Why I love camping, and why it's booming in the UK
I’m a fan of pretty much any kind of holiday – and, being from Sydney, Australia, I’m no stranger to flying long-haul with youngsters; my daughter was four months old the first time she made the journey home for Christmas. So perhaps it’s the amount of flying we have done that makes me love the simplicity of a camping holiday: no passports required, just cram as much as you can into the car and hit the road.
And I’m not alone. Even before Covid and its attendant restrictions put the kibosh on most overseas travel, holidays at home were experiencing something of a renaissance, with statistics showing that 32.5 million Britons took a camping or caravanning holiday in 2019, up from 11.8 million in 2017. By the summer of 2020, outdoor staycations were being booked at the rate of one every three seconds.
The decision to avoid flying and stay in the UK has been due in part to concerns about environmental footprint, cost and waiting times – but the other big factor is that camping with children is a joy. Call me a terrible parent, but I believe that children – away from school and the other institutions to which they must be signed up – should be allowed to run wild and free rather than being controlled. I don’t think they should have electronic dummies shoved into their hands in the form of a tablet, just so they can sit through a restaurant meal; nor do I think they should have to be trussed up like a Christmas turkey, engaged in a genteel game of cards, as I once observed in a hotel dining room. They should be toasting marshmallows. They should have messy hair and dirty feet. They should have some form of a reprieve from what we all must, ordinarily, do.
As should parents. I remember once seeing, on a well-known parenting site, users asking whether their planned holiday purchases were suitable “flight outfits” and “breakfast buffet outfits”. It’s bad enough that I have to look somewhat presentable on the school run, or for work – must I do it for holidays, too?
My children went to an incredible nursery that fostered creative and outdoor play. I remember collecting them and burrowing my nose into their smoky hair; a visceral sensation that I relive on camping holidays. They do not fear fire as I did – unable to light a match until the age of 12. They recognise and appreciate the seasons. They know that “bad weather” is actually just poor clothing choice. And when I eavesdrop on their conversations, their gleeful nostalgia around our camping holidays reassures me that no “kids’ club” (attended while parents hang out in the spa, or neck a cheeky cocktail) could possibly offer an experience as rich.
I didn’t grow up in a camping family (the idea of my parents even pitching a tent is both unthinkable and hilarious) but some of my best memories with my children – to be cherished, before they abandon family holidays in favour of trips with friends and partners – are from our scrappiest adventures: the time our tent was flattened by a gale; the time we lost a shoe in a river and turned it into a fishing game; the time I confidently said I knew where we were going but got us completely lost – ending up on a beach with a wealth of collectible ammonites. And – according to my youngest – “the sound of the tent zip” when you close up at night and open again in the morning. Simple pleasures. No designer kaftan required.
Granted, the flattened tents we’ve experienced have made us equally keen on adventures in the safety of four walls, even if those four walls happen to be metal rather than brick. Given that coastal locations tend to be overrun in peak season, but still have a moody wildness to offer when the wind bites and the waves lash, a camper van formed the base for a recent surfing holiday in Croyde, Devon. Again we are not alone: provider Camptoo reported “a 130 per cent increase in annual year-on-year bookings to October 2020, with 47 per cent of all trips booked by groups of three or more, the vast majority of which were families”.
Naturally, it is not just the difficulty around travelling that has prompted a passion for back-to-basics holidays: even overseas, such adventures allow scope for distancing. What’s more of a “bubble” than your own tent, or van? What’s less risky than cooking and eating your own food? During a time of lockdown, what’s more freeing than wide open spaces? And honestly, after a year of restrictions, what is more empowering than living – waking, eating, sleeping, roaming, stargazing – all on your own terms?
Five of the best campsites for families in Britain
Tall Trees, Somerset
Not quite ready to BYO tent? This gorgeously green site, not far from Glastonbury, makes camping a dreamy breeze, with luxury lodges sleeping six that give you flushing lavatories, snuggly duvets and electricity, even as rain hammers your canvas. Seven nights in August from £1,200; talltreesglamping.com.
Bay View Farm, Devon
We have pitched here time and again for more than 20 years. The site is just a few minutes’ walk from Croyde beach, with its world-class surfing, and offers equipment hire and accommodation options from motor homes to pods. Pitches from about £30 a night in high season; bayviewfarm.co.uk.
Atlantic Coast Holiday Park, Cornwall
For many years, we spent every Easter holiday here – and with good reason. Within spitting distance of Godrevy and Gwithian beaches, it has sand dunes to explore, incredible sunsets to experience and room for children to roam. Holiday homes/chalets from £500 per week, based on a family of four in July; atlanticcoastpark.co.uk.
Park Farm Camping, East Sussex
Within easy reach of London and only a stone’s throw from moated Bodiam Castle and rows of apple trees, this provides the perfect base from which to enjoy canoeing or visit the south coast. From £26 per night for a family of four; parkfarmcamping.co.uk.
Cwmdu, Brecon Beacons
If you want to instil a passion for mountains from an early age (today Pen y Fan, tomorrow Huayna Potosi), take advantage of South Wales’s highest, but easily navigable, peak. The views are sensational and the effort minimal. From about £30 per night for a family of four; campingbreconbeacons.com.
Travel within the UK and overseas is currently subject to restrictions. Check the relevant guidance before booking and travelling.
