Camping in Moulsford

Moulsford sits on flat, low-lying Thames-side ground rising gently into the chalk of the Berkshire Downs, giving campers a choice between gentle riverside pitches and slightly higher, drier ground a short distance inland. As with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's explicit permission is illegal, so plan on a licensed campsite or a farm-stay pitch rather than pitching up on the riverbank or open downland; the Thames towpath and surrounding farmland are private land outside of public rights of way, and access is at the landowner's discretion. The good news is that the wider Thames Valley and Chilterns around Wallingford, Goring and the Downs have a reasonable spread of small, well-run campsites and caravan parks, several of them within easy cycling distance of Moulsford itself.

The terrain here is gentle rather than dramatic - water meadows, arable fields and beech-topped chalk hills rather than anything mountainous - which makes it forgiving ground for tents and easy walking straight from the pitch. Being so close to the river, low-lying riverside sites can be prone to damp ground or flooding after heavy rain, so it is worth checking conditions if camping outside the drier summer months, and choosing a site with some elevation if wet weather is forecast. The Thames itself sets a natural rhythm to a camping trip here: mornings on the towpath, afternoons paddling or exploring Wallingford and Streatley, evenings back at the pitch with the sound of the weir or the water meadows nearby.

Late spring to early autumn, roughly May to September, is by far the best window, when the ground is driest, the days are long enough for river walks in both directions, and pub gardens along the Thames are in full swing. For anyone who wants the setting without the tent-pitching, glamping options in the surrounding Chilterns and Thames Valley countryside - shepherd's huts, safari tents and small camping pods - offer a comfortable alternative that still puts you close to the river, the Downs and villages like Moulsford, Streatley and Goring.