Dads Cave Camping

View prices & book 9.8 15 reviews
Well-tended camping field
New
Sunset over the site
The camping field
Rural views

  • Sustainable, off-grid pop-up site in quiet Leicestershire countryside
  • Direct access to Tropical Birdland and Mallory Park 10 minutes’ drive
  • Well-kept grass pitches; a café next door and a pub 10 minutes’ walk
A peaceful spot for soaking up the Leicestershire countryside, Dads Cave Camping sits on the edge of Desford village, right next door to Tropical Birdland and 25 minutes by car from Leicester. It has just a small number of spacious pitches in a field with calming rural views; you’ll have plenty of room to unwind, listen to the wildlife and simply enjoy being away from everyday cares. This back-to-basics pop-up is all about keeping things simple but comfortable for family stays. There are a couple of basic toilets, a washing-up sink and access to clean, fresh water for drinking and cooking. If you don’t fancy alfresco cuisine, there’s a quality café a few steps away from the field and a cosy pub within 10 minutes’ walk. Dads Cave Camping is surrounded by valleys and woodland crossed with walking routes. Dogs are welcome to share your camping adventure (and walkies), but to keep wildlife, livestock and other campers happy, always keep them on leads while on the pitches – and pick up after them too. The site has a strict leave-no-trace policy, so please respect the environment by minimising waste, sticking to designated paths, leaving natural features untouched and keeping noise levels low. You’re welcome to have a campfire, but raised off the ground so the grass doesn’t burn. When you leave, your pitch should look exactly as it did when you arrived: pristine and untouched.

Campground type

Tent sites 6
RV sites 7
Open now
Opens July 28
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.

Admission

  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Dogs

  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

General

  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.

Occupancy

  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Tue, Jul 28 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

  • 86%
    10
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    9
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    8
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
6

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

A peaceful, basic campsite with spacious pitches, perfect for self-sufficient campers. Close to Tropical Birdland and a village with amenities. Guests love the friendly owner, good communication, and easy check-in. Basic but clean facilities. A relaxing getaway, with many planning to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/11/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 2
Arrival date (latest first)

Perfect experience, simple and peaceful.

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Just the most peaceful and relaxing stay.
Great site, very clean. Our group had an amazing time staying here. A wonderful breakfast 😋 was enjoyed by our group at the nearby cafe adjoining the fantastic Tropical Bird Garden. The bird centre proved to be a fascinating experience and is well worth a visit 🤩). The camp site is a 10 minute walk across the fields to the village pub and local Co-op.

Dad's Cave Camping will definitely become one of our regular weekend stopovers - a real hidden gem in tranquil countryside 😊

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Melanie Thank so much for your kind words it means the world. really enjoyed chatting to guys and your set up looks fantastic. look forward to welcoming you back soon

Plenty of space, peaceful, handy café, close to local pub / shop.

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
Andy W. 1 review

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Rolling countryside... huge pitches...shady footpath walk into Desford (takes about 10 mins) to a great dog friendly pub. Well stocked co-op next to the pub.
On site cafe at Tropical Bird World does a cracking breakfast! Great start to the day. Sounds like you are camping in the jungle when the birds start calling. Basic amenities but all clean and looked after. Friendly host. Bit of a hidden gem this one. Enjoyed it so much, we're going back next weekend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Morning Andy thank you for your great review, so glad you enjoyed it. your completely write about the tap, its on my list of things to do. see you soon

A Great Pop Up Site

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked The pitch sizes are very generous with newly planted trees in between ,once they are established will be lovely with privacy.
Quiet and relaxing atmosphere even with it being situated near bird land
Short walk into Desford
Owner very friendly

Disliked nothing to dislike :-]

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Morning Alex thank you for your review, so glad you enjoyed your stay. your welcome back at dads cave camping anytime

Beautiful place, easy to access. The…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Beautiful place, easy to access. The pitches are great and there's a nice little walk to a local pub.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Morning thank you for your review, glad you enjoyed your stay. you got some great photos, your welcome back at dads cave camping anytime

Lovely camp site

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked This is a fantastic place to stay, very peaceful, stayed in my roof tent definitely one of the best places I’ve stayed, there’s a massive bird sanctuary in walking distance with a fantastic cafe great place to visit, nice shop and pub in the village. You also have Market Bosworth, Mallory Park, Loughborough Central Railway, Thorton reservoir, etc there really is loads on your doorstep.
Can’t recommend this place highly enough. Or just chill with your feet up.

Disliked Nothing i really enjoyed my stay little gem of a find.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Glad you enjoyed your stay, Thank for your great review Duncan hope to welcome you back soon

Peaceful location with good sized pitch’s…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Peaceful location with good sized pitch’s they have ample space between them. There were lovely walks and a pub a short walk away.
There was good communication and easy check in. As you arrive and drive through the gate you are welcomed by alpacas and donkeys. If you fancy a visit tropical birdland is on the doorstep.
The owner has planted many trees and in time this place will be a gem.

Disliked Not so much a dislike but there was only one toilet for the camp site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Morning Gillian thank you for your great review. The alpacas and donkeys welcome you back anytime

Perfect for a one night stop…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Perfect for a one night stop over or longer for some peace and quiet with nice large pitches. Tropical birdland right next door. We will definitely be back

Disliked Nothing to dislike for us

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Glad you enjoyed it Paul, your welcome back anytime.

Great site if you have a…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Great site if you have a self contained van. 10min walk to the pub.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Morning Phyl. i will take your feed back onboard and look into making the pitch sizes a bit bigger. thanks again for choosing Dads Cave Camping.come again soon.

We are actually very local to…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked We are actually very local to Dads Cave Camping, but we decided to book a stay so I could get a few jobs done on my van. It turned out to be the perfect little escape! My SEN son absolutely thrives when we go off-grid, and he loved the peaceful environment here. The biggest compliment I can give the site is that he has specifically asked to come back, telling me, 'this is the life!' The owner was also incredibly welcoming, making a point to come over, introduce himself, and have a friendly chat. A fantastic, back-to-basics spot we will definitely be returning!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Morning Richard hope you got done what you needed to to the van lol. so glad you enjoyed your stay, you and your son are welcome back anytime.

Very basic but excellent location and well worth a visit

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
6
Facilities / Activities
4
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked The owner popped in to say hi and check everything ok. He was lovely so that is a big positive.
We were here for tropical bird land and this is right next door. You would think this would make it noisy but the trees cut this out.
Also village of Desford is gorgeous and in walking distance where there is a pub and a shop, also a nice heritage trail to follow.
Loads of trees have been planted so the site will look even better in a few years with lots of privacy.
This is a very small site, we were midweek so were fortunate to have it to ourselves, apart from the alpacas and donkeys of course.

Disliked No hot water and portaloo toilet but knew this before we came so didn't really affect us.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Good Morning Kerry thank you for your feed back, glad you enjoyed your stay. the Hot water is something we are looking into for the future. thanks again hope you come back soon.


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet 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 Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No hot water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site

Nearby leisure

Golf nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Dads Cave Camping

Lindridge Lane

Desford

Leicester

Leicestershire

England

LE99GN

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

52.63109°N
1.29674°W

Nearest transport

Bus
5.7 mi Sturgess Showroom
5.7 mi Rowley Fields Avenue
6.9 mi St Margaret's Bus Station
Rail
5.7 mi Narborough Rail Station
7.2 mi Leicester Rail Station
7.4 mi Hinckley Rail Station
Airport
13.6 mi East Midlands Airport
19.7 mi Coventry Airport
22.1 mi Birmingham International Airport Terminal 1

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

All the family will surely love communing with the cheeky parrots and exotic flamingoes at Tropical Birdland (direct access); there are also colourful tropical birds in walk-through aviaries. Another great family day out can be had at Twycross Zoo (25 minutes’ drive), with hundreds of animals and conservation-focused exhibits. You can combine a family hike with a history lesson on Desford Heritage Trail (five minutes’ walk) through local villages, and learn all about 1485’s Battle of Bosworth Field at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre (15 minutes’ drive) on guided tours of the battle site. Thornton Reservoir (five minutes) in the National Forest lends itself to gentle lakeside strolls, wildlife spotting and fly fishing for trout at the fishery. There’s also a golf course – and crazy golf for younger visitors – about five minutes away by car, and if you fancy more high-octane days out, Mallory Park (10 minutes) hosts motor racing and track events.

Must see

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre 5.2 mi

National Space Centre 7 mi

Twycross Zoo 9.9 mi

National Forest 12.6 mi

Calke Abbey 12.9 mi

National Trust

Staunton Harold Church 11.4 mi

Calke Abbey 14 mi

Letocetum Roman Baths and Museum 23.6 mi

Kedleston Hall 24.7 mi

Baddesley Clinton 26.2 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Bagworth Heath Woods 2.1 mi

Bagworth Centenary Wood and Royal Tigers Wood 2.1 mi

Thornton Reservoir 2.2 mi

Ratby Burroughs 2.4 mi

Barlestone - Newbold Verdon - Cadeby 3.3 mi

Local events

  • Moseley Folk Festival (Friday, September 4, 2026 – Friday, September 4, 2026)

    Birmingham, England 27.9 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.

Want to know more about camping in Leicestershire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Dads Cave Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Dads Cave Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Dads Cave Camping? All the family will surely love communing with the cheeky parrots and exotic flamingoes at Tropical Birdland (direct access); there are also colourful tropical birds in walk-through aviaries. Another great family day … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Dads Cave Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  Anytime
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Dads Cave Camping? From $33.82 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.