Wytch Wood Camping

You could say Wytch Wood Campsite has been over 50 years in the making. The farm has been home to the Newman family since the early 1960s but it's only recently they've opened their gates to campers. With a flock of over 500 breeding ewes, as well as a number of equestrian businesses operating from the yard, the place is still very much a working farm. But that's exactly what makes it so special. You can take a tour, buy fresh lamb for your barbecue and learn more about their environmental practices all within the space of a morning. Which still leaves time to explore the valley and drive to the beach in the afternoon.

Small and unobtrusive, the camping area is nestled in the edge of an ancient wood a short distance from the farm buildings. Each pitch comes with seating, a firepit and initial supply of logs and you can choose from a pitch in the dappled shade of the lofty Beech trees or pick a spot among the grasses of the open wildflower meadow. There's a good choice of camping habitats, certainly, but as far as facilities go things are still relatively paired back. There are composting loos (almost one per pitch), hot showers and taps that supply freshly filtered drinking water but don't expect a playground or electricity. That's not to say there aren't conscientious touches. Biodegradable shampoo and dish-washing liquid is provided to make sure that, along with the off-grid facilities, even the soaps you use have as little impact on the environment as possible.

If you want to explore beyond the campsite, there are plenty of footpaths that cross the farm, including some that are being developed specifically for Wytch Wood guests. A stroll to the top of the nearest hill offers stunning views of Somerset and Dorset, including views to the Pilsdon and Lewesdon Hills, while a walk south will link you up with the Liberty Trail, a long distance footpath that runs right down to Lyme Regis and the Jurassic Coast. In some ways its a route that follows the natural course of the campsite – the spring that supplies the water here is also a natural source of the River Axe, which ultimately wiggles it's way south through the countryside to the Jurassic Coast too.