Are you looking for the best campsites in the Cotswolds? Look no further! Having gone around more than ten campsites, I have compiled a list of my favourites, ranked by the friendliest staff, the best views, and the best facilities. Camping in the Cotswolds is the perfect way to reconnect with nature and truly appreciate everything this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers. From quaint little towns with delectable food, to 100s of miles of hiking trails, endless adventure-fueled activities, and plenty of wildlife! Camping or glamping in the Cotswolds has to be one of the best ways to experience this area.

So what are you waiting for? Pack your camping gear and let’s delve into the Cotswold’s best campsites!  

The Best Cotswold Campsites to Reconnect with Nature

Before starting this project, all my camping experiences had taken place in the wild! In fact, it all began in 2021 when I decided to hike the Diamond Way, a 100 km circular route that connects Moreton in Marsh, Chipping Campden, Blockley, Bourton on the Water, and Northleach. I completed it over three days while wild camping along the way in my small one-person tent. It was this experience that made me fall in love with camping. Not because I enjoyed a great night of sleep, but more so because I felt truly connected with nature. Going to sleep as the sun set and waking up with the birds at sunrise was amazing. I felt like I was completely alone as I watched the amazing red and orange display of the morning sky. 

The following are the Cotswolds campsites that will best allow you to connect with nature.

Woolford Wood – Near Moreton in Marsh

Set on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and boasting over 2,500 different species of flowers, fungi, and fauna, there is no better natural immersion in the Cotswolds. Whether you camp or stay in one of their cabins, you can guarantee a relaxing stay. With over 150 acres of wild English deciduous woodland and 50 acres of wildflower meadows, you will be able to fully disconnect from whatever stresses you have in your life.

Camping at Woolford Woods is the closest you will get to wild camping. After being shown the suitable areas to pitch your tent, you can choose the best spot. Woolford Woods can also accommodate large tents up to 15 metres long, as well as arrange specific sections for larger groups so that you can enjoy a nice weekend with friends without disturbing other campers.

The camping facilities might be rudimentary, but they are perfect for an off-the-grid holiday! The site has compost toilets and open-air hot showers. There is also an outdoor kitchen and washing-up facilities. You can cook using off-the-ground fires and BBQs. If you don’t have your own, you can hire a fire pit for £10 a night.

Glamping in Woolford Wood

If you prefer the idea of glamping, then there are three cabins available: a double occupancy cabin, a five sleeper, and a larger one that sleeps up to six people. They all have a private shower, a fully equipped kitchen, and a fire pit. What better way to spend a summer’s evening than huddled around the campfire sharing stories?

Summary of Facilities

• Compost toilets
• Open air showers
• Drinking water
• Washing up facilities
• Off-the-ground fires allowed
• Open year-round

Is Woolford Wood dog friendly?

Sadly not, due to the careless actions of previous guests.  

What is there to do in the area?

Located in the heart of North Cotswolds and next to the only town with a train station in the AONB, it is the perfect base from which to explore this beautiful area. Within a 10-mile radius you have the historic market towns of Moreton in Marsh, Stow on the Wold, Chipping Norton, and Chipping Campden. Only slightly further afield, you will find the Venice of the Cotswolds (Bourton on the Water), Britain’s Most Beautiful Village (Lower Slaughter), Shakespeare’s Birthplace (Stratford upon Avon), and my favourite spot to watch the sunset (Broadway Tower).

The Best Cotswolds Campsites for Families

There is no better way to enjoy family time than by disconnecting from screens and social media, and camping in the Cotswolds is the perfect way to do just that! However, keeping young ones entertained is also important, especially for the parents’ sanity! That is why there is no better place to stay as a family than the Cotswolds Farm Park campground!

Cotswolds Farm Park – Guiting Power

There is a reason that the Cotswolds Farm Park features in most “Must do” lists for the Cotswolds: it is a great fun day out for the whole family! But did you know you could stay there too? Of all the campsites I visited, it offers the most amount of activities and entertainment for the family while also providing a very well thought out service for every type of holidaymaker.

Before I describe the campsite, let me tell you a little bit about Cotswolds Farm Park. The farm is owned by TV personality and Countryfile presenter Adam Henson. His father founded the farm in 1971 to help protect rare and endangered farm animal breeds, a vision Adam continues to share and build on.

Cotswolds Farm Park is very much focused on sustainable animal farming approaches and is the perfect place for adults and children to learn about the importance of farming by letting visitors get close and personal with the animals. I visited during lambing season, which meant there were multiple lambing talks every day, and some lucky visitors even got the chance to watch a lamb being born!

There are no end of activities at the Cotswold Farm Park which are guaranteed to keep you entertained for days. There is something for everyone, from sand pits to soft play, tractor driving to potato picking, bouncing pillows to woodland walks. They even have live music sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays during the holidays! And best of all, when you stay at the Cotswold Farm Park Campsite, all of it is FREE! You will have access to everything on arrival day, every day of your stay, and departure day. Such a brilliant way to reconnect with the Great British countryside lifestyle!

What is the actual campsite like?

I was impressed with the campsite. It was clean and tidy and very well thought out. What I loved the most however, was the warm welcome I received from the team at reception. It’s the staff that make or break an experience, and at Cotswold Farm Park they certainly enhanced it!

The campsite has 25 premium pitches: half hard standing and half grass. As you would expect, these are fully serviced with electricity, water, and waste disposal. There are then a further 29 grass pitches with electric hookups, and a final 16 basic grass pitches. It’s fair to say it has come on since its early days when Adam would cycle around the site on a Saturday morning as a young boy to collect campers’ payments! Of course, back then it was simply a field you could put your tent up in!

Servicing the camping ground is a large warm toilet block with 12 toilets and 10 showers, plus two large accessible wet rooms with toilets. These are wheelchair friendly and include sit-down shower chairs. The showers all have racks and trays to hold your shampoo and soap. The first of the many thoughtful touches I saw while walking around the camp.

Campers can also access a washing-up room and kitchen area with fridge/freezers, toasters, and a kettle. Best of all, they have contactless laundry. Having spent nine weeks touring the US, I can tell you it is a nightmare if you have to rely on coins! They are a thing of the past!

Additional Extras for Campers

I’ve already spoken above about the fact you get free entry into the Farm Park, which is a huge bonus. But you also benefit from having a shop, café, bar, and restaurant on-site, all serving locally sourced produce. Let’s not forget the live music, the endless activities, and of course, the joy that comes from waking up surrounded by farm animals.

If you fancy something a little extra, they do have three pods. They have no facilities, but they do have two bunk beds and make for great hassle-free “camping”. And in August, they offer Strawberry Field Glamping, which is a VIP Festival type experience. They set up 16 bell tents in the field with comfortable beds. Each tent sleeps up to 5 people. As well as having a large fire pit every night to relax by, the campers also get two meal vouchers each per day to spend with any of the food vendors on site. And if that wasn’t enough, there is also a catering tent with free-flowing teas, coffees, and squash.

Luxury Camping

If you like the idea of camping but aren’t keen on leaving your creature comforts behind, then you are in luck. As well as everything mentioned already, Cotswold Farm Park also offers large safari-style tents and lodges. However, as this is a post about camping, and those are luxurious glamping options, you will need to read my “Best Glamping Experiences” to learn more.

Honestly though, if you are looking for an “all-inclusive” camping experience, look no further than Cotswolds Farm Park.

Summary of facilities

• Disable facilities
• Laundry
• Shop
• Toilets
• Showers
• Washing up facilities
• WC disposal
• Drinking water
• Electrical hookups
• Water hookups
• Kids Playground
• Café, Bar, and Restaurant
• Access to the Cotswolds Farm Park
• Free entertainment

Is Cotswold Farm Park Campsite dog friendly?

Dogs are allowed everywhere other than in the actual Farm Park. This is to avoid the spread of disease and to ensure dogs don’t upset any of the animals. Outside of the Farm Park itself, dogs are allowed everywhere, including on the campsite, in the glamping tents and lodges, and in the outdoor seating area of the café and restaurant.

What is there to do in the area?

With so much to do at Cotswolds Farm Park, I’m unsure whether you will want to leave. However, if you do, then you are very close to Bourton on Water and Stow on the Wold, both charming Cotswold towns. Broadway, Snowshill, and Winchcombe are all also close by too.

Bourton on the Water is a favourite with tourists, which means there is a lot going on and plenty of activities to do with kids. The Maze and the Miniature Village are particularly fun. For Lord of the Rings fans, you won’t want to miss the Doors of Durin in Stow on the Wold. National Trust lovers will undoubtedly love Snowshill Manor House, while sunset lovers should visit Broadway Tower in the evening.

You can find all of my Cotswolds recommendations on my Cotswolds page.

Campsites that are not strictly in the Cotswolds but are too good to miss!

The following campsites are on the periphery of the Cotswolds, but having visited them, and knowing how close they are to some of my favourite towns, I decided to include them!

Bredon Vale Caravan and Camping – Evesham

You won’t find a warmer welcome than at Bredon Vale Caravan and Camping. Jacqui was there to greet us with open arms, and I completely fell in love with her vision. Jacqui and her husband Jim take conservation very seriously and are rewilding the land, creating what will, in time, become a true haven for nature seekers.

For starters, they are returning the land to its ancient form: an orchard. The Vale of Evesham played an integral role in the production of fruit for centuries. However, many of these old orchards were lost following changes in agriculture and increased competition from abroad. Jacqui and Jim are changing this by starting their own! Although the trees are still young, it won’t be long until campers feel like they are sleeping in an orchard!

Aside from actually living by their eco-credentials, I also loved Jacqui’s caring nature. For example, a family was leaving the campsite a day before the Easter Egg Hunt. Not wanting the kids to miss out, she had gotten them both easter eggs! She also gives guests small gifts for Christmas and New Year’s Eve – nice souvenirs to remember the stay by. And who knows, maybe one day they will be collectables!

Home away from home

If you want to feel right at home, I can’t recommend Bredon Vale Caravan and Camping highly enough. It is a small campsite with nine hard-standing electrical pitches for caravans, five grass electrical pitches, and 14 non-electrical grass pitches. As well as the bigger pitches designed for tents larger than my sitting room, there are also some smaller, more secluded pitches which are perfect for those backpacking or bikepacking with smaller tents. In addition, there are also four glamping options, including 2 log pods, a tepee tent, and a vintage caravan. So whatever your camping style when you come to the Cotswolds, Bredon Vale has you covered!  

The toilets and showers were spotless and even had underfloor heating (yes!). There was a laundry room, a washing-up station, and a small shop selling predominantly locally sourced produce (and Haribo!). But it isn’t the facilities that would draw me there or even the location. It is Jacqui and her passion for sustainable living.

Another great example of the fact that she isn’t simply using “eco” as a marketing tool is the fact that she has kept the old wood from the ancient orchard within the campsite. Why? To protect the endangered noble chafer beetles who live and take refuge in the dead wood. Not only is it the right thing to do for the ecosystem, but the old tree trunks could easily be tactically placed art installations!

Summary of facilities

• Disable facilities
• Laundry
• Shop
• Toilets with underfloor heating
• Showers with underfloor heating
• Washing up facilities
• WC disposal
• Drinking water
• Electrical hookups
• Fires allowed
• Kids playing field
• Local recommendations, including local walks
• Open all year round

Is Bredon Vale dog friendly?

Yes! And even better, there is an enclosed field where dogs can be let off the lead for a proper run-around and play. You can tell Jacqui and Jim are dog lovers. Not only have they got a list of all the local walks, but they have also noted all the dog-friendly pubs on those walks!

What is there to do in the area?

Located on the outskirts of Evesham, Bredon Vale isn’t technically in the Cotswolds. However, it is close enough! My favourite Cotswold town, Broadway, is only 8 miles away, and Chipping Campden, another Cotswolds gem, is only 10 miles away. I have written guides to each of these two towns, which you can access below:

Stratford upon Avon is also worth a visit. Not only is it Shakespeare’s birthplace, but it is a beautiful town with great Tudor architecture and lots to do!

If you would rather spend the time in nature, then Bredon Vale is on the Blossom Trail, a 45-mile AA signposted trail that will take you through some of the most picturesque scenery in the Vale of Evesham. From mid-March to mid-May, the area explodes with pink and white blossoms from the many cherry, apple, pear, and plum orchards that dot the area. You could drive it, but why not do it on a bike instead?

Once you arrive, you will find plenty more suggestions of things to do pinned to the laundry room wall. Don’t worry, Jacqui has you covered! And if you are looking for truly unique things to do then check out my post about unique activities for adrenaline junkies!

Which Cotswold Campsite would you pick?

Camping in the Cotswolds is such a great way to enjoy this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For more campsite options check out Campsites UK, they have over 80 campsites listed in the Cotswold! Whichever campsite you choose, I hope you have a wonderful time. If you have stayed elsewhere and feel they should be added to this list, please reach out with the name of the campsite and why you loved it so much.

But for now, all that is left to say is happy camping! We can’t wait to welcome you to the Cotswolds!