Pitch perfect! The quirkiest sites you can set up camp this summer
... INCLUDING ONE WITH RESIDENT REINDEER
CAMPING can be great fun and brings generations together in some good oldfashioned teamwork – putting up the tent, cooking outdoors and playing games.
It is also a chance to get closer to nature, with sites located in some of the most idyllic settings, be they nestled in the countryside or overlooking a beachscape. People who prefer “glamping” to camping don’t have to rough it in a sleeping bag on a lumpy groundsheet under canvas.
There are lots of options for making a “camping” break much more luxurious, with sites that offer pitches for caravans and motorhomes, complete with electric hook-ups, hot showers and fresh water supplies on tap, as well as those with well-equipped pods, shepherd’s huts and yurts. Any option will still enable you to leave behind the stresses of daily life and make lots of memories.
If you are planning a summer break not too far away from home that offers fun for all the family, some fantastic scenery and plenty of fresh air, here is a selection of some of the more out of the way and interesting sites in East Yorkshire.
1 Highfield Farm, Ottringham
This peaceful green site on the edge of farmland has three different camping areas and also just happens to have a dozen alpacas in residence that you can see, plus free-range chickens, so any visiting dogs must be kept on lead. The site has free hot showers, a car charging port for electric vehicles and fire pits you can borrow – the owners never overbook, their intention being to give guests plenty of space.
This working arable farm has a shepherd’s hut for hire, if you don’t have your own tent or caravan, and there are also comfortable, en-suite rooms available. A disused railway line borders the farm fields, providing a safe way to explore the area on foot or by bike.
2 Bracken Burrows, Driffield
This splendid glamping site includes pristine, well kitted-out pods for two or four people, set in delightful countryside. It is right on the Minster Way and National Cycle Route 1 trails.
Outside there is a private decked area with outdoor seating and a fire pit for barbecue feasts - logs are available on site and you can enjoy your rural retreat even more by ordering breakfast, dinner or barbecue hampers filled with locally produced goodies. Dogs are welcome on site and can stay in the pods or in a cosy stable block nearby.
3 Primrose Hill Farm, Bugthorpe
A secluded adults-only site with pitches on the fringes of the Yorkshire Wolds, Primrose Hill Farm has a “sheltered and informal” vibe with more of a wild camping feel about it. Part of a working farm, there is easy access to bridleways for walks and spotting local wildlife, such as deer, buzzards and hares, or the Highland cows that live on site.
There are simple facilities and you will need a torch to find your way around after dark here as there’s no lighting. The farm often has fresh eggs to buy for a great al fresco breakfast.
4 Hollym Airfield Caravan and Camping
Here is a spot where you can take in the magnificent clifftop views, with the seaside resort of Withernsea just a five-minute drive away – or you can walk there along the sand when the tide is out. A laid-back, familyfriendly site, there are spacious grass pitches, a heated shower block with disabled facilities and the nearest beach is about ten minutes away on foot.
After a day of exploring, you could light up a barbecue by your pitch or head for the variety of eating-out places on offer along the east coast.
5 Little Haven Farm, Hedon
Situated on a farm on the outskirts of Hedon, you have animals to meet – and not just your typical farm beasts and birds. Yes, there are pigs, goats and ducks but also a couple of rather special residents, Sven and Klaus the reindeer.
Little Haven Farm provides peaceful “off-grid” camping for all the family, with a feeling of remoteness while still being within walking distance of all the shops and amenities of the historic market town of Hedon. The site is primarily a farm and rescue centre, working as a petting farm and education centre; it also has dog exercise and agility areas.
There’s a flock of free-range chickens as well, so breakfasts of fresh eggs should be no problem.
6 Old York Forest, Barmby Moor
If you are into wildlife, this could be the site for you. Old York Forest has two nature lakes and a fishing lake; there is also a dedicated dogwalking area.
This 22-acre stretch of woodland and all-round wildlife haven on the edge of Allerthorpe Common is a prime place for those looking to reconnect with nature. The site is bike-friendly, with plenty of scope for cross-country and road cycling
in the surrounding countryside, and there’s a handy bike washing area on site.
Kids can let off steam in a recreation area complete with outdoor games, and there are picnic spots for indulging in open-air meals.
7 Springfield Woods, Skirlaugh
Kick back in a hammock, put together a den or sit with a book overlooking the stream, at Springfield Woods, which provides dog-friendly wild camping in two acres of woodland. Here’s a place where you can forget the worries of the world, pitch up and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the countryside, knowing that the seaside action of Hornsea is just 15 minutes’ drive away if you do start to feel you are missing civilisation.
There’s a car park, a communal firepit at night and plenty of space in the woodlands to hang up a hammock (hire one from the site or bring your own) while the kids gather wood to build a makeshift hut.
8 Thorpe Hall Caravan and Camping Site, Rudston
This site is unusually located in the pretty old walled gardens of Thorpe Hall, just a 15-minute drive from Bridlington.
Take advantage of guided nature walks, a coarse fishing lake and a five-acre playing field, all in and around the grounds of the listed Georgian mansion, Thorpe Hall. This is still a working estate, so there is plenty to interest visitors to the site. Nearby Rudston Monolith, the tallest standing stone in the UK, is worth a look while you are in the area.
A small on-site shop sells essentials such as milk and bread, and is also a fount of local information too.