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We're looking to get away for a few nights camping with the inflatable kayak and paddleboard.
Does anyone have recommendations for campsites on a river, lake or near to one ? Am thinking Dordogne style from years back but don't think we've got that in Blighty !
Cheers !
Hurley Riverside, between Henley & Marlow.
Also - bookmarking for future reference 🙂
Killin
Glenmore
These are in the SE:
Hop Farm is right on the Medway - https://thehopfarm.co.uk/stay/campsite-information
Bodiam Boating Station has a campsite too, nice paddle to Bodiam Castle - https://bodiamboatingstation.co.uk/
Millarochy Bay, Loch Lomond. Good option as you have the Loch but also close to the Islands for exploring.
Did this a couple of years ago as a dads and kids trip, was really good fun. You can book Matchstick Wood camping directly I think.
Can be a little hard to find - you have to come off of the main river up a small brook. Nearest pub is about 20mins walk.
Edit: The Dordogne it ain't! I'd only recommend it as an overnight stop, not if you were planning to use it as a base for a few days.
There are a few campsites on the shore of Ullswater.
Bookmarking...
Closest to the Dordogne style in the UK is probably the River Wye. Some nice campsites along it. Some parts are slow enough to paddle in either direction for a while, but other parts will be too shallow and fast to paddle up in normal summer conditions and you'd need to organise an end-to-end trip.
The Lake District has a few waterside camps: Coniston Hall, Waterside on Ullswater, Low Wray on Windermere, Keswick C&CC site on Derwen****er.
In North Wales, Llyn Gwynant.
All the above will be somewhat busier & less relaxing than the French sites on the Dordogne! For solitude you'd want to be looking at wild cmaping at the end of a Scottish loch. Solitude meaning just you and a million midges 😉
Side Farm at the south end of Ullswater.
I'm sure Bala lake has some campsites on the shores.
The Spey in Scotland also has a few campsites as well I think.
Lepe Beach Camping, Hampshire. Just at the back of the beach, good kayaking in sheltered waters, can explore along to Calshot or up the Beaulieau river.
Cafe on the beach, New Forest on the doorstep. If I didnt live here I'd visit! I go kayaking on my sit-on-top here regularly.
Some Lovely looking places above - Cheers.
Low Wray at the N end of Windermere (but will be busy).
Tresseck Campsite on the banks of the River Wye (with a brilliant pub a short walk away)
Three rivers camping near Beccles
https://www.threeriverscamping.co.uk/
Spent a week there with a touring kayak few years back and you can launch direct from the site via their own ditch (there is probably a better Broards term than that).
Be aware of the tides at Lepe, they can run pretty fast. Makes for good session playing on the spit.
Loch Ken
lochkenholidaypark.co.uk
Coniston.
We've been here for the past 2 days. Too hot to go hiking, so we've hired a kayak both days. Absolutely loved it.....now looking for somewhere to buy a Gumotex Inflatable to take in the motorhome.
Brotherswater Inn is an awesome site near to Ullswater, that'd be another good option for you (fairly pricey mind!)
https://avon-estates.co.uk/stratford-parks/ Can get a river taxi into Stratford as well as paddle your own stuff about.
We’re doing the Hurley one mentioned, next week, I’ll try to report back.
I think most I would suggest have been covered above.
The Great Glen has a couple on Loch Lochy area as well as Lomond Shores.
Galloway Sailing Centre and Loch Ken Holiday Park.
Bassenthwaite - North end, the best one is now a 'luxury lodge park' I think.
There is a few in Argyll with beaches/sea access, Resipole on Sunart (although there is a road between tent and Loch) as well as many on Scottish islands direct onto beach.
We've stayed at the River Wye Caravan and Camping Park a couple times. Great access to the river, its where a lot of the organised tours go from. Also a couple of good pubs within walking distance. They have pitches right on the river bank but you'll need to book well in advance for those, or there is a big camping field.
Invercoe campsite at Glencoe village has direct access to Loch Leven.
Achmelvich.
Balranald on North Uist
Ardmair
Ullapool
I guess there are loads if you start counting all the coastal sites.
Llyn Gwynant (at the foot of Snowdon).
Stonking. Great facilities. On the lake. In the mountains. Great biking nearby and as it's wales near the sea and loads of great beaches too.
It looks like there are a couple of campsites on the River Wye at Glasbury, which I think is the highest navigable point of the river.
We once took a couple of double kayaks from there down to Ross over the course of a few days. We just hopped out and asked to pitch tents in farmers' fields and found a pub every lunchtime and evening. It was brilliant, especially with the lovely weather we had in 1976.
I can't see why it would be any different this year :o)
We've also had some great times camping on the shores of Lake Bala.
As you're talking about recreational kayaking, what about Norfolk broads, loads of campsites, still, calm water and many country pubs.
Camped next to this place which looked good. Had a launch from campsite going into Poole harbour.
http://www.redcliffefarmcamping.co.uk/
Great thread. Stayed at Hurley and Bodiam, now booking Stratford and looking at that one at Snowdon
Hurley Riverside
Has to be the answer because no matter where else you go "it's still not as good as Hurley" #oldboaterjokes .
Camping and Caravanning Club's Keswick site has it's own lake access to Derwent Water, short wander into Keswick too.
Coniston has already been mentioned as has Ullswater.
Llyn Gwynant (at the foot of Snowdon).
http://gwynant.com/campsite/
/a>Stonking. Great facilities. On the lake. In the mountains. Great biking nearby and as it’s wales near the sea and loads of great beaches too.
forgot to mention its full of chavs... 😉
stayed here recently.
Riverside canoe-accessible low-key campsite! | Sharpham Trust
was good but you have to book the whole thing so expensive if you aren't in a big group, we did it with two other families.
We’re doing the Hurley one mentioned, next week, I’ll try to report back.
Well, we got there, had a pleasant evening playing in the field/playground and then it pretty much rained constantly for the rest of the long weekend. At one point it dried out enough to feel like it was worth trying so we got the canoe out and then by the time we'd walked halfway to the riverbank it rained harder and harder, to the point where we felt like there was a chance we'd be canoeing out of the site. On the rain radar there was a literal teardrop shaped rain area over us for the surrounding 10 miles or so for hours, with sunshine beyond it.
UK camping! I think I'm two in a row for being unseasonably shit-weathered now.
UK camping! I think I’m two in a row for being unseasonably shit-weathered now.
Let us know next time you're going eh? We can all avoid it 😛
Recently camped here, right by the bank of old father Thames, pub just over the river, glorious stretch of the Thames...
https://yeoldeswan.co.uk/camping-glamping/
+1 Loch Ken, Coniston (Coppice) & Glenmore. All favourites of ours
Tresseck Campsite on the Wye is also good (as long as you don't mind portaloos & no showers)
https://tresseckcampsite.co.uk/