Gidleigh Wood

View prices & book 9.7 107 reviews
View to the east
View to the east
Gidleigh wood from higher murchington
Tent and campervan site
Looking north
Looking north
Sun rises over gidleigh wood.
Gidleigh woods tent and campervan pitch
Easter sunday
1/156
Gidleigh wood from higher murchington
Tent and campervan site
Looking north

  • Simple pitches in 150 acres of privately owned Devon woodland
  • A 20-minute drive to Okehampton; 40 minutes to Exeter
  • Direct access to Dartmoor and the Two Moors Way, plus walks on site
Get down to Devon and a gorgeous setting in Dartmoor National Park – the simple grass pitches at Gidleigh Wood are part of a 150-acre site that’s mainly filled with conifer and broadleaf trees in the north Teign river valley. It’s an extremely peaceful location – and a scenic one too, with views out over the surrounding hills and woodland. If you’ve come this way for a bit of walking or cycling, you’re in the right place. Such outings can start right there on site, as there are numerous tracks crisscrossing the woodland, including one that takes you up Princeps Tor (with an elevation of 333 metres). There’s a mile or so of river frontage too, so you can get a close look at the water (it’s an unusual colour thanks to the peaty moorland soil…) Beyond the woods, you can get out onto the moors via a footbridge over the river. Once you’ve crossed the water, there’s a generous 365 square miles of moorland to explore, with nearby walks taking you to places like Kestor Rock and some standing stones. Something even longer in mind? This is a popular spot with students on Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, and it’s also a handy stopover point for the Two Moors Way, as the Mariners Way (part of the longer trail) runs through the woods. Life on site is fairly simple, with just the essential facilities provided – guests will have access to showers, compost toilets and a washing-up area but are otherwise left to their own devices.

Campground type

Tent sites 15
RV sites 3
Opens August 21
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • 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).
  • Continental touring caravans (caravans built with the passenger door on the right-hand side) are not permitted.
  • If making a fire, the fuel, logs and coal have to be purchased on site.
  • Swimming in the lake is not allowed.
  • Please note that the shower facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, Aug 21 to

Open from Thu, Aug 28 to

Open from Tue, Dec 30 2025 to

Reviews

9.7

Overall rating from 107 Pitchup.com customers

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ForestPeaceful

98% would recommend this campground to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

This peaceful, semi-wild campsite in beautiful woodland near Dartmoor offers direct access to walks. Hosts Mark and Karen are praised for being friendly and helpful. Facilities are clean, including compost toilets and hot showers. The fire pit is popular. Note some narrow access roads and gentle slope on pitches.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 11
Arrival date (latest first)

Mark and Karen are amazing hosts. The site is a bit tricky…

Overall

10 out of 10
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 10
Value for money
 10
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Wifi
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Karen B.

Primitive grass RV campsite

Liked Mark and Karen are amazing hosts. The site is a bit tricky to find… but omg what a stunning place! Very basic, compost toilet and a shower, sink and recycling area.
Walks within the woods take you to the river- wish I had prepared and then be able to go in for a swim.

Disliked Roads getting g to the site… but that’s Devon for you.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful, friendly, amazing walks on site- what’s not to love!! Will definitely…

Overall

10 out of 10
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 10
Value for money
 10
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 No rating
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 10
Customer service
 10
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 10
Wifi
 10
Kerry B.

Primitive grass RV campsite

Liked Peaceful, friendly, amazing walks on site- what’s not to love!! Will definitely return as soon as possible next spring.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A Fantastic place to stay to unwind and relax.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
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Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
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Luke D.

Primitive grass RV campsite

Liked The peace and tranquility.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Many thanks Luke for your lovely review.

Mark

Lovely quiet site, beautiful setting, friendly and helpful owner…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
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Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
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Anonymous

Primitive grass RV campsite

Liked Lovely quiet site, beautiful setting, friendly and helpful owner

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for rating Gidleigh wood campsite a 10/10! We are so glad you enjoyed your stay and look forward to seeing you again next year.

Cheers

Mark

Lovely peaceful site on the edge of Dartmoor

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
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Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
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Cleanliness
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Wifi
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Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Great location, nice for walking onto Dartmoor directly from the site. Friendly owner and good facilities. Lovely quiet stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

10/10 cheap pitch great location

Overall

10 out of 10
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 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
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Wifi
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Lee J.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Friendly staff, clean site lots of place to walk

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wild camping, perfect for getting away from the rat race!!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
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Facilities / Activities
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Customer service
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Christopher G.

Primitive grass RV campsite

Liked Warm welcome, from friendly host Mark. Out the way retreat for those loving the wilderness, peace and quiet. Great walks in the woods, down to the stream and around the tors from campsite. Big old fire pit for communal gatherings and meeting new people if you wish. Great little site with grass pitches for tents and campervan parking. Amazing place for the off grid type of escape. Clean facilities and places for washing dishes and recycling rubbish. Really enjoyed our stay here 😊

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Chris, many thanks for giving us a great review and rating us a 10/10! We really appreciate it and it makes it all worthwhile.
We hope to see you again sometime soon.

Cheers

Mark

Great

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
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Kirsty S.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Everything! Lovely friendly chap running the site. Nice basic but clean and efficient facilities. The surrounding area is lovely, with nice walks straight from the field.

Disliked Nothing really

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, simple and honest, lovely setting…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Excellent site, simple and honest, lovely setting

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you Peter, very kind of you to rate Gidleigh wood camping a 10/10!
We hope you enjoyed your wild swimming.

Mark

what an amazing experience. The owner was so lovely, he gave me…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Jonathan W.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked what an amazing experience. The owner was so lovely, he gave me a map of the area and advised on some walks that would suit my interests. The campsite is clean, well kept and secluded. Facilities are a sink to wash dishes and hands, a male and female toilet and a shower which are all cleaned regularly through the day. In the evenings a fire pit is lit with space for about 10-15 people and it makes for a pleasant wind down in the evening. Reviews do speak of the area being on a hill which is true (as is 90% of dartmoor) but there is sufficient places to be on ground that suits your pitch requirement. If you want a wild camping experience without the bother of having to poo in the hedge then this is the place!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Jon, many thanks for giving us a great review and rating us a 10/10! We really appreciate it and it makes it all worthwhile. So glad you enjoyed your stay at Gidleigh wood campsite a we look forward to seeing you all again next year.

Mark

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

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 Car parking by site/unit 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 Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Location

Gidleigh Wood

Berrydown Road

Gidleigh

Chagford

Devon

England

TQ13 8HR

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

50.67838°N
3.88191°W

Nearest transport

Bus
6.8 mi Thomas Cook
14.7 mi Bus Station
16 mi Bus Station
Rail
6.3 mi Okehampton Rail Station
7 mi Sampford Courtenay Rail Station
9.6 mi Yeoford Rail Station
Ferry
18.1 mi Topsham Lock Ferry Landing
18.2 mi Topsham Ferry Landing
18.3 mi Topsham (Turf Lock Ferry) Ferry Landing
Airport
20.7 mi Exeter 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

Fancy a challenge once you’ve warmed up on the trails nearby? How about a hike up High Willhays, the highest point in southern England at 621 metres. Meldon Hill, just outside Chagford, is another that’s worth a climb for some excellent moorland views. Shilley Pool, a few miles north of the site, is a lovely spot to cool off with some wild swimming in the river. For a glimpse into times gone by, stop by at the National Trust’s Finch Foundry (15 minutes’ drive) to see an old water-powered forge, or head to the Museum of Dartmoor Life (20 minutes) to explore the themed exhibits. Castle Drogo (20 minutes) may look like a historic building thanks to its medieval styling but it was actually constructed in the 20th century by renowned architect Edwin Lutyens – that modern take on a traditional style makes it a fascinating place to visit. Other days out nearby might take you over to Exeter (40 minutes) to visit the cathedral and museums and delve into the underground passages, or down to the coast for a day on the beach in Dawlish (45 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Shaldon 19.2 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Teignmouth Town 19.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Dawlish Coryton Cove 19.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Ness Cove 19.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Dawlish Town 19.5 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Castle Drogo 3.3 mi

Buckfast Abbey 13.6 mi

Exeter Cathedral - Church of Saint Peter 15.7 mi

Dartmoor Zoological Park 19.2 mi

The National Trust Killerton House & Gardens 20.1 mi

National Trust

Castle Drogo 3.3 mi

Finch Foundry 4.1 mi

The Church House 7.7 mi

Lydford Gorge 10.2 mi

Buckland Abbey 17.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Chagford - Castle Drogo - Fingle Bridge 2.2 mi

CASTLE DROGO 3.6 mi

Bennet's Cross - Huckney Tor - Vitifer Mine Complex - Bennet's Cross 4.2 mi

WOOD HOUSE 4.8 mi

Postbridge CP - Broad Down - Longaford Tor - Powder Mills 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 Devon?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Gidleigh Wood have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Gidleigh Wood dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Gidleigh Wood? Fancy a challenge once you’ve warmed up on the trails nearby? How about a hike up High Willhays, the highest point in southern England at 621 metres. Meldon Hill, just outside Chagford, … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Gidleigh Wood?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Gidleigh Wood? From $32.55 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.