Kingsmead Camping

A campsite that caters for everyone is a difficult thing to provide, and it’s fair to say that not everyone gets it right. Providing the luxury of high-end glamping, the off-grid natural atmosphere for campers and hard-standing spaces for caravans is always a tricky mix. But there are one or two places that pull it all off seamlessly. The Kingsmead Centre,on the border of Devon and Somerset, is just such a site, where everyone you meet wears the grin of utter contentment. Here there truly is something for everyone, and with only a few precious spots available it's a site to snap up fast, however you choose to stay.

Divided into a top and bottom field, the seven sloping acres of meadowy heathland boast a toilet block at either end of the gradient. In the lower field are open, well-spaced pitches that leave room for kids to play. Harder ground can be found in the upper field, along with electrified spots for caravans and campers. Some of the best areas, though, are found by delving into the woods and pitching a tent in one of the natural clearings dotted about – a real slice of wilderness within an already beautiful campsite.

Glampers hoping to arrive with just a toothbrush and their jim-jams are also in luck. There's a parked-up showman’s caravan (more of the modern day travellers kind, than the horse-drawn type of old!) decked from head to toe like a furnished, self-catered home, there’s a furnished Lily Pad Belle Tent, tall enough for parents to stand up in and there’s also a spectacular yurt, set in its own woodland glade. The lattice work of the traditional structure is wonderfully exposed inside, while the light, cream canvas gives an airy outdoor feel.

Along the lower end of the campsite, what we have named ‘the woods’ are, in fact, a shielding flank of trees that hide away another of the campsite’s features. Following a footpath beneath the canopy, it’s a 30-metre walk to the first of two fishing lakes, built for the exclusive use of Kingsmead Centre. Rod licenses are cheaply and easily available from the post office, so the lakes offer a good chance for families to try casting their very first fishing line. The lakes are also surrounded by forestry commission land and colourful wildflower meadows, and footpaths and bridleways stretch into the beautiful Blackdown Hills – top territory for walkers, cyclist and equestrians. If you’re particularly keen you can even bring along your own horse and graze it in the neighbouring field!

All in all the campsite exudes a warm, family-friendly atmosphere that reflects the welcoming personalities of hosts Tristan and Jodie (along with Pickles the dog). The site is also brilliantly placed for all the delights of this part of Devon, with beaches within easy driving distance, a cluster of pleasant market towns and a host of excellent village pubs.