Farm camping in the Blackdown Hills

No one likes to stereotype but, as farm campsite’s go, they don’t get much more farmy than Higher Moorlands. On a hilltop at the head of the Otter Valley, this pop-up campsite, around for the summer months only, has all the staples. Sheep and cattle dot the fields, there are pigs too, and you can buy the farm’s own free-range (frozen) pork and beef from the honest shop, where there’s also seasonal vegetables, firewood, charcoal and local cider for sale. Campfires are, of course, allowed and there’s acres of grassy space where children can duck and dive and play games of hide and seek. It’s a pastoral scene. And it all enjoys the backdrop of the Blackdown Hills, with far-reaching views over Hartridge Common.

Despite all the space, there’s a relatively small number of pitches here all told, ensuring there’s not too much pressure on the environment. In an effort to establish the wildflower meadows, the fields around the camping field are left to grow tall, the camping field itself is kept well mown. 

Facilities are befitting of a farm. There are a couple of well-kept composting loos, two hot showers, two cold water washing up stations and a freezer in the shed with power points to charge your gadgets or blow up your mattress! Otherwise, the real offering here is space and freedom. Buy meat fresh from the farm to cook over the campfire one evening, or rise early to enjoy the south-easterly views and watch the sunrise over the valley. There are local walks detailed on a big, annotated map pinned to the wall in the shop. By car, meanwhile, it’s a half-hour drive to Sidmouth, Seaton, Lyme Regis and the Jurassic Coast.