Camping with a festival spirit

93%

20 reviews

· Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire, England

25 acres hosted by Serkan C.

3 glamping pitches · 2 motorhome pitches · 16 tent pitches

Family-friendly

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.

Serkan is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

A pop-up campsite on the banks of the River Great Ouse, with workshops, music, good food and a festival vibe

These days, you don’t have to head to the big music festivals to find a campsite with a family-festival atmosphere. You can find it on the banks of the River Great Ouse instead — specifically on the stretch that meanders through the stately parkland of Bedfordshire’s Turvey House Estate. When August arrives here, so does Wild Canvas Camping. Their beautifully furnished pitches and Bell Tents arrive in this riverside setting and, thanks to a concoction of delicious on-site food, bar, activities for all ages and small-scale live bands and DJ sessions, they manage to create a family festival feel — without the festival crowds.

Weekdays on site are quiet and peaceful. At weekends, things ramp up a notch. There's an ever-changing rota of things to do but typical activities include yoga, paddle boarding, kids nature clubs and arts & crafts sessions with a talent show and dress-up kids disco. There are plenty of free activities while others are paid for and you can keep the family fed thanks to the pop-up ‘Soulfull Inspirations’ cafe and visting food-trucks. But, of course, you don't have to take part in anything if you don't want to. You can simply kick back and enjoy the space of the campsite and, of course, an evening around a campfire, which are happily welcomed here provided they're raised off the grass.

The setting itself takes some beating. These riverside meadows have been out of bounds to the public for hundreds of years and wildlife flourishes here. Kingfishers flash past, dragonflies flit across the water and swans glide noiselessly by. The river, which flows languidly along the edge of the campsite, is great for a paddle on a hot summer’s day and there are several good footpaths on the doorstep, including the North Bedfordshire Heritage Trail. When the sun's out and the kids are larking around by the river, when it's setting and you're listening to chilled out tunes by the bar or when it's gone to bed and you're enjoying the campfire, you'll be grateful that canvas camping has gone wild in Bedfordshire.

Activities

Biking

Hiking

Paddling

Swimming

Natural features

River, stream, or creek

Field

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Reviews

93% Recommend30 Ratings · 20 reviews

Matthew P.

4 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

Tent · With kids ·

Camping Pitch

Wild Canvass is great fun! We went in the middle of the week, when things are a bit quieter. My two kids had a fantatic time playing in the river and paddle boarding. But they equally enuoyed the fun activities put on by the staff. Everyone there was warm, and very welcoming. It really fetl like a friendly and happy place. We'd defintely return.

Ian D.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

Happy campers

Tent ·

Camping Pitch

What a beautiful campsite! The owners are so friendly and can’t do enough for you. They even drove around in their little buggy to sell ice creams and beer. The music was great and the bar was awesome. The food and drinks were reasonably priced and the service was amazing. I would recommend this site and will be back next year.

Kate M.

2 reviews

Recommends

· August 2024

We’re in love with wild canvas ❤️

9 ft Class B · With kids ·

Camper Van Pitch (2)

We’re in love with wild canvas camping ❤️ Amazing vibes, people, setting, entertainment, tunes, yoga & more!! We’ll be back. Thank you 🙏🏻

Jamil A.

2 reviews

Recommends

· August 2024

Lovely weekend camping

With kids ·

Bell Tent - 1

We had a great time at Wild Canvas with a large group of friends. We stayed in the Boutique village in one of the bell tents. The tent was huge and had a double bed and two singles for our family. It was comfortable and coped well with avoiding humidity and condensation. It was nice to have a bar, music and activities for the kids. They enjoyed swimming in the river and roaming freely across the site. The toilets and showers were ok, it's a temporary campsite and on par with what you'd get at festivals. The staff were friendly and helped us bring our belongings from the car park to our tent with a buggy. Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would come back again.

Peter H.

9 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

14 ft Class B · With kids ·

Camping Pitch

Amazing little break wish i had booked a bit longer. Site was lovely friendly people happy kids playing about and paddle boarding was lovely on the river

Shea H.

3 reviews

Recommends

· September 2023

Festival nights with river by day!

Tent · With kids ·

Camping Pitch

Wild Canvas is absolutely beautiful. We loved the location and the river was blissful- the whole family loved the wild swimming and the splashing about. The bar and music were great too- such a lovely atmosphere. There were a great variety of workshops and activities and we really enjoyed those we got involved in. Disco pilates and family yoga/sound bath were highlights of our whole visit. But some of the activities priced a bit high especially if you have multiple children. The food offering was also a bit of a let down- the main meals were tasty enough and a great variety but weren't really as they were described- 'rotisserie' chicken and hog roast were just bits of bbqd meat. The orders were wrong a few times too. However our main issue was breakfast- the coffee was really overpriced for weak, half cups of foam and the 'pastries' were being unwrapped from Tesco long life plastic wrappers in front of the queue- really disappointing. Perhaps a new caterer should be looked at for next year. There were a couple of organisational things we found frustrating too- the system of wheelbarrows or pay for a lift in the golf buggy is a good idea but there aren't many wheelbarrows and we got forgotten when we asked for the lift- we waited over an hour on checkout day and never got acknowledged. It was a sad end to an otherwise beautiful time. Overall, we loved the experience- it's a beautiful escape with fun and chill in equal parts, just expect to pay a bit on top of the booking!

Location

Bedfordshire, Bedfordshire, England, United KingdomTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Serkan C.

Joined in July 2020

From the host

A pop-up camping experience with a family-friendly festival spirit, gorgeous fully furnished Bell Tents and Nova Air Domes, and generously-spaced grassy pitches for camping and camper vans. Wild Canvas takes place from 7 - 26 August 2025. The camping fields are set in beautiful riverside meadows, bordered by ancient woodland and historic park land. Out of bounds for hundreds of years, the banks along this stretch of the river Ouse have been virtually unvisited by the public, and are still home to vibrant Kingfishers, flashes of dragonflies and a family of swans. Enjoy paddle boarding on the river, kids playing in the long grass, and at night, sitting around camp fires under big open skies. Wild Canvas is a place to experience the freedom of simple living, comfortable yet connected to the elements, a festival spirit, quality local food and drink. We offer a variety of complementary and fee paying activities including kids outdoor clubs, art & crafts, coached paddle boarding and a range of wellness activities including yoga, fitness classes and wood fired sauna sessions. Weekdays are more relaxed, time to really enjoy quiet camping and the natural setting. Weekends come alive with a full program of activities as well as small scale live bands and DJ sessions. Our activities and wellness program can be explored and booked on our own website: www.wildcanvas.uk

Nearby attractions

Bring bikes to make the most of the area. The relatively flat Ouse Valley provides extensive opportunities for family cycling. In the nearby village of Olney, Emberton Country Park (nine miles away; 01908 252570) has some family-friendly routes around lakes, glades and meadows with cafes and play equipment too. Box End Park (10 miles away; 01234 846222) offers water-based fun on two purpose-built lakes. There's an aqua park playground (suitable for ages six and up) or, for older kids and adults, the opportunity to water ski, wakeboard or enjoy open-water swimming. Woburn Safari Park and Whipsnade Zoos (0344 2251826) are both possible day trips by car (22 and 40 miles from the campsite respectively).

Food and drink

If Wild Canvas is about offering festival-style camping then, of course, that means a bit of festival food too. In Wild HQ there's a pop-up café serving a selection of camping staples and good quality coffee and pastry offering. Plus, there is a bar, where you can sample the local ales to the mellow sounds of Wild Canvas Radio.

Things to do nearby