A 15-minute walk from Honiton Railway Station, a 15-minute drive from the Jurassic Coast, and somehow this pretty farm campsite is still quiet and secluded. How do they do it? The answer, of course, is that the Tratt family takes a conscientious approach to running a campsite. There are just four pitches over two fields, plus a bulbous bell tent and a shepherd’s hut for glampers. There’s certainly no chance of ever feeling crowded. Instead, it’s the wildlife that rules the roost – think deer, badgers, red kites, and woodpeckers and hedges bursting with primroses.
In the family for over half a century, Lower Marlpits Farm occupies 50-acres of countryside in the East Devon AONB, most of it with west-facing views towards Dartmoor and the summer sunsets (the camping field has particularly good vistas and the tower of St Michael’s Church in the background). Despite its diminutive size, the campsite still has great facilities. There’s a proper flushing loo, a hot shower, a shared kitchen area and washing-up and recycling stations. Glampers enjoy memory-foam mattresses, while campers will find a campfire pit at each pitch.
Lower Marlpits still hums with farm routine. The Tratt’s have two dogs, six cats, and chickens, ducks and geese that scratch around near the yard, plus 100 cattle. And it all results in fresh produce you can buy. It’s a homely affair. Eggs and veg are sold at the farm gate and, at certain times of year, they press apples from the old orchard near the campsite and sell supremely delicious apple juice too. Snag a bottle on your way to the beach and pop it in a coolbox. It’s 15 minutes to Bransombe, 20 minutes to Seaton and 20 minutes to Sidmouth. Cold juice, big sands and a swim in the sea is exactly what the doctor ordered.