Lillyroo's

An hour-and-a-half out of London, there's a sweet spot in the Kent countryside. It's midway between the ancient towns of Sandwich and Deal and a short drive from the beaches at Margate, the cliffs at Dover and the city of Canterbury too. It sits in countryside so close to the coast that seagulls fly over; a short walk from a farm shop, a pub and a nature reserve. It’s here, in this sweet spot, that you’ll find Lillyroos; a camping and glamping site with campfires allowed – and a bar.

It's very much a family-friendly place and while kids will be thrilled to discover the goats and the chickens on site, mums and dads will be grateful for the G&T they can order to celebrate setting up tent. Come here and in addition to letting someone else pour the drinks, you can forget about cooking, if you want. There’s a kitchen, a chef and a menu of locally-sourced food. On night one of your stay, it's a godsend. For the rest of the time: pure pleasure. Breakfasts, dinners, real coffee, Kentish wines and locally-brewed beer are all on offer at this rustic, festoon-lit bar that's set up in a re-purposed farm building. Next door, the barn offers an equally pleasant place to hang out undercover with leather sofas warmed by a log-burning stove and a big screen for movie nights. It's the inside brought out to the field, but it'll be the field that you came for, so what of that?

Lillyroos is set up in three grassy acres that are surrounded and sheltered by neat rows of mature trees and neighboured by fields full of crops. There are ten simple grass pitches for campers and ten well-spaced bell tents for glampers. Two are unfurnished, fuss-free, good-value and dog-friendly. The others have made-up beds, fairy lights and log-burners. Campfires are allowed in off-ground fire pits that are provided for bell tent guests and available to hire for the regular camping crew.

This sweet spot in the south east is within easy reach of some big Kent attractions; Dover Castle and Canterbury Cathedral among them. Our advice is to visit those on your way to or from your holiday and, instead, spend days in between savouring the lower key, local attractions that surround the campsite itself. Walk straight out into marshy countryside to spot birds, explore neighbouring Betteshanger Park, cycle to Sandwich to eat fish and chips on the quay or go crabbing off Deal's little pier. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that.