Carry on camping
by Tamsin Hemingray in At home on 14.07.08
Camping. The holiday choice of kings. The chosen leisure activity of millions. Oh, camping, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Yes, it’s true that my - well, my friend’s - tent got incinerated on the way to Glastonbury, but that will not defeat me this summer. You will find me camping on the beaches, you will find me camping in the hills. I shall never, never - oh well, you get the idea.
I am always shocked at how many people are sceptical about the joys of camping and assume that the only way to camp is to do it how their parents did it when they were kids - cue memories of dull green kagools that didn’t keep the rain out and drinking tepid Heinz tomato soup out of a dirty plastic mug. Ewww.
But there are so many ways to camp it up. Here are my top ideas for a camping holiday - I bet there’s one here that sounds appealing to you.
Wild camping
This is the camping holiday for the rebel who finds the idea of neat plots with access to electricity and hot water (or any plumbed water for that matter) completely abhorrent. In Scotland, the right to “wild camp” is enshrined in law. This means you just pack your rucksack, grab your tent and head up into the mountains and pitch your tent. Wild camping is all about having nothing but the barest of necessities with you and finding the most isolated spot that you possibly can. Sadly, though, the current rise in popularity of camping has seen an increased number of wild campers leaving large amounts of litter and, yuk, their own body waste behind them, spoiling some of the best countryside that these islands have to offer. So, if you do head out to the wilds, remember that someone else might stumble upon the same spot in a few weeks’ time - and clean up after yourself.
Beach camping
If being near a beach is essential to your holiday then camping can be a brilliantly cheap way of getting accommodation right on the sand. There are some incredible campsites right next to some of the most lovely beaches in theUK. There’s this place near to the endless sands of Northumbria, or these sites near the Witterings. And if you really can’t stand the thought of being under canvas, then at this Norfolk beach site you can hire a beach hut instead. If you’ve got kids and a tight budget, just imagine how cheap it is to have your tent just opposite the beach. All you have to do each morning is cook a few sausages on the camp stove, heat up a mug or two of tea (hot chocolate for the kids) and then hit the beach. Sometimes the simple things really are the best.
Boutique camping
I have to say, this isn’t really my personal favourite. Actually, I’d say it’s cheating. But for the highly sceptical, who need some persuading that a holiday under canvas can be fun, a little bit of “luxury” camping can be the first step into the world of camping proper. Blackberry Wood in Sussex has been named “the coolest campsite in the UK”. Nobody really knows why, it’s just what a load of Guardian journalists have decided. It costs three times as much as most places, but it’s a) in a wood, and b) you can have your own camp fire, next to your own private table area. It’s only 45 minutes drive from London too, so will probably be full of media types most weekends. Like I said, not my cup of tea - but if you want to be a cool camper, this is the place to be.
Quiet camping
You don’t have to go to a “cool” campsite to have a really private and tranquil camping experience. There are an increasing number of really small sites, as farms and small-holdings open up their spare field to passing tent-dwellers. I’m trying out this lovely looking farm site in Pembrokeshire later this year. If you want a bit of celebrity excitement with your camping, you can pitch up at former Blue Peter presenter Simon Groom’s farm in the middle of nowhere in Derbyshire - he’s got spaces for five at his place. But if you want to be certain of peace quiet, then The Quiet Site campsite in Cumbria has got to be your best bet.
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