Ten top sites: English Heritage and National Trust

Planning a tour for later this year? Try these campsites near brilliant heritage locations, says Bryony Symes

1 All-in-one

Not only does Dolaucothi Caravan and Motorhome Park, in Carmarthenshire, have an idyllic location in the Cothi Valley, but there’s also a fascinating disused goldmine to explore, just a few minutes’ walk from the site.

› www.nationaltrust.org.uk

2 Rising from the ashes

Just a 20-minute drive from Lincomb Lock Caravan Park’s riverside location and adults-only touring area, you’ll find the fascinating remains of Witley Court and the surrounding gardens. This grand Victorian house was gutted by fire in 1937, but you can still see grandeur in the ruins.

› www.hillandale.co.uk/our-parks/lincomb-lock-caravan-park

3 Pocket-sized powerhouse

One of the Lake District’s lesser-known attractions is Stott Park Bobbin Mill, which once supplied millions of wooden bobbins to factories during the Industrial Revolution. Stay just a few minutes away from the shores of Lake Windermere, at Greaves Farm Caravan Park.

› www.greavesfarmcaravanpark.co.uk

4 Welsh fortress

Two miles from Lady Margaret’s Park Caravan and Motorhome Club Site is one of the most impressive medieval fortresses in the Welsh Marches. Chirk Castle has more than 700 years of history to enjoy, plus award-winning gardens and the wider estate to explore.

› www.caravanclub.co.uk

5 Victorian gem

Voted into our Top 100 Sites Guide again this year, Whitefield Forest Touring Park ensures a pleasant stay. It’s well-placed for visiting one of Queen Victoria’s favourite retreats – the beautiful and historic Osborne estate, with its grand house and expansive gardens and terraces.

› www.whitefieldforest.co.uk

6 Ancient village

Cornwall is peppered with historic landscapes, and one of the most fascinating and best preserved is Carn Euny, where you can see the remains of a village inhabited from the Iron Age until the end of the Roman occupation. Stay close by at Cardinney Caravan and Camping Park.

› cardinney-camping-park.co.uk

7 Tudor treasure

The remarkable moated manor house at Ightham Mote has it all – beautiful gardens to enjoy and a colourful past that spans nearly 700 years. This fascinating place is only a few minutes’ drive from the Oldbury Hill Camping and Caravanning Club Site.

› www.campingandcaravanning club.co.uk

8 Historic mystery

Kenilworth Castle is a superb example of an Elizabethan conversion of a much older building. It was also the scene of a rather scandalous mystery, following the death of Robert Dudley’s first wife. Stay at nearby Warwick Racecourse Caravan and Motorhome Club Site.

› www.caravanclub.co.uk

9 Star of the silver screen

The magnificent Elizabethan mansion Hardwick Hall might seem more familiar as Malfoy Manor in the final two Harry Potter films, but it has its own fascinating history. Stay at Teversal Camping and Caravanning Club Site, and bring your hiking boots to explore the Peak District, too. › www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk

10 Immaculate preservation

Boroughbridge Camping and Caravanning Club Site, on the banks of the River Ure, is the perfect place to stay when visiting Aldborough Roman site. Discover 1,800 years of history here, including immaculate mosaic pavements from the Roman town and a peaceful Victorian arboretum.

› www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk