Camping in Notgrove

Notgrove and its surrounding wolds offer some of the most open, quietly beautiful camping and glamping country in Gloucestershire, though as with all of England, wild camping on private land here is illegal without the landowner’s express permission – unlike parts of Scotland, there is no general right to pitch up on open countryside, so a booked site is the way to camp legally and considerately. The terrain around Notgrove is high, exposed wold farmland: gently rolling arable fields and pasture divided by drystone walls, at around 200 metres above sea level, with long views but relatively little natural shelter, so a site with hedging, walls or established trees makes a real difference to comfort in a stiff Cotswold breeze.

Sites in the area range from simple, small-scale camping fields on working farms to well-equipped touring and glamping parks with shepherd’s huts, bell tents and yurts, many within a short drive around Bourton-on-the-Water, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold and the wider Windrush valley. Glamping has grown quickly across this part of the Cotswolds in recent years, and it suits the area’s changeable weather well – a solid canvas structure with proper bedding takes the edge off a cold night on the wolds without losing the feel of sleeping under the stars.

Late spring to early autumn is the best window for camping here: the ground is driest, the days are long enough for evenings sitting out, and the surrounding footpaths – including routes past Notgrove Long Barrow and along the Warden’s Way – are at their most walkable. Even in high summer, pack for changeable British weather and bring layers for the exposed, breezy high ground after dark. Spring and autumn camping can be atmospheric, with mist settling over the wolds at dawn, but nights are colder and pitches can be muddy after rain, so check site conditions before booking outside the main season.