Camping in Bishops Lydeard

Camping around Bishops Lydeard means pitching in the shadow of the Quantock Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty whose combes and heather-topped ridges are ideal for anyone wanting a walking-focused break. The village has its own small, family-run touring and camping site on Greenway Road, set on a couple of acres of grass bordered by woodland, an easy walk from both the station and the village pubs; it is a genuinely low-key spot where you may share the field with the owners' own ducks, geese and chickens. Further into the hills, farms around Broomfield and Cothelstone offer everything from simple grass pitches to bunkhouses and glamping lodges, giving campers a choice between a basic back-to-nature stay and something a little more comfortable with proper beds and heating laid on.

As with the rest of England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is not legal here, even across the open access land of the Quantock Hills, so it is worth sticking to the area's established sites rather than pitching informally on the moor. The terrain itself rewards a little planning: the hills rise quickly from the vale floor, so even short walks from a campsite can lead onto genuinely wild-feeling ridge tops, while the wooded combes lower down offer more sheltered pitches for anyone camping outside the height of summer. May to September brings the most reliable weather and the fullest running timetable on the neighbouring West Somerset Railway, making it easy to combine a few nights under canvas with a steam train day out, though the Quantocks' relatively low elevation means shoulder-season camping in spring or early autumn is perfectly manageable for anyone with decent kit. Glamping options in the area, from safari tents to timber lodges, are a good compromise for families or first-time campers wanting the setting without the full commitment of a tent, and tend to book up quickly around school holidays given how few sites the immediate area has to offer.