Birdwatching: Campsites in Central England

Toad Abode

• Wild site by the River Ash, 15 minutes' drive from Bishop's Stortford
• Forage on site for elderberries, rosehips and edible Himalayan blossom
• Within 40 minutes' drive of Audley End and Knebworth House

O'Gabe Farm

• Peaceful, well-maintained farm site half a mile from the river Avon
• A five-minute drive from the edge of the Cotswolds; watersports nearby
• Pubs and food shop 20 minutes’ walk away; barbecues allowed on site

Trentfield Farm

• Peaceful site on the banks of the River Trent, with free fishing
• A 30-minute drive to Sherwood Forest, Lincoln and Clumber Park
• Great village pub a 10-minute stroll down the riverbank

Lydbrook Wild Camping

• Family-run wild camping site in the Wye Valley National Landscape
• Peaceful spot a couple of miles from Lydbrook in the Forest of Dean
• Within walking distance of the river Wye, a café and a pub

Barn Field Camping

• Pastureland camping on a working family farm in the Bedfordshire Wolds
• Saint Neots 15 minutes' drive; 45 minutes from Cambridge city centre
• Direct access to footpaths/bridleways; farm shop five minutes' drive

Grin Low Caravan and Motorhome Club Site

Oakdean Cottage

• Cosy Mongolian yurt with direct walking access into the Forest of Dean
• Five minutes’ drive to Soudley and 15 minutes’ walk to Blakeney
• Double bed, shower room, kitchenette, outdoor eating area and campfire

Thorpe Park Holiday Centre

Fishill Farm

• Peaceful no-frills pop-up campsite on a small family-run farm
• Witney and Woodstock within a quarter of an hour's drive
• A mile from two pubs and restaurants; stabling available

Honey Pod Farm

• Handcrafted stargazing pods on a family-run organic farm glamping site
• A five-minute drive from Upton-upon-Severn and 30 mins from Tewkesbury
• Cosy 17th-century inn on site serving guest ales and gastropub food

Measham House Farm

• Peaceful rural site in the National Forest and close to the A42
• A 10-minute drive from Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Twycross Zoo
• Set in the grounds of a Georgian farmhouse; a mile to a lakeside café

Horseshoe Lake Activity Centre

• Family-friendly lakeside site with bell tents, a mile from Sandhurst
• A half-hour drive from Legoland Windsor; 40 minutes from Winchester
• Book ahead for open water swims and watersports on the lake

Old Willow Works Camping

• Well-maintained Nottinghamshire site 20 minutes' walk from River Trent
• Gainsborough 10 minutes' drive; Lincoln 35 minutes
• Secluded pitches across the road from an RSPB reserve

Prestbury Farm Shepherd Huts

• Shepherd’s huts in an orchard just outside Huntley, in Gloucestershire
• Gloucester 20 minutes’ drive; Forest of Dean 25 minutes
• Private patios; communal barbecue hut; resident farm animals

Countryside Glamping Club

• Peaceful family-run site one mile from the river Trent
• Sundown Adventureland five minutes' drive; coarse fishing at the river
• Within five minutes’ drive of village pubs; next to a small food shop

Doward Park Campsite

Huckleberry Farm

• Pop-up campsite on a family-run smallholding in rural Oxfordshire
• A 10-minute drive to Bicester Village and Blenheim Palace
• Farm animals and pony rides on site; five minutes’ drive to a pub

Ynys Hut

• Romantic couples-only hideaway in the Herefordshire village of Orcop
• Hereford city centre 20 minutes' drive; Eastnor Castle 40 minutes
• Cosy hand-built shepherd’s hut set in a totally private garden

Black Grove Farm

• No-frills eco site in rural Hertfordshire, a 10-minute drive from Ware
• Hertford 15 minutes’ drive; Knebworth House half an hour
• Dogs welcome; communal fridge; shared areas for socialising