Here in the U.K, we are blessed with a rather wet climate which actually helps produce a particularly beautiful and rugged natural landscape. It’s over 600 miles from Lands End in Cornwall to the top of Scotland, or more like 850 miles if you were to make that trip by road. That’s the same sort of distance as between London and Berlin, so whilst we think of the U.K as being geographically small, it really isn’t if you’re planning a decent road trip.
And of course, the U.K is blessed with some stunning beaches, some rugged mountains and some superb national parks and open spaces. There’s no need to leave these shores if you don’t want to.
A must-stop vantage point for the views and hills and mountains is the Lake District, in the North of England. So called because of the number of ‘lakes’, the area is also dotted with wonderful villages, winding roads, wooded areas, and to the West, not far from the sea either. Our suggested first port of call is the wonderfully quaint Ennerdale. The village itself has a couple of lovely pubs (and it’s easy enough to park a camper at either to pop in for a lunch) and is within a few miles of Cockermouth, which is a small town with lovely shops and pubs, and several camping sites.
Heading North from the Lakes, you’re not long crossing the border into Scotland and from here, we’d suggest heading towards Glasgow. We wouldn’t suggest driving right into the City, though it is certainly worth a visit on a train or bus using Scotland's excellent transport network but instead target areas like Paisley or Strathclyde to park up and camp. Again, there’s a lot of choice and you’re a stone's throw from the action, and once again not far from either urban, rural or coastal action.
Down to the East coast of the U.K now, we are fans of the villages on the broads around Norwich. Perhaps our favourite for a visit and stroll would be Wroxham (where again, there’s a great pub, right on the water). A stay in one of the many well-appointed sites around Great Yarmouth or Skegness is a must if you have kids who loves the great British Seaside with all the arcades, candyfloss and fish and chips!
On the south coast of England, you can’t not visit Dorset and our top recommendation for a visit here would be West Bay (where TV’s ‘Broadchurch’ was set). But bustling Bridport is literally just up the road where you can easily find parking for even larger campers and walk into the town to visit one of their 13+ pubs or their wonderfully eclectic Wednesday or Saturday Street markets. For local campsites, look at nearby Charmouth for great views and close proximity...just be warned of narrow lanes.
And to finish, and to stay on the topic of narrow lanes, we can’t write an article about campsites in the U.K without mentioning Cornwall! At the furthest most South Westerly tip, this county is surrounded by water apart from with its border with neighbouring Devon. Whilst Cornwall is a very thin county (in places, you can see both the North and South Coasts – the Atlantic and the North Sea), it is quite long, and it can easily take 3 hours on a busy day to reach the furthest tip.
But, our recommendation for a stay here is Polzeath. On the rugged (Atlantic) North coast Polzeath has wonderful views and on a good day you may see Dolphins at sea (many boat trips available). The roads here though are very windy and very narrow, so you’ll need confidence to navigate them. But, once there, you won’t even believe you’re in the U.K on a sunny warm day. Whilst in the county have a visit to Kynance Cove, Harlyn Bay and Churchtown. But don’t forget The Lost Gardens of Heligan, the Eden Project or quaint villages like Padstow and St Ives.
But wherever you head, please just ensure you do your own vehicle checks before you set off. Oh, and don’t forget to pack the sweets and raincoat!
