Camping in Butleigh

Camping around Butleigh means trading crowds for orchards, church bells and the huge, open skies of the Somerset Levels. As in the rest of England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is not legal here, so plan on a proper campsite or a farm pitch that welcomes tents — thankfully this part of Somerset has a good spread of them, from simple, low-key fields to smarter glamping set-ups with yurts, shepherd's huts and bell tents already pitched and ready. The Levels themselves are famously flat and low-lying, a drained wetland landscape criss-crossed by rhynes (drainage ditches) and long straight droves, which makes for easy, level walking and cycling but also means the ground can turn soft and waterlogged in winter and after heavy rain — worth bearing in mind when choosing a pitch or planning routes.

The best camping season here runs from late spring through to early autumn. May and June bring the tail end of the cider orchard blossom and long, light evenings for exploring on foot or by bike; midsummer is glorious for watching the sun set behind Glastonbury Tor from the surrounding hills, though it's also worth noting that Glastonbury Festival, held at nearby Pilton in June, can make local accommodation and campsites busier than usual. September and early October bring the cider apple harvest and a mellow, golden landscape that's arguably the most atmospheric time to camp in the area, before autumn rains set in.

For those who want the Somerset countryside experience without packing tent poles, glamping is well established across this part of the Levels, with options ranging from simple canvas bell tents to fully-equipped shepherd's huts with wood-burning stoves — a good compromise for anyone visiting outside the warmest months. Whichever way you camp, Butleigh's position close to the Hood Monument, the Levels' droves and Glastonbury itself makes it a genuinely useful base, and campsite owners locally are generally a good source of tips on the quieter walking and cycling routes that don't appear on the main tourist maps.