Creekside Family Camping

A handpainted sign on an old wooden pallet asks campers to “Stay up late” and to “Wake up smiling” at Creekside Family Camping. This is our kind of campsite and, in coastal Lincolnshire, it stands out. While other sites in this holiday hotspot are populated with static caravans and tourers, this is a tents-and-campervans-only affair. It’s situated in three pretty meadows on a working farm and provides relaxed and friendly camping within walking distance of the long sandy beach of Anderby Creek.

We weren’t exaggerating when we said this site was friendly. Campfires, dogs and kids are all welcome here; it’s only large all-adult groups and caravans that are not. There’s a definite family vibe to the place and while the charming homemade signs encourage campers to stay up past bedtime, a hush usually descends by 10.30 pm. There are areas set aside for ball games and buckets and spades are available to borrow from an on-site beach hut. This little hub also offers campers the chance to charge phones, freeze ice packs and borrow board games.

These little touches and the site facilities (flushing loos, hot showers and even a dog wash) all point to the experience of the farming folk behind this campsite. The Mowbray family who run the place love camping themselves and it shows. They’ve taken great care to put this site together but have also employed a light touch. Facilities, for example, are immaculately clean but simple; toiletries are provided but eco-friendly and much of what you’ll see on site has been lovingly re-purposed.

It’s a 10-minute walk from your pitch, past the nearby caravans, to the sands of Anderby Creek. The beach is a long stretch that’s as good for a stroll as it is for a sunbathe. There’s a cafe on the sands that does great breakfasts but other than that it’s unspoiled and part of the Lincolnshire Coast Country Park. For the more typical thrills and spills of the seaside, head south to Ingoldmells and Skegness, both within ten miles. Then, when another day on the beach is over, refer back to the handpainted site rules for what to do next: “Smell the fresh air, sit by the campfire, look at the stars” and, most important of all: “Make memories.”