Huttopia Calvados-Normandie

When you hear of a campsite with over 100 pitches, a heated swimming pool, a tennis court, mini-golf and a playground, it doesn’t exactly sound like a rural bolthole. More like a miniature holiday village. Yet drive down the wooded country roads of Calvados to Camping Calvados-Normandie, set within the vast 350-acre grounds of an old Normandy château and you will stand corrected. The pool is bordered by traditionally patterned tiles and fronted by landscaped gardens, the reception block is tucked away in a neatly restored, half-timbered barn and the pitches, all dedicated to camping without a chalet or static in sight, are spread across the estate’s beautiful apple orchard. This is big-scale camping with small-time country charm.

Acquired by the Huttopia group at the end of 2017, Camping Calvados-Normandie is slightly off the beaten track, without any villages within immediate walking distance. The result is a real sense of escapism, with walking trails around the surrounding estate and ample space for children to run off safely and explore. Perhaps the main centrepiece is the impressive former dovecote, tastefully transformed to house a cosy bar and library inside and standing tall over the swimming pool beyond. Smartly trimmed hedges and tall mature trees, meanwhile, line the way to the ivy-covered château itself.

While facilities keep parents happy – including excellent washrooms and helpful staff – and activities keep children at bay, the grassy camping space itself is also a real plus. Pitches are flat, spacious and well spread out and, while hedges don’t divide up each pitch, there’s a healthy dotting of trees providing plenty of shade.

Camping Calvados-Normandie is also notable for its handy location, making it a popular stopover for travellers further south. It’s less than an hour to the ports of La Harve and Caen, while it’s two hours to Cherbourg and St-Malo and three to the terminals at Calais. For those looking to mooch around the Normandy coast, however, this is very much a holiday destination in its own right. The ginormous Basilica of St. Thérèse is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in all of France, found in Lisieux, 30 minutes away, while the town also boats a 12th century cathedral and a medieval castle complete with a moat and peacock garden. Throw in the coastal treats of Deauville, Honfleur and Cabourg, plus the campsite’s pretty local village of Moyaux and you could well be here for days on end.