Wild Canvas Camping

View prices & book 8.3 7 reviews
Riverside camping (added by manager 04 Jun 2024)
Riverside pitches (added by manager 01 jul 2022)
Campsite overhead (added by manager 31 may 2024)
Riverside camping (added by manager 31 may 2024)

  • Pop-up family-friendly site on the banks of the River Great Ouse
  • Bletchley Park and Milton Keynes activities within a half-hour drive
  • Gentle festival atmosphere with activities, music, café and bar
With a relaxed festival atmosphere, Wild Canvas Camping is a five-week pop-up site now in its fifth year. Set within the scenic riverside meadows of the historic Turvey House Estate in Bedfordshire, it is an hour and 45 minutes' drive away from London and just over an hour from Cambridge. With a welcoming and relaxed ethos, the site is designed for all ages. At this spot, you're encouraged to leave the everyday behind and get stuck into music, creative arts, wellness and nature instead. There are a range of activities running on site (free or paid), from dance classes to a drop-in kids’ crafts club and the ever-popular superhero kids’ disco. Coached paddleboarding lessons are also available, although many guests choose to bring their own kayaks and paddleboards to cruise down the River Great Ouse. If you paddle across the length of the site, you'll make it to the bar. Wild Canvas Camping also runs wellbeing activities such as free morning sessions (with the likes of yoga, pilates and/or boot camps) and a variety of classes throughout the day. There is also a wellness treatment tent and a riverside sauna. Guests can expect camping food staples and dishes such as hot breakfasts, streetfood dishes, woodfired pizzas, empanadas and fresh salads at on-site Riverfront Café (open every day aside from Mondays and Tuesdays). It also serves a hog roast on Saturdays. Wild HQ, the courtyard bar (open on the same days as the café) has local beers and ales alongside signature cocktails. While Wild Canvas Camping’s groovy playlists set the tone throughout the week, the weekends are livelier with an all-star roster of live DJs performing at the courtyard bar on Fridays, Saturdays and bank holiday Sundays (artists confirmed for select dates over the summer include Patrick Forge, Abi Clark, Dom Servini, The Mighty Zaf and others). Just take note that the music will end at midnight on these days. The nearest train station is in Bedford, 15 minutes' drive away from the site. Olney, a market town with excellent shopping, is only a 10-minute drive away. Mobile phone reception is good on site.

Campground type

Rent a tent 4
Tent sites 30
Opens July 25
Please note
  • Group bookings of 5 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 16 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Single-sex bookings of 8 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No cars/motorcycles at the site. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Units longer than 8 metres are not allowed.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

Danish

English

Open from Thu, Jul 25 to

Campsite types & availability

Reviews

86%

would recommend this campground to a friend

86%

would stay here again

  • 57%
    10
  • 0%
    9
  • 28%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 14%
    2
  • 0%
    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

We enjoyed our stay. Pitches were large. Everyone was friendly. Food was…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Kristine B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: We enjoyed our stay. Pitches were large. Everyone was friendly. Food was great from the cafe. Activities were great. We enjoyed wild swimming.

Disliked: Only 2 washing up basins. Seemed on last days the staff have given up on toilets.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Avoid!!!

Overall 2/10
Location 10
Value for money 2
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 2
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 2
Wifi 2
Paul N. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: The scenery

Disliked: Booked for 3 nights and left after 1 night. Misleading information and photos. No Rules, No Security, No Proper Management. Last minute advised that 500 campers attending venue on bank holiday weekend. Loud venue music until 11.30pm. Venue spread over 3 fields. 1st field is the only field that has drinking water and other washing facilities. 2nd & 3rd fields full of ruts, craters, high grass and grassed over mole hills. Flat areas only near hedgerows and riverside. Inconsiderate loud/rowdy unruly stoned drunkards. Unsupervised thieving feral kids being destructive and intrusive with appalling verbal diarrhoea vocabulary. Mal-functioning Portaloos not cleaned or emptied regularly. Fire Assembly Points with Empty emergency water and vandalised extinguishers. Extortionate Food & Drink Prices. Not enough riverside warning signs or safety equipment. Large queues queuing for showers, 2 sinks and 1 drinking water tap.

Recommend to friends Visit again

- really beautiful site, next to a stream. - kids loved playing…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Joe W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: - really beautiful site, next to a stream. - kids loved playing in the water - good facilities - quiet monday-wednesday stay

Disliked: - kids activities / bar / restaurant not open early week. I had figured as it was summer holidays there wouldn't be such a weekend / weekday divide, but I was wrong - above not entirely clear on pitchup - it does, however, mean it's very quiet early in the week which has its own advantages

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing campsite !

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Magdalena F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Beautiful location, nice atmosphere,lots of space, access to the river, bar and food truck on site , clean showers and toilets . Everything was just great ! We had an amazing time .

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Magdalena, thank you for your kind words. We are so happy you enjoyed the site. All the best. Wild Canvas

A great camp with river, lots of space but also things to do.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Deirdre C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: This was our second trip to Wild Canvas Camping. We had a fabulous time, swimming in the river, making crafts in the Den, eating yummy, local ice cream and delicious burgers from The Brothers' van, listening to music, playing games in the wide open spaces, making friends. Great showers, clean toilets, lots of space, great atmosphere.

Disliked: Nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for coming back and for your kind words about Wild Canvas. It was a pleasure hosting you as always. Best wishes from all the team here at Wild Canvas Camping.

10/10 will be going again next year

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: friendly vibe, access to the river to swim and cool down was fantastic, the food was good.

Disliked: only negative was getting all the gear to the pitch as cars were not allowed in the fields.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Cracking site with loads of space .

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Dean G. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Everything ..the space ..the river to play in with the kids ..the peace and quiet. Such a great place to just unwind and relax and having 3 young kids it was even better not to have to worry about cars coming and going so they could run around with out any worries. Personal I think one of the best parts to this site is the river access. We played in the river all day and the kids lived it .

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

Massages

On-site cafe

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Playground

Recreation room/arcade

Sauna

TV room

Takeout

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available

Car parking by site/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Free wifi

Grocery store

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Laundromat

Parent & baby washroom

Payphone

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Restrooms

Shower available

Tents for hire

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Scouts welcome

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed

Barbecue provided

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

No dogs allowed

Themes

Spectacular scenery

Utilities

Charging facilities

Dump station

Electric car charging point(s)

Propane/gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Convenience store nearby

Dog walk nearby

Nearby farmers' market

Public transportation nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Pop-up campsite

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Cycling nearby

Horseback riding nearby

Leisure/theme park nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Outdoor pool nearby

Restaurant nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

Wild Canvas Camping

Coppey Moor Cottage

Turvey House

Turvey

Bedfordshire

England

MK43 8EQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

52.1718°N
-0.62449°W

Nearest transport

Bus
1.6 mi War Memorial
1.6 mi War Memorial
6.9 mi Bus Station
Rail
6.6 mi Bedford Rail Station
7.3 mi Bedford St Johns Rail Station
7.5 mi Kempston Hardwick Rail Station
Airport
22.8 mi London Luton 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

If you're planning a longer stay at Wild Canvas Camping, you might want to plan a few excellent days out. Get off to a flying start with a day of wildlife watching at Woburn Safari Park (half an hour's drive) or Whipsnade Zoo (50 minutes). The Dunstable Downs (50 minutes) are down south should you fancy a day of hiking, although there are plenty of opportunities for a lighter stroll in Harrold Odell Country Park (five minutes) if you don't feel like driving too far from base. Outings with a more historic edge can be had at the gorgeous 35-acre Castle Ashby Gardens (15 minutes) or learning about the fascinating story of the World War II codebreakers at Bletchley Park (half an hour). On the flip side, if you're looking for somewhere that will keep the kids happy, head to Gullivers Dinosaur and Farm Park (25 minutes) to meet pigs, sheep, donkeys and (models of) dinosaurs. Ride Leisure (35 minutes) has an inflatable water park for a good bit of adventure. On damp days, however, Milton Keynes (25 minutes) is the place to go for indoor karting, climbing and Snozone snow activities.

Must see

Gulliver's Land 9.4 mi

Woburn Enterprises Limited 11 mi

Woburn Safari Park 11.7 mi

78 Derngate 12.1 mi

National Waterways Museum -Stoke Bruerne 12.4 mi

National Trust

Ascott 19.3 mi

Buckingham Chantry Chapel 19.5 mi

Stowe Landscape Gardens 19.5 mi

Lyveden New Bield 19.9 mi

Dunstable Downs, Chilterns Gateway Centre and Whipsnade Estate 21.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Turvey - Gorewelle - Turvey Circular 0.6 mi

HINWICK HOUSE 5.2 mi

CHICHELEY HALL 5.2 mi

HINWICK HALL 5.4 mi

CASTLE ASHBY 5.9 mi

Local events

  • Formula 1 British Grand Prix (Thursday, July 4, 2024 – Thursday, July 4, 2024)

    Silverstone, England 17.9 mi

  • Fairport's Cropredy Convention (Thursday, August 8, 2024 – Thursday, August 8, 2024)

    Chipping Norton, England 29.6 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 campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Bedfordshire?

  • Does Wild Canvas Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Wild Canvas Camping dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Wild Canvas Camping? If you're planning a longer stay at Wild Canvas Camping, you might want to plan a few excellent days out. Get off to a flying start with a day of wildlife watching … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Wild Canvas Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  10 a.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Wild Canvas Camping? From $61.31 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.