Shepherd's Huts in Haldon Forest

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More than 3,500 acres of woodland await adventurers at Haldon Forest, and nature lovers will be in their element. Explore miles of forest trails on foot, by bike, or on horseback; climb up to hilltop lookout points for views over the Exeter countryside; or find a shady picnic spot beneath the trees. Up for a challenge? Test out your map-reading skills on an orienteering course, zip through the woods on a Segway, or take to the treetops to tackle the GoApe high ropes and zipline course. There are no campsites in the park itself, but you’ll find holiday parks within a 10-minute drive.

98% (257)

Top-rated campgrounds

South Town Farm

12. South Town Farm

100%
(7)
11 units · Tents, Glamping · Barnstaple, Devon, South West England
South Town Camping opened for a month in 2018 to see how guests would take to its private 10-pitch site. Tucked away in North Devon's Arlington estate, amid twenty-plus miles of footpaths and bridleways, this is a campsite designed by committed campers and it shows.The grass pitches are spacious, with paths leading to them mown into the wildflower meadows, all set within six acres kept peaceful (and safe for the kids!) by the absence of cars — simply roll your belongings to your tent with the help of a super-sized wheelbarrow. At the centre of the camping fields hay meadows are left to grow throughout the summer, providing an almost-wild aesthetic befitting of the sprawling surrounding woodland of which you'll enjoy uninterrupted views. Watch the sunset to the west right from your tent and, on clear nights, you'll have an enviable spot to take in the starry skies. If you don't fancy pitching a tent a shepherd's hut is also available, a cosy option for couples with outdoor seating for those nights cooking by the fire.Given that this is a campsite belonging to the environmentally-conscious South Town Farm, your time staying at the site will be as eco-friendly as possible. Your hosts take care of 200 acres of this estate, having National Trust tenancy of South Town and managing its grasslands, which remain unimproved to maintain the unique biodiversity of the region. In keeping with this ethos, your available amenities also won't impact the land — there are composting loos, a gas-powered warm shower and cold drinking water pumped directly from the mains to the sheltered washing-up hut.Despite South Town Camping's position out in the sticks, it's within excellent reach of its neighbouring beaches, all a short drive away. Woolacombe beach will likely be the first port of call for sun-chasers, given its reputation as not only one of the best beaches in the West Country, but one of the best in the world — two miles of sloping sand facing the Atlantic Ocean, and a favourite for families and surfers with thousands descending upon it each year. Or, if you don't fancy feeling the sand between your toes, multiple marked walks await you directly from your tent — embark on a ramble through the ample woodland and emerge at the Pyne Arms, the nearest pub, where award-winning food awaits.
Potable water
Campfires
Showers
from 
£20
 / night
Wild About Campers

16. Wild About Campers

100%
(2)
5 units · Glamping · Stockland, Devon, South West England
Wild About Campers is a peaceful retreat amid spectacular hiking country in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and 25 minutes’ drive from cliff-top treks along the South West Coast Path. The Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis is within 25 minutes’ drive, and if you feel a major shopping expedition coming on, the historic cathedral city of Exeter (35 minutes) will see you right. Both Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks are less than an hour’s drive away, while the pretty neighbouring town of Honiton (10 minutes) offers pubs and tearooms as well as antique shops to browse. But if it’s a rural retreat you’re after, well, this is the place. The camping paddock is surrounded by peaceful farmland and borders the River Otter (look out for the resident beavers, otters and kingfishers, which occasionally appear), so you can fall asleep lulled by the burble of the river along with the distant hoot of barn owls – and wake up fresh in the morning to the sound of birdsong. A popular family-run pub is five minutes’ stroll from the campsite, and you can pick up emergency supplies from a well-stocked village shop run by volunteers (five minutes’ drive).
Pets
Potable water
Campfires
from 
£89
 / night
The Shepherdess Hut

20. The Shepherdess Hut

100%
(1)
1 unit · Glamping · Ilfracombe, Devon, South West England
Set in a hilltop near Ilfracombe in North Devon, Fullabrook Farm Retreat is home to The Shepherdess shepherd’s hut. Based on a family-run working farm, this romantic hut is ideal for a couples’ holiday amid spectacular woodland views – plus the chance to have the place to yourselves – apart from the grazing sheep in nearby fields of course. Built from scratch by the site owners, the hut is decked out with a kingsize bed, dining and living space, plus an en-suite bathroom with a powerful, hot shower. Thoughtful extras here include robes and toiletries, plus a TV for chilling. There’s a gas oven and hob in the modern kitchenette, alongside a fridge with freezer and a stylish Belfast sink. There’s no danger of you feeling the cold on chillier evenings, as the hut has its own central heating. For those sunny evenings, the private patio has a barbecue, tables and a firepit, so you can dine outside and cosy up around the fire as the night sets in – look out for some spectacular sunsets and starry displays on clear evenings. If you can manage to drag yourselves from this lovely little spot, the local village is West Down (five minutes’ drive), which has a community-run shop for stocking up on barbecue essentials, as well as a foodie pub if you fancy a change of scenery.
Potable water
Campfires
Showers
from 
£115
 / night

More than 3,500 acres of woodland await adventurers at Haldon Forest, and nature lovers will be in their element. Explore miles of forest trails on foot, by bike, or on horseback; climb up to hilltop lookout points for views over the Exeter countryside; or find a shady picnic spot beneath the trees. Up for a challenge? Test out your map-reading skills on an orienteering course, zip through the woods on a Segway, or take to the treetops to tackle the GoApe high ropes and zipline course. There are no campsites in the park itself, but you’ll find holiday parks within a 10-minute drive.

98% (257)

Top-rated campgrounds

South Town Farm

12. South Town Farm

100%
(7)
11 units · Tents, Glamping · Barnstaple, Devon, South West England
South Town Camping opened for a month in 2018 to see how guests would take to its private 10-pitch site. Tucked away in North Devon's Arlington estate, amid twenty-plus miles of footpaths and bridleways, this is a campsite designed by committed campers and it shows.The grass pitches are spacious, with paths leading to them mown into the wildflower meadows, all set within six acres kept peaceful (and safe for the kids!) by the absence of cars — simply roll your belongings to your tent with the help of a super-sized wheelbarrow. At the centre of the camping fields hay meadows are left to grow throughout the summer, providing an almost-wild aesthetic befitting of the sprawling surrounding woodland of which you'll enjoy uninterrupted views. Watch the sunset to the west right from your tent and, on clear nights, you'll have an enviable spot to take in the starry skies. If you don't fancy pitching a tent a shepherd's hut is also available, a cosy option for couples with outdoor seating for those nights cooking by the fire.Given that this is a campsite belonging to the environmentally-conscious South Town Farm, your time staying at the site will be as eco-friendly as possible. Your hosts take care of 200 acres of this estate, having National Trust tenancy of South Town and managing its grasslands, which remain unimproved to maintain the unique biodiversity of the region. In keeping with this ethos, your available amenities also won't impact the land — there are composting loos, a gas-powered warm shower and cold drinking water pumped directly from the mains to the sheltered washing-up hut.Despite South Town Camping's position out in the sticks, it's within excellent reach of its neighbouring beaches, all a short drive away. Woolacombe beach will likely be the first port of call for sun-chasers, given its reputation as not only one of the best beaches in the West Country, but one of the best in the world — two miles of sloping sand facing the Atlantic Ocean, and a favourite for families and surfers with thousands descending upon it each year. Or, if you don't fancy feeling the sand between your toes, multiple marked walks await you directly from your tent — embark on a ramble through the ample woodland and emerge at the Pyne Arms, the nearest pub, where award-winning food awaits.
Potable water
Campfires
Showers
from 
£20
 / night
Wild About Campers

16. Wild About Campers

100%
(2)
5 units · Glamping · Stockland, Devon, South West England
Wild About Campers is a peaceful retreat amid spectacular hiking country in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and 25 minutes’ drive from cliff-top treks along the South West Coast Path. The Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis is within 25 minutes’ drive, and if you feel a major shopping expedition coming on, the historic cathedral city of Exeter (35 minutes) will see you right. Both Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks are less than an hour’s drive away, while the pretty neighbouring town of Honiton (10 minutes) offers pubs and tearooms as well as antique shops to browse. But if it’s a rural retreat you’re after, well, this is the place. The camping paddock is surrounded by peaceful farmland and borders the River Otter (look out for the resident beavers, otters and kingfishers, which occasionally appear), so you can fall asleep lulled by the burble of the river along with the distant hoot of barn owls – and wake up fresh in the morning to the sound of birdsong. A popular family-run pub is five minutes’ stroll from the campsite, and you can pick up emergency supplies from a well-stocked village shop run by volunteers (five minutes’ drive).
Pets
Potable water
Campfires
from 
£89
 / night
The Shepherdess Hut

20. The Shepherdess Hut

100%
(1)
1 unit · Glamping · Ilfracombe, Devon, South West England
Set in a hilltop near Ilfracombe in North Devon, Fullabrook Farm Retreat is home to The Shepherdess shepherd’s hut. Based on a family-run working farm, this romantic hut is ideal for a couples’ holiday amid spectacular woodland views – plus the chance to have the place to yourselves – apart from the grazing sheep in nearby fields of course. Built from scratch by the site owners, the hut is decked out with a kingsize bed, dining and living space, plus an en-suite bathroom with a powerful, hot shower. Thoughtful extras here include robes and toiletries, plus a TV for chilling. There’s a gas oven and hob in the modern kitchenette, alongside a fridge with freezer and a stylish Belfast sink. There’s no danger of you feeling the cold on chillier evenings, as the hut has its own central heating. For those sunny evenings, the private patio has a barbecue, tables and a firepit, so you can dine outside and cosy up around the fire as the night sets in – look out for some spectacular sunsets and starry displays on clear evenings. If you can manage to drag yourselves from this lovely little spot, the local village is West Down (five minutes’ drive), which has a community-run shop for stocking up on barbecue essentials, as well as a foodie pub if you fancy a change of scenery.
Potable water
Campfires
Showers
from 
£115
 / night

Camper favorites in and near Haldon Forest

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Shepherd's Huts in Haldon Forest guide

When to go

Forest walks are available year-round in Haldon Forest. Escape the heat along the shaded trails in summer or come in autumn to admire the colourful fall foliage. July and August is peak season, when advance booking is essential for park activities. To avoid the crowds, choose a weekday visit outside of the school holidays. The treetop adventure park is open all year, but opening hours are limited through winter, so check ahead.

Know before you go

  • Haldon Forest is a 15-minute drive from Exeter along the A38.
  • Paid parking is available at the park, and buses run from Exeter centre to Exeter Racecourse, a 1-mile walk from the park.
  • There are restrooms and a café in the park.
  • Many of the park’s trails are accessible, and Tramper and mobility scooters are available to hire.