Cider Farm Orchard Campsite

You don't have to love to cider to adore this adults-only campsite five miles from the Jurassic Coast. But, if you do, you can almost certainly stop the hunt for your favourite campsite now. With pitches tucked in amongst the orchard and the camping area just an apple's throw from the Dorset Nectar taproom, this is a campsite with a visitor experience baked in. From taking a tour and learning about the origins of cider, to tasting the latest craft casks, campers here can immerse themselves in the wonderful world of apples at the same time as enjoying a campsite that is, quite simply, practical, friendly and fun.

Started by former sculptors Penny and Oliver Strong in 2006, the organic orchard produces award-winning ciders, sold around the country but also in the onsite farm shop, next to which you'll find the campsite's shower block, toilets and washing-up facilities. On arrival you're encouraged to salute your neighbours, the farm’s resident geese Sir Humphrey and Dame Maggie Smith, before making your way to a pitch in one of the rows of apple trees in the 3,000-strong orchard. All the trees are uniformly planted in a vast grid, which transforms into a stunning blanket of pink apple blossom through late May and June.

The farm shop is open until 10pm if you want to pick up fresh apple juice or local ingredients for cooking over the campfire (firepits are available for hire and logs are sold on site), while the adjacent tap room also opens for special events and frequent entertainment, with everything from folk singers to ska and rock from local musicians. That's not to say this is a wild and noisy place. In fact, don't be surprised to rise in the morning and spot deer ambling through the farm. Oliver and Penny's sculptures, too, dotted around the place – spot the diving dolphin, the seahorse and the turtle – show a real care and love for the entire space.

Getting off the farm is easy, you can follow one of the footpaths to the idyllic village of Netherbury or drive to the coast, with beaches like Eype nearby and the big cliffs of West Bay and Burton Bradstock offering filmic backdrops to your fossil hunting. The local town of Bridport has its fair share of quirky events, like The Bridport Hat Festival, the Bridport Folk Festival and, for the brave, the Annual World Nettle Eating Competition. After all those nettles no doubt you'll feel like a cider or two. Or you can buy bottles of nettle juice at the festival, if you really have been converted.