Shepherd's huts near Cheddar with swimming

The cheese may be more famous than the town, but Cheddar remains a one-of-a-kind camping spot.

92% (16 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Cheddar

Star Hosts in Cheddar

95%

(11)

Dog-friendly getaways

100%

(10)

The Three Spaniels' Shepherd Hut

1 unit · Glamping26 acres · Ceredigion, Mid Wales

A dog-friendly shepherd’s hut with a hot tub, set on a 26-acre Welsh farm 20 miles from Cardigan Bay

Higher Roddon Farm

1 unit · Glamping66 acres · Wiveliscombe, England

Duncan and Alexis live here with their young family and we want to continue to improve the biodiversity of the farm alongside building a sustainable farm business incorporating luxury rural accommodation and grass-fed beef and lamb. We are lucky enough to have a wide variety of wildlife on our farm including tawny and barn owls, deer, buzzards, pheasants, swallows, bullfinches, fieldfares and numerous bats, butterflies and beetles! Take a look at our Wildlife page. We follow a grass-fed, low input, regenerative agriculture philosophy. This means that (apart from our bulls, rams and boars which have to be bought in to prevent in-breeding) all of our animals are born on the farm. They stay with their mothers’ as long as possible growing well on their mothers’ milk and our beautiful grass. Apart from our pigs, all of our animals are only fed grass from the farm or hay (from our species rich hay meadows) in winter. We believe this is more sustainable, gives us a minimal carbon footprint and provides our animals with the best possible lives.

Broadmeadow Glamping

3 units · Glamping12 acres · Hereford, Herefordshire, West Midlands

A quaint wooden cabin, tucked away on a Herefordshire farm. Perfect for a romantic glamping retreat or year-round family getaways.

100%

(4)

Moonbow Escapes

2 units · Glamping59 acres · Devon, South West England

A super-sized shepherd's hut with a wood-fired hot tub, set in the meadows of West Devon

90%

(10)

Romantic Country Glamping

2 units · Glamping2 acres · Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, South West England

A pair of self-contained glamping getaways in Wiltshire

12 top shepherd's huts sites near Cheddar with swimming

99%

(137)

Hamperley Hideaways

6 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Church Stretton, England

Almost wild camping and rustic glamping in the Shropshire Hills, with campfires and compost loos

100%

(19)

Fernwood Glamping (New Forest)

2 units · Glamping1 acre · New Forest, England

Secluded, peaceful glamping on the edge of the New Forest

Broadmeadow Glamping

3 units · Glamping12 acres · Hereford, Herefordshire, West Midlands

A quaint wooden cabin, tucked away on a Herefordshire farm. Perfect for a romantic glamping retreat or year-round family getaways.

Romantic Country Glamping

2 units · Glamping2 acres · Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, South West England

A pair of self-contained glamping getaways in Wiltshire

The Three Spaniels' Shepherd Hut

1 unit · Glamping26 acres · Ceredigion, Mid Wales

A dog-friendly shepherd’s hut with a hot tub, set on a 26-acre Welsh farm 20 miles from Cardigan Bay

Strawfields Cabins and Camping

13 units · Glamping, Tents4 acres · Titching Park Lane, England

Camping and rustic glamping with campfires on an idyllic smallholding close to North Devon’s best-loved beaches

100%

(12)

Wild Meadow Camping

5 units · Glamping, Tents1 acre · Ceredigion, Mid Wales

Camping and glamping with electric hook-up in a country meadow near the beaches of Cardigan Bay

Little Firs

1 unit · Glamping1 acre · Seaton, England

A private and spacious handcrafted shepherd's hut on the edge of a woodland near Axminster and Lyme Regis

100%

(6)

Bramble Meadow Camping

4 units · Glamping, Tents2 acres · Paignton, Devon, South West England

An off grid shepherd’s hut and nearly wild camping in South Devon

Booked 5 times

Wild Wellingtons Glamping

3 units · Glamping4 acres · Llandysul, Wales

Eco-friendly glamping 10 minutes from the beaches of Cardigan Bay, with great facilities for parents and acres of wild space for kids

100%

(33)

Rolling Fields Glamping

6 units · Glamping2 acres · Oxfordshire, South East England

Luxury farm glamping with epic views, a 10-minute walk from the Thames

100%

(1)

The Shepherdess Hut

1 unit · Glamping15 acres · Ilfracombe, Devon, South West England

Set in a hilltop near Ilfracombe in North Devon, Fullabrook Farm Retreat is home to The Shepherdess shepherd’s hut. Based on a family-run working farm, this romantic hut is ideal for a couples’ holiday amid spectacular woodland views – plus the chance to have the place to yourselves – apart from the grazing sheep in nearby fields of course. Built from scratch by the site owners, the hut is decked out with a kingsize bed, dining and living space, plus an en-suite bathroom with a powerful, hot shower. Thoughtful extras here include robes and toiletries, plus a TV for chilling. There’s a gas oven and hob in the modern kitchenette, alongside a fridge with freezer and a stylish Belfast sink. There’s no danger of you feeling the cold on chillier evenings, as the hut has its own central heating. For those sunny evenings, the private patio has a barbecue, tables and a firepit, so you can dine outside and cosy up around the fire as the night sets in – look out for some spectacular sunsets and starry displays on clear evenings. If you can manage to drag yourselves from this lovely little spot, the local village is West Down (five minutes’ drive), which has a community-run shop for stocking up on barbecue essentials, as well as a foodie pub if you fancy a change of scenery.

Shepherd's huts near Cheddar with swimming guide

Overview

The Somerset village of Cheddar is best known among the culinary crowd for its eponymous cheese, but nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts know it for the spectacular Cheddar Gorge and the Cheddar Caves. Cheddar has a couple of places to camp—a well-equipped caravan park as well as a campsite with cabin accommodation—and its location at the foot of the Mendip Hills AONB affords additional camping options. While campers can enjoy the peace and quiet of this rural area, Cheddar is also conveniently close to the small cities of Bridgwater and Taunton, as well as the larger centres of Bath and Bristol.

Top things to do in Cheddar

You don’t have to use too much imagination to think of the most popular things to do in Cheddar.

Firstly, there’s saying “cheese” at the gorge, and then there’s gorging yourself on cheese! A ticket to visit the Cheddar Gorge tourist attraction includes entrance to a three-mile cliff-top walk around the top of the gorge; the Museum of Prehistory; and Gough’s Cave, where Cheddar Man, the oldest complete skeleton in Britain was discovered. The soaring Cheddar Gorge walls reach 400 feet in places, and the show caves are just a taste of what lies beneath the Mendips, making climbing and caving popular activities here.
In the village of Cheddar, at the lower end of the gorge, the Cheddar Gorge Company shares information about the cheese-making process for Britain’s best-loved cheese.
Walking, cycling, and horse riding are good ways to enjoy the landscape and terrain.
Another show cave and more family-friendly attractions can be found at nearby Wookey Hole.
Further afield, Wells, Glastonbury, Longleat Safari Park, and Bath are all within an hour’s drive and easily visited on days out during a camping holiday in Cheddar.

Where to go

Cheddar Gorge & Cheddar Caves

Unless you’re visiting Cheddar for its cheese, you’re likely coming to check out the Cheddar Gorge or the Cheddar Caves, the star attractions just outside town. The caves are a family-friendly subterranean network of caverns full of prehistoric rock formations, while the limestone Cheddar Gorge is a magnet for walkers, climbers, cavers, and sightseers—some hiking routes are steep but provide great views through the gorge and across the Somerset landscape. It’s no surprise that camping is a popular way to stay nearby.

Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Cheddar is right on the edge of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a range of limestone hills in Somerset’s northeast. Hidden within the hills are deep gorges, rocky outcrops, and the pretty lakes of the Chew Valley. Cheddar is a good camping base for checking out the AONB, or there are camping, glamping, and caravan sites dotted around the Mendip Hills, although wild camping isn’t allowed.

Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Southwest of Cheddar lies England’s first AONB, Quantock Hills, a relatively small area of heath, woodlands, parklands, and agricultural land. Campers staying in Cheddar can easily visit the Quantock Hills on a day trip for hiking, cycling, and wildlife-viewing adventures. There are also many campsites at the base of the hills that allow visitors to access the AONB on foot or by bike.

When to go

Summer is the best time to visit Cheddar, when the weather is generally warm and pleasant and the days long—ideal for tent or caravan camping and outdoor adventures. Campers visiting outside of summer should be prepared with cold-weather and waterproof gear, or stay in cabins rather than unheated tents or caravans.