Camping in Holbeach

Camping around Holbeach means embracing the Fens on their own terms: flat, open, big-skied country criss-crossed by drainage dykes and quiet droves, a world away from the hills and woodland pitched elsewhere in the county. As everywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's permission, so plan around one of the established touring and camping sites in the area, several of which sit right on the edge of the fenland farmland and make a peaceful, unhurried base for exploring South Holland.

The flat terrain here suits tourers, motorhomes and family tents equally well, with none of the steep pitches or awkward access common in hillier parts of the country, though the exposed landscape does mean weather can roll in fast off the Wash, so a sturdy tent and decent guy lines are worth having. Sites in the area typically combine touring pitches with grassy space for tents, and some add static caravans or glamping options such as pods and wooden lodges for those who want the fenland scenery without packing quite so much kit.

Late spring, when the tulip and daffodil fields around Holbeach are in full colour, is a particularly rewarding time to camp locally, with cool mornings and long daylight hours for cycling the droves or walking sections of the South Holland Trail. Summer brings warmer, drier stretches better suited to lazy evenings outside the tent, though the fens can turn breezy with little natural shelter, so pitching with some thought to the prevailing wind pays off. Autumn has its own quiet appeal as the harvest comes in across the surrounding fields, while winter camping here is a hardier proposition, given the exposed, low-lying ground and shorter days. Whatever the season, the reward for camping in this stretch of Lincolnshire is space, silence and some of the widest skies in England.