Camping in Bishop's Castle

Bishop's Castle is well placed for anyone looking to camp in the Welsh Marches, with the Shropshire Hills, the Stiperstones and the Clun Forest all within a short drive. As with the rest of England, wild camping without the landowner's explicit permission is not legal here, so campers need to book into an established site rather than pitch up on open hillside, however tempting the empty moorland above the town might look. Fortunately the area around Bishop's Castle has a good spread of small, independently run campsites and farm-based sites, many geared towards walkers tackling the surrounding hills or cyclists exploring the quiet Marches lanes.

The terrain here is proper hill-and-valley country: steep-sided, sheep-grazed, and criss-crossed by sunken lanes, so most campsites sit in sheltered valley locations rather than exposed high ground, which makes for a more comfortable pitch even when the weather turns, as it can quickly this close to the Welsh border. Facilities tend towards the simple end — basic amenity blocks, water points and honesty-box shops rather than swimming pools and entertainment complexes — which suits the quiet, outdoorsy character of the area and the walkers, birdwatchers and stargazers it tends to attract.

Late spring to early autumn is the most reliable camping season, with long daylight hours for exploring the Long Mynd or Stiperstones and a reasonable chance of dry weather, though the hills can catch any month out with sudden rain, so it's worth packing for four seasons regardless of when you go. For those who want a more sheltered or comfortable alternative, several nearby farms and smallholdings offer glamping in shepherd's huts, bell tents or converted barns, giving access to the same views and walking without needing to pitch a tent yourself.