Pittaford Farm

At first glance, the gently undulating field at Pittaford Farm Camping might not seem like the perfect place to pitch a tent. But ponder for a moment and you'll quickly see why it is. First up, there’s the valley view and rolling hills that this particular lie of the land affords and then there’s the fact that not everywhere in the field is flat enough to pitch, keeping the big caravans away. The result is spacious, well-spaced pitches for tents and small campervans, along with plenty of room to run around in the middle. It’s perfect for the kind of peaceful camping that Pittaford seeks to promote.

Situated deep in the countryside of South Devon, Pittaford Farm Camping is a quiet, campfire-friendly campsite with immaculate facilities, just a couple of miles from the beach. You won’t find music blaring or noisy groups here; it’s rather more civilised than that – but it’s nowhere near stuffy either. There are no neat rows of pitches, no formal reception and no overbearing wardens; instead you’ll get a friendly hello from Sally or Paul who’ll emerge from the farmhouse when you roll up on site. Paul has lived here all his life and his father runs a livery yard, so expect to see horses in the surrounding fields.

It’s Paul who’s converted what was once a pigsty into the campsite facilities that are now anything but. There are three separate-entrance loos and two family-sized showers, which come complete with a hairdryer and shaver point. Like we said it’s all rather civilised. That theme continues with the other convenient campsite kitchen facilities; undercover sinks for washing up, fridges, freezers and charging points for phones. Each of the site’s ten pitches and the pre-pitched bell tents that are available to hire here comes with an ingenious off-ground fire pit that Paul has made to his own design.

You can walk from the farm to the pub in Slapton village, to the beach at Slapton Sands or to Slapton Ley Nature Reserve. If your legs are up to it, tackle them all on a five-mile round trip (perhaps ending at the pub). This is the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and if you want to explore it further there are electric bikes available to hire from a nearby farm shop and the South West Coast Path for spectacular coastal walks. Dartmouth is less than 10 miles away and Salcombe a little further.