The Best Nearly Wild Campsites in the UK
So you want to check out the best wild campsites in your campervan or motorhome?
Just because you own a motorhome doesn’t mean you always want to spend your trips camped in a fancy, marked out and luxurious campsite with more facilities than you can shake a stick at.
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with this and it’s a very nice way to get out and explore all that the UK has to offer.
It also doesn’t mean that to enjoy a more rustic, back to basics style of camping you have to wild camp in your motorhome. Perhaps you’re a little unsure on wild camping and prefer the security that a campsite offers.
But you’re in luck. You also have the delightful middle ground of pitching up at some incredible wild campsites across the UK, sometimes referred to as nearly wild camping.
But what we’ve found over the years is that actually finding a wild campsite that accepts motorhomes can be, at times, very difficult.
So, we have put together our top ten wild campsites from across the UK that accept motorhomes and campervans.
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What is a Wild Campsite?
So, what do we mean by a wild campsite?
As with all things everyone will have their own interpretation and understanding of what a wild campsite is. But for us, and therefore for the purposes of this article, a wild campsite for motorhomes has to tick all of these boxes:
- No set pitches
- Plenty of space to spread out
- Campfires permitted
- Dogs permitted
- An ‘X Factor’ natural feature (woodland, coastal view, river or lake etc.)
- Motorhomes, campervans and tents permitted.
- Laid back vibe
So, without further ado, we’ve scoured the country long and hard to find 10 idyllic motorhome friendly wild campsites for you to explore:
Bush Farm Wild Camping, Cornwall
Cost: Adults £10, Children £5, Dogs £0
Location: Saltash, Cornwall
X-Factor: Stream, Woodland, Views, Acres of Space
Open: April to September
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste
Bush Farm Wild Camping has no X Factor – it is the X Factor!
Want to camp by the river as the flames from your fire crackle into the night sky? Done.
Want to camp in a secluded orchard? Done.
Want a hilltop perch with stunning views over the valley floor? Done.
Want to stay for three nights and do all of the above? Done!
This is probably the most wild campsite on our list due to it’s huge size (200 Acres) and rugged terrain.
Some of the campsite areas you will not reach in a motorhome but if the weather is dry most campervans and PVCs should be able to access most of the site.
Pool Bridge Campsite, Exmoor
Cost: Pitch (includes 2 people and 1 car/van) £20, Extra Adult £8, Dogs £2.50, Extra car £2.50
Location: Porlock, Exmoor
X-Factor: Stream, Woodland,
Open: All year
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Washing Up Area, Chemical Waste
Set in a narrow, river valley with a gurgling stream running through and tall trees adorning the steep valley sides Pool Bridge Campsite really does feel like you’ve stepped back in time into the wilderness you thought was long gone.
Really you can’t beat the sense of escapism on offer here, sat by the river with the smell of woodsmoke and sizzling breakfasts lingering in the cool forest air of a morning.
A note on access: May be an issue for large motorhomes as the road to the site is single track, windy and very steep.
Primrose Fields Campsite, Dorset
Cost: £25 per pitch
Location: Wareham, Dorset
X-Factor: Woodland, Acres of Space, Large Sky
Open: June to August
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste
Primrose Fields is a fantastic spot to set up base when visiting Dorset and exploring the stunning Jurassic coast.
A large, flat field allows you plenty of space to spread out and enjoy yourself during the day and the wide open sky is perfect for a starry evening sat swapping tales with friends around the campfire.
When the full summer season kicks in this place is a real hive of activity and as such has a magical, almost festival type atmosphere as campers arrive from up and down the country.
Usha Gap Farm Campsite, Yorkshire Dales
Cost: Campervan (2 Adults) £23, Tent (2 Adults) £18, Infants £0, Children £5, Dogs £0
Location: Hawes, Yorkshire
X-Factor: Stream, Stunning Views, Acres of Space
Open: April to September
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste, Drying Room, Secure lockers for charging devices, Onsite shop & butchers
We love Usha Gap. Set in the stunning Swaledale this large, laid back wild camping site bathes in the evening sunlight, below a patchwork of steep fields separated by iconic Yorkshire drystone walling.
Space is anything but at a premium here with three large fields to choose from, and a smaller, cosier field across the road if you want to take advantage of the river Swale making its way through the valley.
Walks and hikes meander off in every direction right from the site, so if you’re after a 10 mile hike or a 1 mile wander (to the pub!) this will be perfect.
We found half of the joy of Usha Gap is the drive over the Butter Tubs pass from Hawes – without a doubt one of the most stunning roads we’ve discovered in the UK.
Stay at Usha Gap on Yorkshire roadtrip – check out our recommendations here!
Traigh Na Beirigh (Cnip Grazing), Isle of Lewis, Scotland
Cost: £6 – £8 per night
Location: Isle of Lewis, Scotland
X-Factor: Sunrise over the Sea, Splendid Isolation
Open: May to September
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Laundry
Seemingly at the end of the world Traigh Na Beirigh campsite is the perfect place to well and truly get away from it all.
After the beautifully bleak drive across the Isle of Lewis and the sea air has blown off the cobwebs, take some time to marvel at the impossible blue sea washing up on the dunes.
This truly is paradise on the shores of the edge of the world.
Balloch O Dee, Scotland
Cost: On application (email or phone the site)
Location: Galloway Forest, Scotland
X-Factor: Stunning views, free range animals onsite.
Open: Year Round
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste
Choose between a cosy communal area to meet fellow campers and while away the evenings, or a solitary campfire at your pitch if you so wish.
All of this set in the surrounds of the Galloway Forest and Hills just sounds too good to be true.
The campsite really adds to the sense of wilderness as it features free range livestock – so you might wake up to a chicken nosing through your window or a pony waiting for you outside the tent!
Newton Farm Campsite, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Cost: £10 – £14
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
X-Factor: Proximity to stunning Pembrokeshire Coast, unique night time views
Open: March to October
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste
Perched on the hillside above Fresh Water West Bay and across the estuary from the Pembrokshire Oil Works this is a real back to basics treat.
Walk down to the truly spectacular Fresh Water West beach and giant sand dunes and make sure to stop off for some fresh fish at the Cafe Mor food truck (it does get very busy in the summer – expect to wait).
While being opposite an Oil Works might not sound idyllic it does make for one of the most uniquely interesting, and strangely captivating, night time landscapes of any campsite we’ve ever stayed at.
Fforest Fields Campsite, Powys, Wales
Cost: Adults £5, Children £5, Infants £0, Dogs £0, EHU £5 (NB prices vary on season)
Location: Mid Wales
X-Factor: Two onsite lakes, stunning mid wales countryside to explore
Open: Year Round
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste, EHU, Cafe, Drying Room, Launderette
Nestled in the hills of luscious mid wales Fforest Fields is the perfect place to take a step back and find space to breathe.
Whether you want to take a dip in the lake, paddle a SUP or wander the hills by foot or mountain bike everything is right on your door step here.
Finish your days toasting marshmallows round the evening campfire under a starry canvas while sharing hot chocolate (or something stronger) and stories of the days events.
Boasting comprehensive and clean facilities, a licensed cafe, launderette, washing up room, fridges and a drying room you won’t be left wanting for modern amenities either.
Breck Farm Camping, Norfolk
Cost: £20, £25 with EHU
Location: Holt, Norfolk
X-Factor: Woodland, Tons of Space
Open: April to October
Facilities: Toilets, Showers, Chemical Waste, Onsite Shop, EHU
Acres of space, woodland to explore in abundance, all the camping facilities you’d need, a small shop for the essentials and a refreshingly laid back approach to camping.
On weekends food trucks arrive at the site to save you the hassle of cooking.
Pitch up where you like, choose from two massive campfire fields or the fire free EHU field and make yourself comfortable.
If you choose to stay on site you’ll have plenty of space for games and activities, or if you choose to go off and explore the Norfolk Broads aren’t too far away and the wonderful Norfolk coast is just up the road.
Sunnyside Campsite, Suffolk
Cost: £20/£25 non EHU (low/high season). £25/£30 EHU (low/high season)
Location: Halesworth, Suffolk
X-Factor: Fresh fish on sale, Woodland hammocks and a wildflower meadow.
Open: May to October
Facilities: Toilet, Shower (£1), ECO Chemical Waste (green fluid)
A small holding set in the Suffolk countryside Sunnyside campsite is a small affair at the back of the farm in a tranquil field, with the handful of pitches set around the outside of their wildflower meadow, surround by tall hedgerows and local forest.
Whether you want to explore the countryside or relax in a hammock in the woodlands this site is sure to do the trick.
Be sure if visiting on a Thursday to take advantage of local fish man selling fresh fish onsite on Thursday lunchtimes.
This site welcomes anyone from tents, campervans or small motorhomes – unfortunately they are unlikely to accept the larger rigs. If you’re unsure be sure to give them a call prior to booking.
Motorhome Wild Campsites SUmmary
We really hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these incredible wild campsites from Cornwall, all the way up the Isle of Lewis at the tip of Northern Scotland.
As a bonus here’s a hot tip for you.
You can filter the Wild Camping section on pitchup to ‘Motorhomes’, then use the map view to search all across the UK for wherever you’re planning on heading.
Have you got a favourite Wild Campsite that you visit in your motorhome? Let us know in the comments below as we love exploring these types of campsites.
Go Explore! Wild Campsites for Motorhomes!
