Camping in Broad Town

Broad Town sits on the fringe of the North Wessex Downs, a landscape of open chalk grassland, steep escarpments and quiet farmland that makes for atmospheric, if occasionally exposed, camping country. It is worth remembering that wild camping without a landowner's permission remains illegal in England, so anyone hoping to pitch up on the Downs above the village should stick to a licensed campsite or seek permission from the farmer or landowner first - the fields around Broad Town are working farmland, not open access land, however inviting the views from the white horse might look.

That said, the wider area around Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett and Marlborough has a reasonable spread of campsites and caravan parks catering to both tents and touring units, many of them making the most of the same downland scenery that surrounds Broad Town. Given the exposed, breezy nature of the escarpment, the terrain suits a settled pitch with good drainage more than a wild-camping adventure, and conditions can turn wet and heavy underfoot outside the summer months. Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable window, when the chalk paths are firm, the evenings are long enough for a walk up to the white horse, and the downland wildflowers and skylarks are at their best; midsummer weekends can be busy locally thanks to Wiltshire's popularity with walkers chasing the county's white horse trail.

For those who would rather not rough it, glamping options in the wider Wiltshire countryside - shepherd's huts, bell tents and small camping barns - offer a good compromise, combining a taste of the outdoors with proper beds and a roof that copes with the Downs' changeable weather. Whichever way you camp, Broad Town's own White Horse and the quiet lanes of Thornhill and Cotmarsh make a memorable focus for a short countryside break, best enjoyed as part of a wider explore of the North Wessex Downs rather than a stay confined to the village itself.