Lying north of Plymouth, the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty straddles Cornwall and Devon with 200 square kilometres. It was designated an AONB in 1995, making it one of the more recent to be so classified. The valley is shaped by the rivers Tamar, Tavy and Lynher and has Dartmoor to the east and Kit Hill to the west. It features woodland valleys and steep gorges, which are often remote and inhospitable, leading down to wetlands that offer welcome nutrient-rich refuge for overwintering birds.
The AONB still bears witness to past human activities, with disused mining heritage from the 18th century and traditional field patterns and orchards that are a legacy of centuries of market gardening here.
There’s no shortage of picturesque villages and historic towns to visit: Gunnislake and Calstock in particular, as well as attractions like Buckland Abbey, Morwellham Quay and Cotehele House. A variety of trails are waymarked for cyclists and walkers, the 35-mile Discovery Trail being popular.
Top Tamar Valley AONB Camping Options
The Old Rectory is a neat little park where hedging provides bays to give you your own space and shelter. You can share the larger bays with friends or family. The hedging will be taken down a foot or two in the Autumn to allow more enjoyment of the panoramic views across to Dartmoor. There are just eleven touring pitches, eight with 16A electricity, 20 tent pitches, and four timber camping pods are to rent. A small toilet block has recently been extended to double the facilities. There is no reception office, you simply contact the owners by phone when you arrive.
Woodovis Park is set in the grounds of Woodovis House, nestling in a sheltered wooded position covering 14 acres, by the edge of the Tamar Valley on the borders of Devon and Cornwall. John and Dorothy Lewis have been running Woodovis Park since 1999, helped by their very welcoming staff. There are 39 good sized pitches, all with 10A electricity. You have a choice of grass, all weather and 11 super pitches (with 16A, water, waste and TV hook-ups too). Split over two fields and landscaped inbetween are 35 caravan holiday homes, 24 for hire. A member of the Best of British group.
Compton Park is situated on the hillside of Kit Hill above the town of Callington in East Cornwall, giving fantastic views of both Cornwall and devon. Heavy in Cornish mining heritage Compton Park itself is on the site of a former tin mine. This site offers a simple camping holiday with an old steam engine house that provides sanitary facilities and a washing-up area. There is a children's playground and a restaurant where meals are served seven days a week.
