Camping in Sykehouse

Sykehouse and the surrounding Humberhead Levels are proper flat-country camping territory: big skies, quiet lanes and canal-side pitches rather than dramatic scenery, which suits anyone looking for a peaceful, unhurried break. As in the rest of England, wild camping here is illegal without the landowner's permission, so stick to licensed sites — the good news is that Sykehouse has one of its own, a small camping and touring pitch behind the Old George Inn, right on the New Junction Canal and the Trans Pennine Trail, with the pub's food, drink and beer garden on the doorstep.

The terrain around the village is entirely level, drained farmland criss-crossed by dykes and the canal, so it suits tents, campervans and caravans equally well, with none of the steep pitches or rough ground you would find further into the Pennines or the Dales. It is also excellent walking and cycling country: the Trans Pennine Trail towpath runs flat and traffic-free for miles in both directions, and nearby Thorne and Hatfield Moors add some genuinely wild-feeling raised bog scenery for those wanting a longer day out from camp.

Late spring to early autumn is the best window to camp here, when the ground is driest and the evenings are long enough to make the most of canal-side pitches; the levels can get damp and misty over winter, and some of the smaller sites close or scale back outside the main season. For those who prefer a roof over their head without giving up the outdoor feel, a small but growing number of glamping options — shepherd's huts and similar — have started appearing across South Yorkshire and the wider Goole and Doncaster area, offering a comfortable alternative within easy reach of Sykehouse and the surrounding countryside.