Top-Tier UK Campgrounds Boasting Stunning Gardens for an Ideal Verdant Retreat this Summer
For those seeking a unique camping experience that combines natural beauty, garden cultivation, and sustainable practices, the United Kingdom offers a variety of options. Here are some of the top campsites that cater to this niche:
Penpont Estate, Powys, Wales
Situated in the heart of Powys, Wales, Penpont Estate is a 2,000-acre estate that prioritizes sustainability. Campers can pitch their tents in the orchard, old rose garden, or by the River Usk. The estate features a Green Man maze, climbing trees for children, and an emphasis on organic fruit and vegetables. To reduce its environmental footprint, Penpont uses garden compost and rainwater for campers' facilities [1].
Trewan Hall, Cornwall, England
Trewan Hall, located in Cornwall, is spread over 36 acres of woodlands and gardens surrounding a 17th-century manor. It has won numerous awards for its commitment to sustainability and features a heated swimming pool and children’s play area. Campers can enjoy ecologically appropriate plantings and take part in activities such as salmon fishing, walking, and cycling [1].
Bert's Kitchen Garden, Llyn Peninsula, Wales
Bert's Kitchen Garden, nestled within wildflower meadows, offers a pastoral setting with a kitchen garden restaurant serving homegrown produce. This site promotes a nature-immersive experience with treehouses, rope swings, and eco-friendly facilities. However, it does not have wifi or electric hookups [5].
Dartington Estate, Devon
Dartington Estate, located in Devon, offers camping on a medieval estate with fine views of Haytor on Dartmoor. While it does not boast extensive gardens like the other sites, it provides a unique opportunity to camp on a historic estate [2].
Speyside Gardens, Moray, Scotland
Speyside Gardens is a six-acre campsite in a beautiful Victorian walled garden near the River Spey. It is perfectly situated for salmon fishing, walking, and cycling the Spey Way, and sampling local whisky distilleries [3].
Pleasant Streams Farm Camping, Cornwall
Pleasant Streams Farm Camping, located in Cornwall, is a campsite surrounded by nature and farm animals. It offers electric hook-ups, showers, and a washing-up area [4]. During specific weeks in August, children can enjoy flower-filled borders, shallow streams, two small lakes with rowing boats, and a farm where they can meet animals and search for hidden rope swings [4].
Farm on the Hill Eco Campsite, Staffordshire
Farm on the Hill Eco Campsite, situated within 24 acres of woodland and meadow, offers small pitches mown into the meadow and surrounded by young trees, wildflowers, and grasses. It also has a 'Secret Garden' for private camping [6].
Alde Garden, Suffolk
Alde Garden, located in Suffolk, offers a campsite with natural pathways, trees, shrubs, flowers, wildlife areas, friendly ducks, and chickens. It offers communal facilities including a campfire, covered field kitchen, compost loo, jungle shower, and a raised herb garden [7].
Knepp Safaris, West Sussex
Knepp Safaris, located in West Sussex, is a campsite in a wildflower meadow on the edge of an ancient woodland. It features upcycled fire-pits and barbecue grills, eco-friendly facilities, and two open-air baths [8].
These campsites offer a unique blend of rustic charm, garden beauty, and sustainable practices, ensuring a rich camping experience for families and nature lovers alike.
[1] - [5] Source: The Guardian [6] - [8] Source: Cool Camping UK
- A unique camping experience awaits those who pitch their tents at Penpont Estate in Wales, where transportation is powered by solar panels, and campers can wander through the old rose garden, the orchard, or alongside the River Usk.
- Trewan Hall in Cornwall features 36 acres of woodlands and gardens, with activities such as salmon fishing, walking, and cycling, offering campers an immersive eco-friendly experience.
- Bert's Kitchen Garden, located in wildflower meadows, offers visitors a pastoral setting with treehouses, rope swings, and a restaurant serving homegrown produce, promoting a nature-immersive camping lifestyle.
- Dartington Estate in Devon offers a historical camping experience on a medieval estate, surrounded by minimal gardens, but boasting impressive views of the countryside, providing a unique camping adventure.
- Speyside Gardens in Scotland features a six-acre campsite situated in a beautiful Victorian walled garden, situated perfectly for salmon fishing, and sampling local whisky distilleries, ideal for those passionate about countryside living.
- Pleasant Streams Farm Camping in Cornwall offers campers a picturesque campsite surrounded by nature and farm animals, with electric hook-ups, showers, and a washing-up area, as well as special activities for children during specific weeks in August.
- Farm on the Hill Eco Campsite in Staffordshire offers small camping pitches in a woodland and meadow setting, surrounded by wildflowers and grasses, promoting an eco-friendly and peaceful outdoor-living experience.
- Alde Garden in Suffolk offers a campsite in a serene natural setting with communal facilities such as a campfire, covered field kitchen, compost loo, jungle shower, and a raised herb garden, allowing campers to immerse themselves in nature and live in harmony with the garden.
- Knepp Safaris in West Sussex invites campers to pitch their tents in a wildflower meadow on the edge of an ancient woodland, featuring upcycled fire-pits and barbecue grills, eco-friendly facilities, and two open-air baths, creating a unique and memorable camping experience.
