South Dean Camping

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.6 236 reviews
Cliff path
1
Site facilities, 9 flushing toilets and 8 hot showers
View of the campsite from the costal path

  • Dog-friendly rural Devon site near several sandy beaches
  • A half-hour drive to Barnstaple and 25 minutes to Woolacombe
  • Barbecues and campfires allowed; footpaths and pubs nearby
Head to this north Devon site to pick your own spacious pitch across 12 acres of land with spectacular views over Exmoor, within 30 minutes’ drive of Barnstaple and 25 minutes of Woolacombe. This is a working farm, so you’ll share views of North Devon’s cliff-carved coastline with a host of farm animals, as well as the occasional wild pony, red deer or bird of prey. Near to sandy coves, woodlands and open moorlands, you'll quite possibly be ooh-ing and ahh-ing all day long. Plus, your dog won’t need to miss out on the countryside sensations either, as they’re welcome on a lead. Pick a plot among the unmarked pitches stretching over 10 acres of land and come prepped with grill recipes because barbecues are allowed on site. There are firepits provided to keep blazes safe and bins to keep the countryside litter-free. Toilets, showers and drinking water facilities are on site, too. Other perks of staying here include a pets corner where you can get your fluffy fix feeding the alpacas or watching the sheep and alpacas doing their thing and a picnic area where you can break up your day with a tasty packed lunch admiring the scenery. You may want to keep an eye out for cheeky peacocks and other wandering wildlife as you follow one of several trails direct from the site suited to bicycles or feet. There's a circular route past beaches, or if sand’s on your mind and you want it fast, it’s a 15-minute drive to the nearest sandy coves and surf schools. After all that walking, you won’t want to go hungry either… it’s easy to grab a takeaway here or fill up at several pubs, restaurants and shops in the neighbouring towns, including a Victorian inn within a five-minute drive of the site.

Campground type

RV & Motorhome sites 3
Tent sites 47
Opens
Please note

Vehicles

  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.

Occupancy

  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Dogs

  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Reception

  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Languages spoken

English

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Site types & availability

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Reviews

  • 81%
    10
  • 5%
    9
  • 9%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
5

98% would recommend this campground to a friend

96% would stay here again

What customers say

Stunning clifftop site with coastal path access. Reviewers loved the spotless facilities, helpful staff, and chill vibe with pitch choice. Alpacas are a bonus! Expect wind, but the views are worth it. A bit noisy at times, but overall a cracker for nature lovers.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 01/09/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 24
Arrival date (latest first)

Great time will definitely go again!

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
Aimee D. 1 review

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Great campsite! Beautiful views and loved them trying to get as many food vans to come even though the weather was bad!

Disliked Facilities were great, just the showers slightly dirty.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The scenery was outstanding, the facilities…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
4

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked The scenery was outstanding, the facilities were great. We had a great time and will be back

Recommend to friends Visit again

If you bring supplies and don't mind the wind or the price, its great.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
4
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Lots of space, gorgeous view, friendly sheep. Sanitary facilities are generally good.

Disliked The extra price compared to other campsites is not justified. You can tell the site is set up for the instagram pictures, with plastic plants and cheap interior decoration. The food van schedule is too scarce rely on it as a replacement for the lack of nearby pubs or cafes.

Two things that the owners can't change, but should be noticed before booking:

The site is very prone to wind. The day we were there the weather report only reported 20 kph winds, but we had to sleep in the car because our tent got too loud.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your feedback. We’re pleased you enjoyed the space, views, sheep and facilities.

We are confused by the criticism regarding food vendors. You stayed for one night on a Wednesday, when no evening food vendors were advertised or scheduled; the only vendor scheduled that day was the morning coffee truck. Our visiting vendors are an additional offering on selected days, not a replacement for guests bringing supplies or exploring the local area.

There are also plenty of pubs, cafés and places to eat within a short drive of South Dean. We would always encourage guests to look at the surrounding area and distances before booking, particularly when choosing a rural campsite.

South Dean is a clifftop camping field in a peaceful, remote location — not a hotel or holiday park. Our location, facilities and prices are all clearly advertised before booking, so guests know exactly what we offer and can decide whether this style of camping is right for them.

Value is naturally subjective, but the price was clearly stated and accepted when the booking was made.

We’re also unsure what is meant by the suggestion that the site is “set up for Instagram pictures.” What you see in our photographs is what you see when you arrive at South Dean. We don’t create a separate version of the campsite for social media — the views, facilities and decorative touches shown online are all there for our guests to enjoy. Personal taste in décor will naturally differ, but suggesting the site has been created simply for photographs is an unfair representation of what we offer. The finishing touches are simply there because we want our facilities to feel welcoming rather than purely functional.

Unfortunately, your one-night stay also coincided with poor weather. As a clifftop campsite, we naturally feel the effects when the weather turns, but this certainly isn’t representative of every day at South Dean. We have enjoyed many calm and completely still days throughout the season.

South Dean is intentionally a peaceful, rural campsite in a beautiful and relatively remote location. We encourage guests to research both the campsite and surrounding area before booking to ensure it suits the type of stay they are looking for.

We’re sorry that South Dean wasn’t the right fit for you. We’re very proud of what we offer, and our rural location, open space, views and simplicity are exactly what so many of our guests choose to come here and enjoy. Thank you for staying with us.

Fabulous camping site, the best I…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
2
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Fabulous camping site, the best I have ever experienced with breathtaking views and South west coastal path!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback. To hear South Dean described as the best campsite you’ve ever experienced really means a lot to us, and we’re delighted you loved the views and our location on the South West Coast Path.

Full marks across every category too, we’ll have to work out what we need to do to earn that elusive final point next time!

Thank you for recommending us and we look forward to welcoming you back.

Very beautiful views

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked The open space plenty of room the toilet an shower facilities where very clean , the mobile catering that come on the site very nice touch

Disliked Be prepared for windy nights an days

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your review. We’re pleased you enjoyed the open space, clean facilities and visiting food vendors.

Unfortunately, your stay from 24th–30th August coincided with a prolonged spell of poor and windy weather across the area. As a clifftop campsite we naturally feel the brunt of it, although even more sheltered inland campsites would have experienced challenging conditions for tents during this period.

This certainly isn’t representative of our season, which has predominantly seen low winds and many completely calm days. It’s unfortunate that your week may have given the impression that windy conditions are the norm here, when that simply isn’t the case.

We’re naturally disappointed with the 7/10, particularly given your positive comments and individual ratings, when the main negative appears to have been weather conditions beyond our control.

Nevertheless, we’re glad there were many aspects of South Dean that you enjoyed. Thank you for choosing to stay with us, and we hope you’ll return one day and experience the site in the beautiful, calm weather we were fortunate to enjoy much of this season.

Supeeeeeeeer…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
7
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
1

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Supeeeeeeeer

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would happily stay here again !

Overall

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

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Loved how laid back it was. Didn’t over capacitate so had plenty of room between campers and a brilliant coastal view. The animals were wonderful and free roaming, gave an authentic Devonshire experience and the facilities were excellent!

Disliked Lights in the toilet/shower block as we struggled to shower in the evenings but torch light, but very minor considering how good the facilities were

Recommend to friends Visit again

Motorcycle friendly

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Rob H. 1 review

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Staff, scenery and facilities

Disliked Nowt

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect views , modern well kept facilities

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Amazing views & facilities 💯perfect all round

Disliked Not their fault at all but Sod’s Law the one night we are there and the cocktail lady couldn’t come 😂

Recommend to friends Visit again

I love it!!!…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked I love it!!!

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

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table 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 Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Surf school nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearby

Location

South Dean Camping

Trentishoe

Parracombe

Barnstaple

Devon

England

EX31 4QD

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.21832°N
3.94852°W

Nearest transport

Coach
12.3 km Methodist Church
17.3 km Bus Station
19.2 km Garage
Rail
17.9 km Barnstaple Rail Station
23.1 km Chapelton (Devon) Rail Station
24.8 km Umberleigh Rail Station
Ferry
11.4 km Ilfracombe Ferry Landing
24.8 km Instow Ferry Landing
24.9 km Appledore Ferry Landing
Airport
43.6 km Swansea Airport
47 km Cardiff International Airport

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

Getting your seaside fix isn’t hard from South Dean Camping. Combe Martin (five minutes’ drive) is a very scenic spot, and all that scenery is extra special when you’re on a rented kayak or paddleboard just off shore. The village is home to the Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park (10 minutes) too, a zoo and prehistoric park for just as an attractive day out. More coastal spots include the surfing hotspot at Woolacombe Beach (25 minutes), Ilfracombe’s busy harbour (20 minutes) or the Valley of Rocks (20 minutes) for all things coastal walks and dramatic sea views. For a little of the historic, settle in for the funicular railway in the villages of Lynton and Lynmouth (20 minutes) or potter around the country house and gardens at Arlington Court (15 minutes). Barnstaple (30 minutes), a gorgeous riverside town, is the go-to place for Tarka Trail bike rides. If it’s a walk you’d rather, Dunkery & Horner Wood National Nature Reserve (40 minutes) has a great loop among the ancient oaks.

Food and drink

  • Hunter's Inn Restaurant 1.5 km
  • Fox And Goose Pub 4.5 km
  • The Old Station House Inn Pub 5.3 km
  • George and Dragon Pub 5.7 km
  • The Castle Inn Pub 5.7 km
  • Pack O'Cards Pub 5.9 km
  • Fo'cs'le Inn Pub 6.4 km
  • Dolphin Inn Pub 6.5 km
  • Smuggler's Bar Pub 6.9 km
  • The Sandrock Restaurant 7.6 km

Parks and play

  • Pavilion Stores & Cafe 4.5 km
  • Cobbler's Park 6.4 km
  • Manor Grounds 8.5 km

Family days out

  • Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Visitor attraction 4.7 km
  • Newberry Castle 6.9 km
  • Kids cabin Amusement arcade 8.2 km
  • Arlington Court Visitor attraction 8.4 km
  • Watermouth Castle 8.4 km
  • Lyn Model Railway Visitor attraction 8.5 km

Public transport

  • Fox and Goose 4.5 km
  • Martinhoe Cross 4.9 km
  • Blackmoor Gate 5.2 km
  • Top of Barton Lane 7.5 km
  • Shelter 7.5 km
  • Granville Garage 7.8 km
  • Town Hall 8 km
  • The Studio 8 km
  • Castle Hill Car Park 8.1 km
  • The Sawmill Inn 8.2 km

Beaches

  • Heddon's Mouth 1.9 km
  • Wild Pear beach 5.9 km
  • Combe Martin beach 6.4 km
  • Golden Cove 7.5 km
  • Broadsands 7.7 km

What’s nearby

  • Illfracombe Golf Club 9.7 km

Local services

  • Combe Martin Services Fuel station 5.4 km
  • Combe Martin Health Centre Doctors 5.7 km
  • Boots Pharmacy 6.3 km
  • Barbrook Service Station Fuel station 7.5 km
  • Lynton Health Centre Clinic 7.9 km
  • Lynton Pharmacy 7.9 km

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

RHS Garden Rosemoor 33.3 km

National Waterfront Museum 44.2 km

National Trust

Heddon Valley 1.4 km

Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum 8.4 km

Watersmeet 10.4 km

Holnicote Estate 26.9 km

Dunster Working Watermill 35.1 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Hunters Inn - SW Coast Path - Trentishoe - Hunters Inn 1.6 km

Hunters Inn - Woody Bay - South West Coast Path - Hunters Inn 1.6 km

Woody Bay and the Spectacular Coastline 3.6 km

ARLINGTON COURT 8.9 km

Hillsford Bridge - Watersmeet - Lynmouth - Hillsford Bridge 10 km

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.

Want to know more about camping in Devon?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does South Dean Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is South Dean Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near South Dean Camping? Getting your seaside fix isn’t hard from South Dean Camping. Combe Martin (five minutes’ drive) is a very scenic spot, and all that scenery is extra special when you’re on a rented … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of South Dean Camping?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  9 a.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  Anytime
    Read more