coast to Weymouth. Other attractions to visit in the surrounding area include Durlston Country Park, Christchurch and Salisbury.
If you’re after a more active camping experience, there’s the option of hiring bikes from reception too.
Facilities at the site include three heated amenity blocks, a bakery, and a shop which sells local produce. A village pub is only a 10-minute stroll away too.
As well as offering grass pitches, South Lytchett also provides super pitches, ideal for extra-large tents.
Pinecones Caravan and Camping
A149 Dersingham Bypass, King’s Lynn PE31 6WL, pinecones.co.uk
The relaxed vibe offered by Pinecones Caravan and Camping certainly proved popular with our readers in the Top 100 Sites Guide 2023, as it not only made its way onto our best camping sites guide, but was also selected as the best motorhome site in Eastern England.
It’s easy to see why – this is a campsite that provides a great base for taking in the beauty of Norfolk, including Sandringham and the beaches of Snettisham and Holkham.
Guests can choose between fully serviced grass pitches with 16 amp hook-up and pitches with 10 amp hook-up.
Site facilities are excellent. These include individual shower rooms which each come with a shower, a toilet, a basin, a hand dryer, a heated towel rail, clothes hooks and seating. Guests can also use the free Wi-Fi, while an in-house takeaway is available during peak months.
Two dog-friendly pubs are within walking distance, ideal if you’re camping with a four-legged friend.
Tyddyn Isaf Caravan and Camping
Lligwy Bay, Dulas, Anglesey LL70 9PQ, tyddynisaf.co.uk
The best motorhome site in Wales in our Top 100 Sites Guide 2023 proved a popular camping destination too.
Set on the Isle of Anglesey in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Tyddyn Isaf combines breathtaking views of Lligwy Bay with its proximity to several other picturesque seaside destinations.
Pitches are spread over five acres of open fields, with privacy provided by hedging and trees. The facilities are also excellent, and the washrooms recently won the Platinum Loo of the Year award.
A cafe/bar is planned for the site in 2023 – there’s also the option of purchasing meals from Hen Ysgubor takeaway. Anyone needing camping equipment or beach essentials can head to The Market Place, which also sells local produce and baked goods. Guests can also head to Wendy Wood, mature woodland that provides an ideal setting for walking a dog or relaxing with a book.
The campsite makes a great base for exploring Anglesey’s east coast and there is a path that leads to Lligwy Beach.
There are numerous walking and cycling trails to join from the site, while Mynydd Parys and the Copper Kingdom Centre are both short drives away.
Back of Beyond Touring Park
234a Ringwood Road, East Moors Lane, St Leonards BH24 2SB, backofbeyondtouringpark.co.uk
The second of three entries for Dorset in our best campsites guide gives guests the choice of electric hook-up or pitches for wild camping.
Set in 30 acres of gorgeous countryside, Back of Beyond has a Site of Special Scientific Interest around both of its lakes, due to the rare species that reside there. The campsite also encourages wildlife and flowers to prosper throughout.
Facilities include a shop and four heated toilet and shower blocks, and there’s the option of hiring barbecues and fire pits from reception as well. Visiting food vendors offer a number of dishes as well.
Guests can embark on a woodland walk of the adults-only site, while the New Forest National Park is only a short drive away. Other local attractions include Stonehenge, Winchester and Bournemouth.
If anglers get a licence, they can also fish in the Moors River, just one of the fishing spots in the area.
Colchester Country Park
Cymbeline Way, Colchester, Essex CO3 4AG, sellersleisure.com
Colchester Country Park is our second entry for Eastern England and offers guests a well-maintained, spacious campsite.
There will be plenty to do in the surrounding area, including Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Colchester, with its zoo and castle. The camping site’s proximity to the A12 also makes exploring further afield easier too.
The site is open all year, with facilities that include family shower rooms, a laundry, a children’s play park and a dishwashing area.
Silver Sands Holiday Park
Gwendreath, Lizard, Helston TR12 7LZ, silversandsholidaypark.co.uk
Readers of our Top 100 Sites Guide will recognise Silver Sands Holiday Park for its regular entries – it was picked out as the best motorhome site in Cornwall in our 2023 edition.
The nine-acre site makes a perfect base for exploring Cornwall’s many delights. There are plenty of walks in the area – Kynance Cove and the Helford River are both easy to reach, while a 1km woodland walk through Gwendreath Valley brings guests to Kennack Sands. A village bar is within walking distance too.
Facilities include a toilet block with free showers and hot water, a shop, and a children’s play area, while a laundrette and washing up area can both be used too. Small campfires are permitted on camping pitches.
The Cornish campsite sits in the Lizard Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is home to gorgeous beaches and fishing villages
Meadow Falls
Meadow Falls, Thornton-in-Lonsdale LA6 3PD, meadowfalls.co.uk
This small campsite is family-run and sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.
Offering stunning panoramic views of the Trough of Bowland, the site offers 25 tent/camper pitches, as well as five fully-serviced hardstanding pitches. It’s only a short stroll from Ingleton, a quaint village, and there are also numerous hiking trails to embark on, which allow guests to take in the waterfalls of the Dell; alternatively, the Three Peaks can be explored. The beautiful Lake District is also within driving distance.
Bagwell Farm Touring Park
Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 4EA, bagwellfarm.co.uk
The final Dorset entry in our best camping site guide is a quiet option, set alongside the Jurassic Coast.
Destinations to explore include nearby Weymouth; the South West Coast Path is directly accessible too.
There will be plenty to keep children occupied, with the chance to meet the site’s resident donkeys and goats, as well as a play area.
Site facilities include an off-licence and a shop, while The Red Barn bar and restaurant opens between April and October. Other amenities include family bathrooms and accessible wet rooms.
Callow Top Holiday Park
Buxton Road, Sandybrook, Ashbourne DE6 2AQ, callowtop.co.uk
This campsite makes a great base for any campers who want to explore the beauty of the mighty Peak District National Park.
It offers a range of facilities, including a shop, a games room and a children’s play area, along with three toilet blocks and disabled facilities.
The campsite is ideal for fishing, with a coarse lake that is stocked with rudd, roach, perch, tench and carp. The site also provides direct access to the Tissington Trail too.
Nearby locations to explore include Buxton, Bakewell and Matlock; another option is Alton Towers. Ashbourne is also only a short distance away.
- If you enjoy sitting back with a warming drink and taking in the view, check our guide to the best flasks for hot drinks, where we share our top picks on the market.
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