Cheglinch Camping (Wild Camping)

Think of Devon and you may think of long, sandy beaches and fish and chips by the sea. Yet this genteel coastal image is only half the story. Perhaps the county's most underrated region is the peaceful – and in places utterly remote – northern countryside, between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe. As you pass through the pleasant enough village of West Down and up a single-track country lane, a patchwork of fields opens up and you can’t help but think its odd, but somehow satisfying, that such a lovely location is ignored by the bucket-and-spade brigade. Ah well, their loss is most certainly your gain.

Once you’ve arrived with tent in tow, and freedom in mind, you know immediately you've found to the right place. A complete contrast to some of Devon's busy commercial sites, Cheglinch Camping is a solid example of what a campsite should be: a secluded, unpretentious and private place on the outskirts of a working farm. As the owner Ella puts it: "We offer proper, old-fashioned wild camping – camping as you remember enjoying when you were young!"

There are no shower facilities (although Saunton, Woolacombe and Putsborough offer beach showers) and eco toilets, washing-up sinks and drinking water are available onsite, making this a semi-wild camping experience. But whilst the primitive feel won’t be for everyone, what you do get is an unspoiled camping experience, set amongst some of Devon's most captivating rural scenery. Open space and privacy come by the bucket load here; grass pitches on the gently sloping field are generously-sized, so you’re unlikely to be disturbed by fellow campers – just summer tractors working within the hamlet, or mooing cows from the adjacent field.

There cannot be many places more beautiful to pitch in the West Country than Cheglinch. Many campers come here for a week and never move a muscle, such is the appeal of Devonshire's bucolic surroundings. However, this quiet, semi-wild site only pops-up for a short time in the summer, before reverting back to its farming roots during the rest of the year. We suggest you give it try.