England offers an enormous variety of camping destinations, from the rugged fells of the Lake District and the moors of Yorkshire to the beaches of Cornwall and the forests of the South East. Whether you're seeking adventure, family holidays, or a peaceful countryside retreat, there's a campsite to match.
Browse England campsites Big Ben, London Photo by Marcin Nowak on UnsplashCamping became increasingly popular in England during the late Victorian and early 20th centuries as outdoor recreation gained popularity among the growing middle class. National parks, coastal resorts, and countryside beauty spots attracted visitors looking to escape expanding industrial cities. Today, England has one of Europe's largest and most varied camping industries, with everything from simple rural campsites and farm stays to luxury glamping resorts and large holiday parks.
One of the world's most famous castles, Windsor has been a royal residence for almost 1,000 years. Founded by William the Conqueror after the Norman invasion, it remains one of the King's official homes today.
Few buildings tell England's story quite like the Tower of London. Built by William the Conqueror in 1078, it has served as a fortress, palace, prison and treasury.
Warwick Castle is one of England's finest examples of medieval military architecture. Built from an earlier Norman motte-and-bailey fortress, it grew into a powerful stronghold belonging to the Earls of Warwick.
The Battle of Hastings in 1066 is one of the most important events in English history. William of Normandy defeated King Harold Godwinson, beginning a new Norman era that transformed England's language, culture and architecture.
The Battle of Bosworth marked the end of the Wars of the Roses and the death of Richard III in 1485.
Fought in 1461, Towton was the largest battle of the Wars of the Roses and one of the bloodiest conflicts ever fought on English soil.
One of the world's most famous prehistoric monuments, Stonehenge has fascinated visitors for thousands of years.
Tower Bridge is one of England's most recognisable landmarks.
For almost 1,000 years Westminster Abbey has been at the heart of English royal history.
England's most famous ancient monument, Stonehenge has stood on Salisbury Plain for more than 4,000 years.
Larger in area than Stonehenge, Avebury is one of Europe's greatest prehistoric landscapes.
One of Britain's largest Iron Age hillforts, Maiden Castle covers an enormous area above the Dorset countryside.
One of England's most scenic railways, crossing the Yorkshire Dales via the Ribblehead Viaduct. Runs through remote moorland and valleys that are hard to reach by road.
Connects Middlesbrough to Whitby through the North York Moors, passing small villages and river valleys with minimal road access.
Hugs the coastline between Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, offering views over the Irish Sea and the western fringes of the Lake District.
A short branch line in Cornwall running from Liskeard to Looe along the wooded Looe River valley, a good link for coastal campers without a car.
Alfred Wainwright's classic route from St Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea, crossing the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors.
England's oldest National Trail, running the length of the Pennine hills from Derbyshire to the Scottish border through moorland and dales.
The longest National Trail, tracing the coastline of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset with constant sea views; usually walked in stages.
Runs along the Cotswold escarpment from Chipping Campden to Bath, passing honey-stone villages and wide views over the Severn Vale.
An easy, mostly flat 18-mile route in Cornwall following a disused railway line between Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin, popular with families.
Follows the Northumberland coast past dramatic castles like Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh on largely quiet roads and traffic-free paths.
A 30-mile traffic-free trail in North Devon along former railway lines, looping through countryside around Barnstaple, Bideford and the Torridge estuary.
A demanding 130-mile circular road route through the dales, taking in classic Tour de France-featured climbs and long valley descents.
A village set beneath Mam Tor known for its show caves and as a base for walking in the Hope Valley.
A former smugglers' village of steep cobbled lanes tumbling down to the sea, at the eastern end of the Coast to Coast Walk.
A medieval hilltop town of cobbled streets and timber-framed houses, once a Cinnedale Cinque Port, now overlooking marshland and the sea.
A Cotswold village famed for the row of 17th-century weavers' cottages known as Arlington Row, beside the River Coln.
A dramatic clifftop village linked to Arthurian legend, with castle ruins on a headland battered by Atlantic swell.
Swim in lakes like Wast Water or Buttermere, ringed by fells, at their best early morning before the crowds arrive.
Try a scone with clotted cream and jam - locals argue fiercely over whether the cream or jam goes on first.
One of the darkest skies in England, ideal for campers wanting to see the Milky Way without light pollution.
Walk sections of the Roman frontier wall across the Northumberland hills, taking in forts like Housesteads and Chesters.
Search the beaches around Lyme Regis and Charmouth for ammonites and other fossils exposed by coastal erosion.
English regional food varies widely: Cornwall and Devon are known for pasties and clotted cream teas, while Yorkshire is famous for puddings, parkin and strong tea. Coastal areas offer fresh fish and chips and seafood such as Whitstable oysters or Cromer crab, and the countryside produces classic pub fare like ploughman's lunches, pies and roast dinners with all the trimmings. Cheeses such as Cheddar, Wensleydale and Stilton, along with real ales and ciders from regions like Somerset, are worth seeking out at farm shops and local pubs near campsites.
Neolithic stone circles and monuments on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, among the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.
A 95-mile stretch of coastline in Dorset and East Devon showing 185 million years of geological history through its cliffs and fossils.
A grand Baroque palace near Woodstock, Oxfordshire, birthplace of Winston Churchill, set in landscaped grounds by Capability Brown.
A Georgian city built around Roman baths and natural hot springs, known for its uniform honey-coloured stone architecture.
The remains of the Roman Empire's northern frontier, running across Northumberland and Cumbria.
England's largest national park, home to its highest mountains and largest lakes, including Scafell Pike and Windermere.
Britain's first national park, split between gritstone moorland in the Dark Peak and limestone dales in the White Peak.
Rolling limestone hills, dry stone walls and dales such as Wensleydale and Swaledale, popular for walking and cycling.
Heather moorland and steep-sided valleys in North Yorkshire, bordered by a dramatic coastline including Robin Hood's Bay.
Coastal heath and moorland straddling Somerset and Devon, known for wild ponies and some of England's highest sea cliffs.
Wild granite moorland in Devon dotted with tors, ancient stone circles and free-roaming ponies.
Ancient woodland and heathland in Hampshire, home to free-roaming ponies and a network of gentle walking and cycling trails.
England's least populated national park, covering wild border country and much of Hadrian's Wall.
The real Hampshire stately home that plays Downton Abbey itself — both the exterior and many of the interior rooms shown are the genuine castle, still owned by the Carnarvon family.
Alnwick Castle in Northumberland doubled as the exterior of Hogwarts for the first two Harry Potter films, including the broomstick flying lessons filmed on its lawns.
One of the world's largest music and performing arts festivals, held on farmland in Somerset, usually in late June.
Europe's largest street carnival, celebrating Caribbean culture in London over the August bank holiday weekend.
A twice-yearly gathering (spring and autumn) of the goth subculture in the seaside town of Whitby, Yorkshire.
A traditional and chaotic event near Gloucester in late May, where competitors chase a rolling cheese down a steep hill.
The world-renowned Royal Horticultural Society flower show held in London each May, showcasing garden design and horticulture.
