Camping in Westbury-on-Severn

Camping around Westbury-on-Severn means pitching where the flat Severn Vale meets the first wooded rise of the Forest of Dean, a landscape of orchards, water meadows and ancient woodland within a few minutes of each other. As in the rest of England, wild camping is not permitted here without the express permission of the landowner, so a stay means booking into one of the area's established sites rather than pitching freely in a field or forest clearing, however tempting the scenery. The best-known option right on the doorstep is Apple Orchard Camping & Caravan Site, a family-run park just outside the village with around 60 pitches, electric hookups, a café and bar, a play area, and a clutch of wooden glamping pods for those who want the setting without the tent-pitching. Its position, a short stroll from the River Severn, also makes it a popular base for watching the Severn Bore surge past on the right tides.

Further afield, the Forest of Dean holds a wider scattering of campsites and glamping options, from simple family-run touring parks to yurts and safari tents tucked into woodland clearings, all within easy reach for day trips back to Westbury-on-Severn's water garden and church. Forestry England also operates campsites within the Forest itself, offering a genuinely woodland pitch a short drive from the village, well suited to those wanting easy access to the Forest's cycling and walking trails as well as the Severn Vale.

The camping season here runs broadly from Easter through to late September or October, mirroring the opening hours of Westbury Court Garden and the milder, drier stretch of the Gloucestershire weather calendar; spring brings blossom in the vale's orchards, while a settled spell in September and October often delivers some of the best light for both riverside and forest walks, alongside quieter sites once the school holidays have finished. Midsummer is busiest, particularly around the Severn Bore's bigger equinoctial surges and school holiday weeks, so early booking is worthwhile at the smaller sites. Whatever the season, the combination of river, orchard and ancient forest within a few miles of each other makes this one of the more varied corners of Gloucestershire to camp in, with something different to explore on each side of the pitch.