Top 10 small, independent, campsites for campervan parking

Let’s face it, some campsites are better than others. And some campsites don’t feel like campsites at all. There are the real gems where you feel more like you’re camping in a nature reserve, a secret spot beside a smallholding, or a meadow behind the farm shop that delivers fresh croissants in the morning (yes, that’s really happened to us!).

Our go-to resource for these special places is Hipcamp, an app and website known for connecting campers with land owners and helping unlock access to seriously beautiful spaces. And, this month, Hipcamp analysed bookings, ratings, and reviews from tens of thousands of their locations to reveal the top locations to visit across the UK. We take a look at some of the award winners in their ‘campervan parking’ category.

Lillyroo’s, Kent

An hour and a half from London, this small farm site was the overall winner of Hipcamp’s “best campervan spot” category. It has just 10 pitches in a three-acre meadow, with a festoon-lit bar in an old agricultural building, a communal ‘hang out barn’ with a woodburner, sofas, and dining tables, and a decent kitchen serving cooked breakfasts and excellent coffee. It’s a short drive from the beaches of Margate and the white cliffs of Dover, while Canterbury offers plenty to explore on rainy days.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? No

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

Cowpots Camping, Carmarthenshire

A private shower and toilet next to each pitch, an on-site pizzeria, and homemade ice cream using the farm’s own Jersey milk; it’s easy to see why this eco campsite in West Wales is so popular. Access is via a farm track that’s fine for campervans and smaller motorhomes and, once there, individual pitches are mown into the grass, with the majority of the place left to wildflowers. It’s a 15-minute drive to the nearest beaches, around Amroth and Pendine—stroll the coastal path to find the quietest coves.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? No

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

Bircham Windmill, Norfolk

Standing just as it did over 100 years ago, Bircham Windmill is one of the few working windmills in the East of England, and opens daily to the public from Easter to September. In a meadow just beyond the mill, owner Elly has also kindly opened up space for campers, with electricity at some pitches and well-maintained facilities. Visitors can climb the windmill’s five floors, see milling in action, and also join courses in the mill’s bakery (their sausage rolls are to die for).

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? No

👉 Find out more

Kingsmead Camping, Devon

In the north of the Blackdown Hills, this family site has a range of camping spaces spread across woods, meadows, and higher and lower terraces, with some streams and lakes thrown in for good measure. Van campers can choose from hardstandings near the main facilities block or quieter grassy spaces in a lower meadow. Hosts, Jodie and Tristan, are famed for their warm welcome and local knowledge—try their two-mile-walk recommendation to The Half Moon Inn, for good pub grub and views down the Culm Valley.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

Graig Wen, Snowdonia

On the banks of the Mawddach Estuary, Graig Wen is set at that dreamy outdoorsy confluence where mountains meet river and river meets sea. You can head out on mountain bikes, hike Cader Idris, or cycle the view-tastic Mawddach trail to the seaside town of Barmouth—all directly from the campsite. The lower meadows beside the river are for tents only but van campers enjoy level pitches on a terrace above, with superb views and access to facilities in beautiful stone buildings. The site is open all through winter too.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

Ettie’s Field, Leicestershire

Half way between Leicester and Birmingham, quirky Ettie’s Field prides itself on being a ‘bohemian boutique Hipcamp’, with fewer than 20 pitches, festoon lighting, a Moroccan-rug-carperted clubhouse, and peacocks roaming in the meadow. Every review ever written seems to extoll its chilled out vibes, sustainable ethos, and the charm of hosts Linds and Dom. The couple have worked tirelessly since 2018 to turn an unassuming meadow into a must-visit campervan stop and it’s certainly a crowd favourite amongst Hipcamp’s list of award winners.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

Mousehole Camping, Cornwall

This ingenious campsite makes use of the UK’s most well-located football club: Mousehole AFC. When the footie season ends, the camping season begins, and the club puts all of their land to good use, opening the space to tents and motorhomes and providing access to excellent club facilities. It’s a short stroll into the tiny village of Paul—think old stone pub opposite ancient church—before continuing down into the next village of Mousehole—a cluster of houses, delis, and a pub, around a picturesque little harbour.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

Loch Katrine Eco Camping, Stirlingshire

An hour from Glasgow and only a little more from Edinburgh, this established motorhome parking spot sits within the boundaries of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. At the head of Loch Katrine, it’s really just clever use of an existing parking area for the historic steamship tours operated here. There’s a great café, brand new facilities, and campers get a discount on the steamship (well worth it), while a vehicle-free loch-side path is great for walking and cycling. There’s only a handful of spots, though, so be sure to book in advance.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? No

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? No

👉 Find out more

Torrent Walk Campsite, Snowdonia

Torrent Walk came third in the UK in Hipcamp’s “best campervan spot” award category, as well as placing in the top three Hipcamps in North Wales. Just outside the outdoorsy town of Dolgellau in the heart of Snowdonia, it’s a renowned spot for climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, and anyone generally up for an adventure. It has the facilities to match, with a bike-wash station and a drying room, but still maintains an air of back-to-basics informality, with two big meadows, plenty of space, and campfires welcomed.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more

The Pig Place, Oxfordshire

Just off the M40, on the banks of the Oxford Canal, this humble smallholding is an essential stop-over for those traveling on the motorway, as well as being worthy of a few nights in its own right. The farm shop is excellent (a proper farm shop, chock full of own and local produce, with no homewares or gardening department in sight) and, as the name suggests, there are plenty of pigs to meet, along with other animals. It’s 20 minutes from the Cotswolds and 30 minutes from the likes of Stow-on-the-Wold and Morton-in-Marsh.

Essentials:

• Toilets? Yes

• Showers? Yes

• Electric? Yes

• Dog’s welcome? Yes

• Campfires allowed? Yes

👉 Find out more