Stunning British seaside campsites – with private beaches, Famous Five-style islands and Hobbit huts children will love
LUXURY spas, sea views and private beaches sound more like the stuff of five star hotels than British campsites.
Yet there are now some sensational seaside caravan and tent pitches, tents, yurts and huts, smack bang on coastlines around the UK.
In the latest feature in our Best Of British travel series, we’ve selected 10 tip-top sites within walking distance of fabulous beaches.
ISLAND HEAVEN
Life couldn’t get more peaceful than bedding down in an island wildlife haven.
Brownsea Island, the birthplace of the Scout movement just off Poole in Dorset, has tents, tree tents and bell tents for hire or you can pitch your own.
It’s a 10-minute ferry ride from the mainland and then a 20-minute walk to the National Trust site on the south shore.
There you’ll find communal cooking shelters, showers and a play area. And you can take your own kayak or paddleboard.
The one-and-a-half-mile island has woodland, lagoons and reedbeds attracting birds, red squirrels and deer and there are more than 100 tree species.
WALK TO BEACH: Less than five minutes. GO: Three-person tree tent from £176 for two nights, bell tent for four from £364, grass tent pitch from £92. See nationaltrust.org.uk
YORKSHIRE YURT
Stunning Cayton Bay is nestled between the buzzing Yorkshire resorts of Scarborough and Filey.
The beach is one of only around 100 British beaches awarded the Quality Coast Award, so its clean waters are popular with surfers and families.
Glamp at the Cayton Village site, with all facilities, in a spacious yurt or luxury pod or pitch your own tent. Barbies are allowed as are dogs, which can also go on the Bay’s beach.
There are lots of cycling and walking trails out to the North Yorkshire moors and the Stained Glass Centre, Scarborough Castle and Sea Life Sanctuary are among nearby attractions.
WALK TO BEACH: 15 minutes.GO: Yurt sleeping two adults and two children from £49 a night, pods from £59 and a tent pitch from £18. See experiencefreedom.co.uk which has discounts until July 18.
JURASSIC JEWEL
It doesn’t get much better than this – a campsite with a private beach. Landram Bay Holiday Park on north Devon’s beautiful Jurassic coast is a resort itself, with fantastic family activities.
There’s a huge pool complex with splash zone, Jacuzzi and sauna, indoor and outdoor play areas, crazy golf, games, a restaurant and supermarket. Go rockpooling on the sand and pebble beach, fishing or hire a kayak, rowing boat or motorboat from the Beach Shack.
The South West Coast Path, at 630 miles the UK’s longest national trail, is on the doorstep and nearby attractions include Jurassic Coast World Heritage Centre, showcasing 180 million years of the earth’s history, and Crealy theme park with more than 60 rides, entertainment and shows.
WALK TO BEACH: Two minutes. GO: Grass tent pitch with electric from £15. See pitchup.com
HOBBIT HOME
Lord of the Rings fans will love living like a hobbit. Trellyn Woodland Camping’s Woodend Halfling Hobbit-themed yurt, sleeping up to five people, is just like the home of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins.
The yurt is actually three wooden structures linked together with some special features from the movies, although the beds are a lot more comfy.
There’s a camp kitchen area and outdoor shower. Other yurts and tent pitches are available on the 16-acre site, in a woodland valley with pathways to the beach, at St Davids in Pembrokeshire.
There’s a campfire grill and picnic table on every pitch and communal fridges. And campers get free use of watersports equipment including body boards, kayaks and wet suits.
WALK TO BEACH: A minute. GO: A four-night stay in the Woodend Halfling yurt is from £450 in total. See trellyn.co.uk
SEASIDE SAFARI
LET the waves lull you to sleep under canvas at Catchpenny Safari Lodges.
They are as close to the beach as you can get on the Fife coastal path, an hour from Glasgow or Edinburgh.
The eco-friendly, canvas-covered lodges sleeping up to six people have a large front deck to enjoy sea views.
They have all modern facilities, powered using wind and solar, so its glamping at its best.
Nearby, you can try a watersport, explore wildlife reserves, the seaside town of Elie with its 16th century harbour and pretty fishing village of St Monans.
Take a chance on seeing dolphins, seals and puffins on the St Andrews & Elie sea safari.
WALK TO BEACH: Less than a minute. GO: Four nights in a lodge sleeping six, costs from £575 in total. See catchpennyelie.co.uk
CELEB HOTSPOT
You might spot celebs including Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett and Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan if staying at this Cornwall holiday park.
The A-listers have holiday homes near the beautiful Blue Flag beach of Mawgan Porth.
Sun Haven holiday park has just added a touch of glamour to its accommodation – six wooden glamping shepherd huts with mod cons and hot tubs.
The dog-friendly holiday park has a café, shop, communal fire pit and you can hire beach carts and surf boards to ride the waves.
Seaside village Mawgan Porth, near Newquay, has independent shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Grab a coffee at the Beach Box or Kitchen by the Beach.
WALK TO BEACH: 15 minutes. GO: Three nights in a hut sleeping four people, in mid-June costs from £320 in total. lovatholidayparks.com
CLIFF HANGER
Camp on the White Cliffs with stunning sea views across the Channel. Kingsdown Campsite is on a 35-acre site perfectly positioned to explore the Kent Heritage Coast or as a stopover en-route to France.
You can pitch your tent where you like and access the shingle beach, with sandy stretches and rock pools during low tide, by footpath.
It’s also a short walk to a golf course, village shops and pubs including the 1863 Zetland Arms, selling home-cooked food and local beer, on the beach.
And it’s just seven miles from Dover ferry port and 20 miles from the Eurotunnel terminal to cross to France.
WALK TO BEACH: Five minutes. GO: Price is per person, not pitch. Two guests in high season from mid-June to September costs £28 a night. See kingsdowncamping.co.uk
WILD PITCH
Get back to nature on a car-free site with no Wi-fi or electric hook-ups.
You are provided with a wheelbarrow to transfer your camping gear to one of 20 pitches, mowed out from wildflower meadows, at Bert’s Kitchen Garden on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales.
There’s a communal kitchen, shower blocks with eco-friendly toiletries and you can hire barbies, kayaks and paddleboards. Prefer glamping? Go for one of Bert’s safari tents or huts.
The site has a restaurant but has also just opened one on its private Trefor beach. Delicious cakes and sarnies are served from the 40ft converted shipping container and local chefs will hold supper club nights.
WALK TO BEACH: Five minutes. GO: Pitches from £24 per person a night, child £10, under 3s free. See bertskg.com
BIRD BATHS
Go wild swimming in the clear waters of a Blue Flag beach. Then warm up in a sauna on the sands, a stone’s throw from your hideaway “birdhouse”.
Wildcomfort Birdhouse Cabins, set among evergreens and pines above Blackpool Sands in South Devon, are eco-friendly wooden structures for two people.
They have a private deck, overlooking the sea, cute port hole window and you have your own bathroom next door.
There’s a takeaway, café and a range of watersports on the golden Blackpool Sands.
Get a kayak to discover the hidden coves. Visit Blackpool Gardens, an 1896 semi-tropical garden which is being restored, and take a steady climb for fantastic views of Start Bay.
WALK TO BEACH: Four minutes. GO: A birdhouse for two people for two nights from £260. See wildcomfort.co.uk
SUPER SUNSETS
Hard to resist a resort called “Sunny Hunny”. That’s the nickname for Hunstanton on the east coast.
The Norfolk resort has some of the driest weather and is renowned for fabulous sunsets over the North Sea.
Enjoy the Sea Life sanctuary with 2,000 creatures, boating, golf, entertainment centre, watersports, shops and markets.
Stay nearby on Hunstanton Camping & Glamping near the dog-friendly and safe beach with shallow water for paddling at Heacham.
You can pitch your own tent or hire a bell tent, available from June 1. Barbies and campfires are allowed on site and there’s a village shop, pub, fish and chip shop and amusement arcade.
WALK TO BEACH: Two minutes. GO: Pitch for two adults from £30, two nights in a bell tent from £190. See pitchup.com