Sites for city breaks

Campervan escapades IN THE CIT Y

For never a dull moment, head for the city…

WORDS: Claire Tupholme

Mortonhall Caravan & Camping Park, Edinburgh

38 Mortonhall Gate, Frogston Road East EH16 6TJ ☎ 01316 641533 meadowhead.co.uk/parks/mortonhall All year With a regular bus service from the campsite into Edinburgh, Mortonhall is an ideal country estate location, within easy reach of the city. There are miles of walks around the estate, with Highland cattle in neighbouring fields. If you don’t mind a longer walk, it’s only four miles to the city centre, and the bus returns to the site until late. Pitches vary from basic grass to full service and there are toilets and showers on site, along with a licensed shop, bar and restaurant. As well as a capital city, Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town. Head to the castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Calton Hill with stunning city views. With culture, entertainment and shopping, there’s plenty to do here.

Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park, Somerset

Ham Lane, Bishop Sutton, Nr Bath BS39 5TZ ☎ 01275 332127 bathchewvalley.co.uk All year With a feeling more like you’re pitched within someone’s well-landscaped garden, this adults-only site is within 800 yards of a championship fishing lake and the surrounding country park is ideal for birdwatchers and walkers – there’s an accessible walkway/cycleway from the end of Ham Lane to pretty Chew Valley Lake. All pitches have electric hook-up and the toilets and showers are individual bathroom suites. There’s an on-site dog walking area and a local shop and pub in the village.

The bustling city of Bristol (with the must-see SS Great Britain) is just over 10 miles away and there is a park and ride at Long Ashton to easily access the city without parking worries. A little further afield is the historic city of Bath with its abbey, museums and Roman baths. There is a bus stop in the village, or you can hire a car from the campsite directly, too. 

3

Caerfai Bay Caravan & Tent Park, Pembrokeshire

St Davids, Haverfordwest SA62 6QT ☎ 01437 720274 caerfaibay.co.uk 1 March – 5 November As the smallest city in the UK, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s not much at St Davids to keep you occupied. However, there’s a stunning cathedral, a Bishop’s Palace, craft and gift shops and a choice of cafés. You can even book a boat trip out to explore the range of birdlife on Ramsey Island.

Caerfai Bay Caravan and Tent Park is less than a mile from St Davids, so you can easily stroll from the site to explore the city. For those who would like to walk a little further, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path passes the site’s entrance. You can access the beach from the park via a concrete path and steps.

You can choose from grass or hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up. There are toilets and showers, family rooms, accessible facilities and a laundry room. Dogs are welcome on site and are accepted on Caerfai Beach all year round.

4

Lincoln Farm Park, Oxfordshire

High Street, Standlake OX29 7RH ☎ 01865 300239 lincolnfarmpark.co.uk 31 January – 1 November Known as the ‘city of dreaming spires’, the many university buildings of Oxford off er a feast for the eyes with their stunning architecture. One of the most recognisable is the Radcliff e Camera, a circular building in the heart of Oxford. The Bodleian Library in Oxford is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the second-largest in Britain, after the British Library. While in Oxford you can also visit the cathedral, castle and many museums, or take a boat trip down the river.

Lincoln Farm Park is 10 miles from Oxford, with a bus stop at the campsite entrance. There are standard electric pitches, or fully serviced pitches with the addition of fresh water, grey waste disposal and a picnic table. On site there is a leisure centre which includes two indoor pools. Facilities include toilets and showers, a family bathroom, accessible facilities and a shop. There are pubs within walking distance and you can walk to the River Thames.

5

Flaxton Meadows, North Yorkshire

Flaxton, York YO60 7QZ ☎ 01904 393943 fl axtonmeadows.co.uk 1 March – 31 October The aim and policy of Flaxton Meadows eco campsite is to provide a low-carbon footprint environment for eco-conscious guests to stay and enjoy. The site is located in North Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside, bordered by rolling farmland and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Strensall Common Nature Reserve. For a break near the city but feeling miles away from anywhere, this is the ideal site as York is only 20 minutes away. For easy parking, the Grimston Bar Park and Ride (YO19 5LA) welcomes campervans.

The pitches at Flaxton Meadows are available on hardstanding and grass with electric. All guests can enjoy use of the state-of-theart washroom and toilets with thermostatically controlled hot water and underfl oor heating utilising natural resources generated on site. Facilities are fully accessible, plus there is a launderette, a bar and nature trail.

6

Dundonald Touring Caravan Park, Co Antrim

111 Old Dundonald Road, Castlereagh, Belfast BT16 1XN ☎ 02890 809100 dundonaldcaravanpark.com All year For year-round visits to Northern Ireland’s capital city, this is the perfect campsite. It’s located just 30 minutes from Belfast city centre on public transport, with a bus stop a five-minute walk away. The campsite is fully open from mid-March to the end of October and then operates as an aire facility (the shower block is closed, but water, electric and waste water are available) from November to March. There are 22 fully serviced pitches in a tranquil corner of Dundonald Leisure Park, with toilets, showers, and a laundry room. There is a shop a few minutes’ walk away along with a cinema, adventure golf, ice rink, bowling and a choice of places to eat.

Belfast itself is home to the Titanic Quarter – a renovated dockyard area with the Titanic Belfast museum, the SS Nomadic (the only White Star Line ship left in the world) and the HMS Caroline.