Pitch perfect
Private bathrooms, proper spacing, invigorating views — UK campsites are all set to welcome guests and these ones are...
NEVER mind being in lockdown, it’s the state of limbo that’s so frustrating. And nothing the Government has said in recent days has assuaged an increasing sense of bewilderment.
One minute, we are to be spared 14 days of quarantine after going to or returning from France. The next, well, we’re not too sure because granting an exemption to travellers from across the Channel apparently could lead to costly lawsuits in the European Court of Justice.
Then there’s the festering standoff between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on the one side, and travel companies and airlines on the other.
The FCO is advising against all non-essential travel for an unlimited period, while Tui — with some 28 million customers per year — is offering holidays from July 1, and Ryanair plans to operate 40 per cent of its flights from the same date.
At the start of the week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock — who looks increasingly like he’s longing for a pina colada and a sun lounger — said we could wave goodbye to ‘big, lavish international holidays’ this summer, but by the end of it the European Commission vicepresident Margrethe Vestager was saying she believed travel could ‘be done safely’ and that ‘we really need a break from this’.
She’s right about the need for a break, and it doesn’t have to be big or lavish. Demand for UK camping holidays (see our cover story) has soared on the assumption that moving around Britain will be easier than travelling on the Continent once restrictions are lifted — although Greece (Ano Syros pictured above) says it’s keen to welcome visitors from early July.
Our choices clearly are going to be diminished, but that’s not the end of the world. A professor on the BBC’s Today programme reminded us yesterday that freedom is more to do with making conscious, purposeful decisions than rushing about doing as much as we want, while wondering if we should be rushing about somewhere else.
Here at Escape we may not be flying, but we’re keen to fly the flag for travel in all its forms.
We’re all yearning for the sense of freedom and rosycheeked adventures that come with a camping trip — building fires at dusk, watching the stars, waking up to the sound of lambs bleating.
But how can we protect ourselves and others while holidaying under canvas?
As trips abroad are essentially banned this summer, UK campsites have been inundated with bookings for when they reopen with strict protocols in place.
In Scotland, the lockdown is still in force and the advice to stay at home remains despite the relaxation in rules elsewhere in the UK. However, next week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to unveil proposals designed to ease the lockdown.
In england, the Government is aiming for stage three of the lockdown exit plan to kick in from July 4, which would allow some of the hospitality industry to reopen, quite possibly including campsites. This is dependent on locations being ‘safe and enforcing social distancing’.
‘Most campsites have large spaces between pitches, so applying social distancing isn’t much of an issue,’ says Jonathan Knight, founder of Cool Camping. ‘All of our campsites are increasing the cleaning of shared facilities and supplying hand sanitisers where possible.
‘Almost half are going to reduce capacity and a third are planning marked social distancing queues for loos and allocated time slots for showers.’
Marilyn Macalast, of the Coastal Stay
campsite near St Davids, Pembrokeshire, is going cashless and limiting facilities to one person at a time. ‘We’re going to remove every other pitch so there’s plenty of space between each one.’
From pitches tucked away in the trees to sites overlooking the ocean, we’ve tracked down the best UK campsites with stringent measures in place, so you can get back to nature this summer with complete peace of mind.
DREAMY DEVON
‘PANORAMIC’ and ‘Snug’ are two of the quirky names for the spacious pitches at Beryl’s Campsite in Devon, most of which are scattered around a large lake.
Nestled in woods on a hill close to Kingsbridge, in South Hams, the rustic campsite has spectacular views of the coastline. The South West Coast Path can be easily reached from the site, as well as Beesands, a mile-long shingle beach only a fiveminute walk away.
DON’T MISS: Grab a takeaway pizza from The Boat House in nearby Torcross and tuck in on the beach.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Reducing the number of pitches, adding loos and increasing cleaning of shared facilities.
DETAILS: From £8.50 per adult per night (berylscampsite.co.uk).
HAMPSHIRE ESCAPE
FANCY a night sleeping under the stars in the heart of a national park? The spacious Chapelfield Camping site close to Fordingbridge in the New Forest is perfectly positioned for those wanting to spend their days hiking or biking in the wild.
Fire pits can be hired and an on-site pop-up shop keeps guests supplied with freshly baked croissants, plus milk, bread, charcoal and logs.
DON’T MISS: Spot the famous free-roaming New Forest donkeys and ponies on the five-minute walk to The Fighting Cocks, a cosy pub which specialises in hearty meat dishes.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Opening a second meadow in order to spread out the pitches, adding additional toilets and showers and introducing marked spacing for social distancing.
DETAILS: Pitches from £25 a night (coolcamping.com).
LOVELY LAKES
COMPLETE seclusion can be enjoyed at Irton House Farm in the Lake District, where your only neighbours will be the roaming resident sheep and chickens.
There are only eight spacious pitches across this entire twoacre site, which has magnificent
views over Bassenthwaite Lake. Bacon, sausages and eggs can be bought from the on-site farm shop.
DON’T MISS: Get up at the crack of dawn and enjoy a warming mug of coffee while watching the low-hanging mist over the Bassenthwaite valley gradually disappear.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Making all toilets and showers private and providing customers with cleaning or disinfectant sprays and wipes. Facilities to be cleaned three times a day.
DETAILS: From £26 per pitch (pitchup.com).
WELSH WONDER
CAMPFIRES crackle and pop all evening at Becks Bay Camping, set just 100 metres from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the cove known as Becks Bay.
The rustic campsite, close to the quaint harbour town of Tenby, has no electricity and no wi-fi, while the toilets and showers are built into a wooden shed with charmingly mismatched wooden doors.
DON’T MISS: Walk across the fields to Bubbleton Farm Shop, which sells freshly baked bread and pastries, Welsh cheeses, locally grown vegetables and eggs sold within 24 hours of being laid.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES:
Reducing capacity, adding extra showers and toilets and marking out spacing for social distancing, and increasing the frequency and level of cleaning of the facilities.
DETAILS: From £10 per adult per night (coolcamping.com).
SURFERS’ PARADISE
SWITCH off your alarm and enjoy a new wake-up call of cock-a-doodle-doo while staying at family-run Atlantic Farm, in the coastal town of
Bude, Cornwall. The pitches are spacious and lie just a mile from a handful of beautiful sandy surfing beaches and Cornwall’s rugged coastline.
DON’T MISS: The alpacas, sheep and chickens on the walk to the surf breaks and rock pools at Crooklets Beach.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: More frequent cleaning of shared facilities, erecting social distancing signage and providing cleaning products for the campers.
DETAILS: From £8 a pitch (atlantic-camping.co.uk).
HIGHLAND FLING
TUCKED in the Findhorn Valley in rural and rugged Moray, Ace Hideaways’ camping pitches are spacious and set among the trees.
Each comes with its own fire pit, plus log stools and grills, so guests can gather kindling and logs from the surrounding forest and build a campfire.
The site is also home to Ace Adventures, which offers white-water rafting, canoeing and fishing trips.
DON’T MISS: Indulge in a delicious cream tea at nearby Logie Steading.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES:
Reducing the number of pitches on site, providing hand sanitiser in shared facilities and increasing signage.
DETAILS: From £9 per adult (acehideaways.co.uk).
INTO THE WILD
A STREAM trickles through the meadow that is home to Wardley Hill Campsite on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Pitches
are generous and spaced out amid the long grass, ageing oaks and dancing butterflies, while wider areas of mown grass offer more space for larger tents.
Beautifully crafted wooden huts contain composting loos, while solar-powered shower bags can be borrowed if guests would like to forgo the regular facilities on site.
DON’T MISS: Borrow the campsite’s paddle boards and head to the Norfolk Broads.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Reducing capacity, adding more toilets and showers and marking out spacing for social distancing, plus increasing the frequency and level of cleaning of facilities.
DETAILS: Pitches from £8 per adult per night (coolcamping.com).
WALKERS’ DELIGHT
LAMBS, donkeys and ducks wander freely around Ted’s campsite, which sits on a 60-acre working farm in the rolling Shropshire hills.
The tranquil site has wonderful, sweeping views of the countryside and excellent biking and hiking trails near by.
DON’T MISS: A cooked breakfast made with freshly laid eggs from Ted’s hens.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Reducing capacity and creating individual toilet and shower blocks.
DETAILS: Costs from £15 per pitch (pitchup.com).
PROPERLY CORNISH
IT’S ALL about windswept coastal walks and Atlantic sunsets at family-run Tremorvu Campsite, situated between the beaches of Praa Sands and Porthleven.
The site’s peaceful fields are bordered by hedges that provide protection from the wind. An ancient stone barn with a corrugated roof houses a farm shop, while Helston butcher’s, just a tenminute drive away, supplies meat for barbecue dinners.
DON’T MISS: Follow the footpath from the campsite entrance to the top of Tregonning Hill, a natural viewing platform for watching the restless waves during sunset.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Reducing the capacity of the campsite, marking out spacing for social distancing in showers and toilets, and increasing the frequency and level of cleaning of the facilities.
DETAILS: Costs from £18 per pitch (coolcamping.com).
DAZZLING SUNSETS
GENERATIONS of the same family have been running Pencarnan Farm, near St Davids, since the 1950s.
The site, which sits on the westernmost tip of Wales, has spectacular views over the sea and direct access to Porthsele beach, a beautiful sandy cove ideal for swimming and kayaking.
The popular surfing beach of Whitesands is a one-mile walk along the coast path or, if you’re feeling adventurous, a half-mile swim or kayak from Porthsele.
The farm shop sells wetsuits, as well as logs for beach fires. And a coffee hut opens every day.
Pizzas are served above the beach several times a week.
DON’T MISS: Watch the sun dip below the horizon from Carn Llidi hill, only a 30-minute walk from Whitesands.
NEW SAFETY MEASURES: Increasing the frequency and level of cleaning of shared facilities and increasing the distance between pitches. DETAILS: From £12 per adult per night (pencarnanfarm.co.uk).