Best campsites for the East Devon AONB
Here is our pick of the Alan Rogers Assessors, expert-recommended campsites for the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
185 million years ago, the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was at the bottom of the sea. Today its 268 square kilometres represent a diverse collection of habitats, with plentiful wildlife and a vibrant cultural heritage that still thrives on traditional practices. This is a captivating landscape of secretive wooded valleys, windswept heath, rolling hills and tranquil rivers.
The AONB stretches from Exmouth in the west to Sidmouth in the south and borders Honiton and Lyme Regis. Designated an AONB in 1963, it’s popular with walkers, especially for the South West Coast Path.
The Jurassic Coast is a notable highlight, an important World Heritage Site, where fossils can be found without too much trouble as you wander along the beach. The East Devon Way is a good place to start when exploring the hinterland, with myriad walking and cycling trails that allow the visitor to weave through the picturesque villages and rural byways that might otherwise be missed.
Top East Devon AONB Camping Options
Ladram Bay is a complete holiday village with 755 units, including many lodges and holiday homes for hire, and it even has its own beach. It is quite possible to spend a couple of weeks here without needing to leave the site.
Putts Corner Caravan and Motorhome Club site is well located amidst idyllically quiet and pretty surroundings. In the spring a truly memorable display of bluebells, followed by foxgloves can be seen. As well as the glorious bounty of flowers on display, you will be able to experience a wide variety of bird life and even the occasional deer. Walks from the site into Gittisham, and from Beer you can take the lovely coastal path to Branscombe. If you would prefer a tranquil riverside walk, then Ottery St Mary is sure to delight. The site has 117 grass/hardstanding pitches (some seasonal) all with electricity 16amp.
Ilminster Caravan and Motorhome Club Site is a pleasant and peaceful holiday destination, the beautifully maintained site slopes slightly towards some of the loveliest South Somerset countryside and has great open views. Located just off the A303 the site is ideal as a touring base for Devon, Dorset and Somerset. It also makes a good stopover for travelling further south. The busy market towns of Chard and Ilminster are situated close to the site and have a deep history of country trades. For dining, the nearby Eagle pub offers good value food. The site has 68 mostly grass pitches (some seasonal) all with electricity 16amp.
Cadeside Caravan and Motorhome Club site has just 16 pitches on this well screened Somerset site with distant views of the surrounding hills. Within fifteen minutes’ walk of Wellington, which is surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in Somerset with the Quantocks and Brendon Hills to the north and the Blackdown Hills to the South. The remainder of the site has been developed into an all year secure storage area. Only two miles from the M5, this is a useful stopping place when travelling to or from Devon and Cornwall, but the area is interesting in its own right, and is a good base for exploring in every direction, from Exmoor to the beautiful Dorset coast. The site is adjacent to rail and road, therefore some noise can be expected.
Castle Break Holiday Park is a smart family-run park within Woodbury Common. They say an Englishman’s home is his castle, so when choosing where to take your brake, you will want a spot fit for a king. This site is just perfect and ideally placed for an invasion of Exeter and the sought-after sands of the Jurassic Coast. The village of Woodbury is within walking distance and has a handful of good pubs and shops, or it’s an easy ride into Exeter for anything else you might need. The site has two, mainly level touring fields with a total of 40 pitches. The first offers spacious hard-standing pitches, each with water, electric and grey water drainage. The second touring field has a variety of spacious grass and hard-standing pitches. There are also mobile homes, lodges and glamping pods available to hire.
Set in a lovely location in East Devon, with beautiful views of the Haldon Hills, this large family run park (ten hectares) has developed over 20 years into one that can boast spacious, modern facilities, yet still retains its relaxed, rural atmosphere. The 115 marked, grass pitches are large, with the majority level and a few gently sloping. Some of the higher pitches have marvellous views across the Exe river valley. There are 100 electricity connections (10/16A). The park is surrounded by fields and visitors can watch the wildlife and grazing sheep from a fenced walk around the park perimeter.
This spacious 16-acre park is under new ownership. It is on the edge of Salcombe Regis, 1.5 miles from Sidmouth and less than a mile from the sea. It is surrounded by farmland with views of the combe and the sea beyond. The reception and some pitches are arranged around a large green, all connected by a tarmac road. The pitch-and-putt and play area are on this green. The 110 pitches (100 for touring) are sloping and have their own water supply. Ninety-eight have 10A electricity and 52 are on hardstanding.
Oakdown is a very attractive, well planned park that will celebrate its 65th birthday in 2016. Run by the Franks family, they and their team continue to work hard carrying out developments in keeping with the environment. The attention to detail is evident at this award-winning park as soon as you arrive and you can be sure of a warm welcome. The park has easy access, beautiful floral displays and a spacious feel. There are 100 level touring pitches arranged in landscaped bays, screened by a wide variety of trees and shrubs and linked by a circular road. All have 10/16A electricity and hardstanding and many have water and drainage. An additional touring area near the golf course, Beech Grove, provides a further 50 large pitches with hedging and 16A electricity. There is a new, fully equipped toilet block here.
Three miles south of historic Lyme Regis, in a good situation to explore the Jurassic Coast, this well cared for and popular park has distant views of the surrounding countryside. There are 120 generous pitches, 40 with hardstanding and more than enough room to pitch for most units. On slightly sloping, neatly cut grass which undulates in places, they are accessed by the circular tarmac road and all have 10 amp electricity. The pitches back on to square-cut shrubs or the perimeter trees. A modern reception area is welcoming and stocks basic supplies and local provisions. This is a comfortable park where couples and families with young children are welcomed.
Forest Glade, immaculately managed, owned and run by the Wellard family, is set in a forest clearing on the Blackdown Hills (designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), deep in mid-Devon away from the hectic life on the coast.
Situated close to both Chard and Cricket St Thomas is this peaceful woodland site is owned by Keith and Serena Wootton who go the extra mile to ensure you enjoy your stay here. Recent recipients of the Green Tourist Gold award the pitches vary in size (20 - 70 sq.m) and are on flat ground served by gravel roads giving easy access. Some informally marked pitches are tucked away in dense foliage and are very private. Electricity (10A) is supplied to 26 of the 36 touring pitches (16 hardstandings).