Camping in Cheltenham

Cheltenham itself is a built-up spa town with no campsites within its boundaries, so anyone wanting to camp needs to look just beyond the ring road, out towards Bishops Cleeve, Tewkesbury or the racecourse fringes. The terrain here is gentler than the Cotswold hills further east: rolling vale farmland and the flat, willow-lined ground near the Rivers Severn and Avon around Tewkesbury, rather than the steep scarp slopes above the town. That makes for easier walking and cycling from a tent, with Cleeve Hill and the Cotswold Way still within reach by car or bike for those wanting a proper climb.

Wild camping has no general legal right in England, Gloucestershire included, so pitching without landowner permission is not advised anywhere around Cheltenham; the touring parks and Club sites listed here are the reliable, legitimate option. Spring through early autumn is the practical camping season, with April to September offering the driest ground and the longest daylight, though the vale's clay-heavy soil can turn heavy after wet spells so early spring bookings are worth checking with the site first. Anyone timing a visit around the Cheltenham Festival in March should note that nearby sites, including the Racecourse's own Club site, get booked out well in advance and are not really a winter camping option in any case.