Favourite Campsite

[clarion]

In the vein of the Favourite Hotel thread, 'cept all my favourite hotels happen to be a Hilleberg Nallo 2 

My favourite is near Waddington, north of Clitheroe.  Not right sure of what it's called (and it isn't in the Big Sites Book the C&CC publish).  Superstoker thinks it's called Three Rivers, and that's certainly the campsite we were heading for when we found it, though I don't think that's it...

I think it's at 103 SD723430

Anyway, it has a small patch of grass, slightly sloping, in front of a lovely limestone farmhouse.  Space for caravans blah blah blah , and 'limited' facilities, consisting of one toilet with washbasin and a water tap nearby.  What more do you need?



And there's a grand view of Pendle Hill. 

[Polar Bear]

The campsite at Pierowall on Westray (Orkney) is probably the best campsite I have ever used.   The view north across the bay at midnight in summer when the sky is clear and the lights on the north side of the harbour reflect in the calm waters of the bay is awesome.   It only takes about a dozen tents and is attached to the hostel complex so you get a reasonable shower and the chance to get a laundry load done.

Pierowall itself is a wonderful little place with two great shops and the best chippy in the world, the Pierowall Hotel.  Apparently if you love your fish and chips this is the place to go.  Me?  I prefer haggis and chips 

[mark]

Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley has it's merits, even if it's only because you're so close to all that climbing. The Chasm Lake area in Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful area, and I've got excellent memories of the climbs I've done there. I'm planning a few more, too. It's not really a campsite, you're only allowed to use a bivy sack and you have to be there to do a climb. The campground at Wonder Lake in Denali National Park is excellent, spectacular views of Denali/Mt. McKinley. I spent a night there in 1987 before cycling back to the entrance of Denali National Park.

I spent a night wild camping around Ardnamurchan(sp?), near Castle Tioram, on my Scotland tour. Beautiful spot, but I don't think I could ever find it again.

[Tourist Tony]

Gwern y Gof Uchaf, in the Ogwen Valley. Look out of your tent at Y Garn and Foel Goch, under the slopes of Tryfan, opposite Y Garneddau and a short walk from the beginners' climbing crag of Tryfan Fach.
http://www.summitpost.org/images/medium/279324.jpg

Edited to add pic of view from near site

[David Martin]

Gwern y Gof Uchaf, in the Ogwen Valley. Look out of your tent at Y Garn and Foel Goch, under the slopes of Tryfan, opposite Y Garneddau and a short walk from the beginners' climbing crag of Tryfan Fach.

BTDT. Waking up in the morning and pouring butane onto the ground cos it was that cold..

Knavesmire is pretty good. Scenery is poor but the company is excellent.

..d

[MSeries]

The word 'favourite' makes me think very carefully about this. I had a great time at the campsite at Malibou, you know the one across the road, the PCH, from the beach. I had all my planets aligned, I had cycled across the country, I was feeling good and the sun was shining during the day. I doubt I'd feel the same way if I went back. It is the campsite that I would say I liked the best. It's facilities were not spectacular. I could never name a place where I have been only twice with little chance of returning to as my favourite though. The NT one near the Dungeon Gill Inn is my favourite, I just  like it, no caravans and no advanced bookings. Similarly Low Wray but Dungeon Gill is my favourite.

[Polar Bear]

And only a short walk from my favourite pub, the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

[Adrian]

A favourite of mine is here. It is not the campsite a little up the road, which I have never been to. This one is a field with a tap and a couple of toilets, which have a bit of wood to turn on a nail to lock the door. There are also a couple of showers in one of the outbuildings. It is rudimentary, or charmingly basic.

[mike]

The NT one near the Dungeon Gill Inn is my favourite, I just  like it, no caravans and no advanced bookings.

+1 for that, I stayed there with a mate when we were stoodents. 

Thankfully we were in separate tents as after a heavy night in the pub Steve woke up at about 3, realised he was about to be sick and dived for the tent exit.  Sadly, he went to the wrong end and it was too late to turn around.   I found him aleep in the car, his tent inside out hanging from a tree.

[peliroja]

Camping La Ribere on the Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.

I worked there for 4 summers while at university. The most stunning view you could wish for when donning the marigolds to clean toilets at 5am...

 We've been going there en famille since I was three.

[Wowbagger]

Cwmnanthir

Cwmnanthir is a beautiful and peaceful small campsite. We came across it by accident. It's entirely secluded, has space for only about 5 tents, and once we got there we stayed for 5 nights.

The guy running it knows lots about caving, cycling and walking in the Beacons and he gave us lifts around the place when he had time and gave us a guided tour of the old firebrick mine at Pontneddfechan. He also supplied us with home-produced free-range meat and gave us the run of his garden for veg when we had our camp fire in the evening and cooked over the fire. I think the bill for the 5 nights for 4 of us was £120, and that included quite a bit of meat from the freezer and fresh veg every day from the garden.

Edit: it looks as though it has changed hands since we were there.

Another year I wanted to camp at the NT  place by the Old Dungeon Ghyll but it was under water.

[Si]

I've fond memories of the site in Asgarth (sp?)... it's surrounded by high hills that rather loom above it.  When we were there there was a terrific thuinder storm with lightning hitting the hills on either side and us just sat down in the camp site watching it.

But fave is the very unofficial site that is attached to the place that I work sometimes in the summer.  On the rural Northamptonshire/Bucks border, miles from anything apart from the farm, beautiful rolling countryside, as much nature as you can eat (badgers, hares, owls, etc), basic facilities (cold water tap and portaloo), and it's private so no annoying members of general public.

[sbothwell]

Clachtoll beach campsite about 5 miles north of Lochinver. Brilliant site, right on the beach, with good washing facilities. Owners are really friendly. When we were there they had impromptu music nights, held in a marquee far enough away from the site that people not interested weren't disturbed. Fabulous landscape all around - no idea about the cycling though, we were there with the dogs + car - I would say it probably counts as 'scenic' though, given its in almost wildest Sutherland.

[Oscar's dad]

Retreat Farm, Little Baddow, Essex.  Stayed there twice, the last time being in July with Oaky of this parish, his family and mine.  Strictly speaking you have to be Camping & Caravan Club members but the owner (Jane) is open to persuasion.

The loos and showers are a bit basic but the site is very quiet and you can walk down to the Blackwater & Chelmer Navigation.  There is an adjacent airstrip which can provide a little excitement.  The local cycling is excellent and the site is not far from the foothills of North Hill which is the biggest and best climb for miles around.

[RJ]

Applecross, on the far side of the Bealach na Ba (though I have to confess we drove  ).

Views over Raasay to Skye; fresh croissants; and within stumbling distance of the fabulous Applecross Inn.

[Woofage]

North Morte Fam in North Devon. You'll be lucky to find a level pitch though!

[Oscar's dad]

Another couple we love are:

The Moon & Sixpence

and:

Moulin Fort, in France

[jogler]

A place on The Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall

[CAMRAMan]

Foxholes Camping in Bishops Castle, Shropshire's my personal favourite. They have a very eco-friendly attitude (e.g. solar showers) and have a bunkhouse & two caravans for the softies.

The views and surrounding countryside are spectacular. Friendly hosts too.

AND Bishops Castle has two breweries.

[Butterfly]

Foxholes Camping in Bishops Castle, Shropshire's my personal favourite. They have a very eco-friendly attitude (e.g. solar showers) and have a bunkhouse & two caravans for the softies.

The views and surrounding countryside are spectacular. Friendly hosts too.

AND Bishops Castle has two breweries.

That's the one that I was trying to remember. We've only stayed there once, last March, but it is really lovely.

[jane]

I like the Applecross one too, but I think my days of hauling a full touring kit there are over- I guess doing it north to south might be a bit easier- I plan to go back sometime in the Spring but camp at Shieldaig and treat myself to a night in the hotel.
 
There's quite a nice site at Fiunary in Morvern (across Loch Linnhe from Fort William) although its a members only Camping and Caravanning site.  But they let me stay there once when I turned up after cycling many, many miles without joining.  It has a great beach where you can light fires that overlooks the Sound of Mull, never gets too crowded and clean, simple facilities.  

If anyone wants to start a thread for worst campsites ever, I have far more candidates for that category (Torridon free one and Peacock near Kenmare just for starters)- hence my preference for wild camping.

[toekneep]

Foxholes Camping in Bishops Castle, Shropshire's my personal favourite. They have a very eco-friendly attitude (e.g. solar showers) and have a bunkhouse & two caravans for the softies.

The views and surrounding countryside are spectacular. Friendly hosts too.

AND Bishops Castle has two breweries.

That's the one that I was trying to remember. We've only stayed there once, last March, but it is really lovely.

I'd like to go back there before nominating it. I think it was only their first or second season when we went last year but it was lovely. It's a nice stroll into the town as well via a footpath and really "different" housing development. Did somebody mention breweries. 

[jane]

Oh I forgot- the Am Fuaran bar in Althandhu in Coigach north of Ullapool lets you camp next to it- so you get the wild camping experience but a handy hostelry in stumbling distance- I had a great evening there.
 The old campsite at Achnahaird in the same area of Scotland was also one of my favourites.  I have seen dolphins from the beach near it

  (not my tent or photo)

and it was very handy for the climbing at Reiff. But it closed for some reason.  I heard a rumour that it was reopening but can find nothing on the web- anyone here know anything?

[Jaded]

The people running it retired and the owners of the land decided not to keep it going, from what I remember. It's a shame as it is a nice distance from Ullapool, has an amazing beach that the sea warms up on incredibly as the tide comes in.

[jane]

The people running it retired and the owners of the land decided not to keep it going, from what I remember. It's a shame as it is a nice distance from Ullapool, has an amazing beach that the sea warms up on incredibly as the tide comes in.

It was a pretty basic campsite anyway- can you pitch wild there?  Or would the landowners hunt you down with wolves and roast you on an open fire?