Tarka Trail Camping

View prices & book 9.4 139 reviews
Nice and flat pitches
Reception
Sunsets at tarka trail camping
Cycling

  • Peaceful family-run site on the outskirts of Yelland
  • Five miles from Barnstaple and Bideford, and six from Westward Ho!
  • Walkers' paradise: direct access to Tarka Trail/South West Coast Path
North Devon has many special spots, but the golden triangle around the rivers Taw and Torridge and the sea is particularly pretty. Guests at Tarka Trail Camping are right in the middle of this sweet spot, making this a great base to explore the area's various watery vistas. This site on the outskirts of Yelland is well suited to quiet rural breaks, but its location close to a main road makes getting around a breeze: popular spots such as Barnstaple, Bideford and Westward Ho! can all be reached within 15 minutes' drive. Guests who want to leave the car behind can hop about on the local bus, which handily stops in the village (10 minutes' walk away). There's direct access to the popular Tarka Trail from the site – it is, of course, named after an otter so it's no surprise that the creatures make an appearance now and then around these parts (although this smashing stretch of river is reward enough even without them). If all that walking (or cycling) builds up an appetite, fear not – weary wanderers are free to enjoy a barbecue back at base (provisions can be picked up a mile away in Fremington). Looking for a drink with that? Yelland Manor Micro Brewery is located right next door, and a café is 10 minutes' walk away. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, but please keep them on a lead while on site.

Site type

Tent pitches 20
Motorhome pitches 20
Touring caravan pitches 5
Open now
Opens 5 April
Please note
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sat, 5 Apr to

Pitch types & availability

Other options

Reviews

  • 72%
    10
  • 4%
    9
  • 19%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 2%
    6
  • 0%
    5
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
7

98% would recommend this site to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

This immaculately maintained campsite is highly praised for its superb location directly on the Tarka Trail, ideal for cycling and walking. Visitors consistently highlight the new, spotless toilet and shower facilities. The site is noted for its peaceful atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff. An on-site brewery and pizza venue is a popular addition. Pitches are generally spacious and level, with many pitches benefiting from lovely estuary views and picnic tables. While some found it pricey, most highly recommend it.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 14
Arrival date (latest first)

Quiet site, good clean facilities & pitches are a good size.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan pitch

Liked Quiet site located on the Tarka Trail between Barnstaple & Instow. Good clean facilities, showers, toilets, dishwash area, some EHU, grey water & chemical disposal.
Level pitches which are a good size.
The views across the estuary are lovely.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We loved the lovely new facilities- showers, toilets and washing up room.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Iona J.

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked We loved the lovely new facilities- showers, toilets and washing up room. We loved the closeness to the Tarka Trail. The micro brewery which served delicious pizza was also a bonus. We loved that we were allowed to have a campfire- but only because it was above the ground.

Disliked Not a major dislike - just pity the fresh water tap was quite far from the pitch.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site. Friendly helpful staff. Plenty of room to pitch…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
8
Nichola T.

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Great site. Friendly helpful staff. Plenty of room to pitch your tent. Toilets and showers are very clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site will visit again

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating
Sharon M.

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked We had a hard standing pitch, great size and bonus picnic table. ... Location of site was perfect. Right on the trail and very easy access. Toilet/shower block very nice new and clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location not ideal for longer stays

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
6
Value for money
6
Accommodation
7
Facilities / Activities
5
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Anonymous

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Impeccably clean, new shower / toilet block.
Good clean wash-up area.
Nice quiet location.
Easy walking to nearby villages.

Disliked Location vulnerable to westerly winds.
No laundry / drying facilities.
No microwave area available (especially for tent dwellers).

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice flat , quiet , clean site with good facilities in a good location

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
chris s.

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Spotlessly clean site and facilities. Liked the quiet position. Excellent base for that corner of north devon, such a friendly and welcoming lady running the site that week.
Easy flat walk into instow ( about 35 mins ) a few drinks and lunch in instow then the bus ( 20 or 21A) back to the stop outside the site .
Small pop up bar separate to site , brews his own ale run by Lawrence who let’s say is eccentric 😄.

Disliked Probably a little expensive for a site not close to the beach. But tbf it was quiet , spotless and that keeps the chavs away 😄

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything New Wi-Fi added this year was excellent…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Brian D.

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Everything
New Wi-Fi added this year was excellent

Disliked No shops nearby (not a lot campsite can do about that)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great area, pitches are nice and flat, nice and relaxed, facilities were…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Laura W.

Non-electric grass campervan pitch

Liked Great area, pitches are nice and flat, nice and relaxed, facilities were spacious, clean and showers are lovely hot water, great staff.

Disliked I didn’t dislike anything about this camp site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Facilities spotlessly clean. Level pitches. Quiet site. Access to tarka trail. Friendly…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Gill H.

Electric grass and gravel touring caravan pitch

Liked Facilities spotlessly clean. Level pitches. Quiet site. Access to tarka trail. Friendly staff

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Sarah H.

Electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked Nice sized pitch with very easy access to Tarka Trail. Very clean and well cared for site.

Disliked Extra car charged at £5 a night. Not included, as stated on Pitch Up booking site.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Baby-changing facilities Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches) Pub campsite

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point

Location

Tarka Trail Camping

Lower Yelland Farm

Yelland

Devon

England

EX31 3EN

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.07206°N
4.15486°W

Nearest transport

Coach
0.3 mi Post Office
1.3 mi New Inn
1.4 mi New Inn
Rail
4 mi Barnstaple Rail Station
6.8 mi Chapelton (Devon) Rail Station
9.1 mi Umberleigh Rail Station
Ferry
1.9 mi Instow Ferry Landing
2 mi Appledore Ferry Landing
4.3 mi Bideford Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

The traffic-free Tarka Trail is a top pick for walks and bike rides around here. The 30-mile section that runs adjacent to the site follows the route of an old railway, so it's fairly flat (excellent news for occasional walkers/cyclists). Bike hire is available at the old station by Fremington Quay (three miles away by road/a mile and a half's walk along the trail), where there's also a café and heritage centre. Wildlife spotters should check out RSPB Isley Marsh (under a mile by foot), where waders galore are drawn to a peaceful saltmarsh. Serious birdwatchers can head out for the day to to Lundy Island: the ferry leaves Bideford (10 minutes' drive) several times a week and takes around two hours. For a day at the beach, head to Instow (a five-minute drive), a sandy riverside spot with sweeping views over the estuary that's popular with sailors and windsurfers. If you fancy taking to the waves, catch the Instow to Appledore Ferry across the Taw. Westward Ho! (15 minutes) is home to another fine beach and is a hub for surfers, kayakers and paddleboarders (with kit for hire) as well as go-karting.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Westward Ho! 4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Saunton Sands 4.2 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Croyde Bay 5.5 mi Sea N/AGoodExcellentGood
Putsborough 5.8 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Woolacombe Village 7.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Rosemoor 8.9 mi

Castle Drogo 30 mi

National Trust

Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum 9 mi

Heddon Valley 14 mi

Watersmeet 18.6 mi

Lundy 22.9 mi

Finch Foundry 25.7 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

ISLEY MARSH (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 05/04/1990) 0.2 mi

TAPELEY PARK 2.4 mi

Northam Burrows - Coast Path - Appledore - Diddywell - Northam Burrows 3.5 mi

SAUNTON COURT 3.9 mi

Saunton - Croyde - Putsborough - Fruit and Nut Trail 4.2 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Devon?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Tarka Trail Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Tarka Trail Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Tarka Trail Camping? The traffic-free Tarka Trail is a top pick for walks and bike rides around here. The 30-mile section that runs adjacent to the site follows the route of an old railway, so … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Tarka Trail Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  5:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Tarka Trail Camping? From £30 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.