Camping in Wick

The countryside around Wick is classic Avon Valley walking country — gently rolling, criss-crossed with hedgerows, and threaded by the River Boyd and River Avon, making it a pleasant if understated base for a camping trip between Bath and Bristol. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is not permitted without the landowner's permission, so pitch at a proper campsite or caravan park rather than setting up on farmland or riverside verges, however inviting they look. The terrain is mostly low-lying valley and gentle hillside rather than dramatic hill country, which makes it well suited to family camping, cycling and short countryside walks rather than serious hiking.

Most visitors camping in this part of South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset base themselves at sites within reach of Bath, Bristol and the Cotswold fringe, using Wick as a quiet stopping point rather than a destination in itself. The area's proximity to the Avon Valley Railway at Bitton, Dyrham Park, and Chew Valley Lake makes it a sensible base for combining a few nights under canvas with day trips into two cities and the wider Cotswolds. Facilities vary from simple, back-to-basics fields with fishing lakes to smarter sites offering electric hook-ups, shower blocks and dog-friendly pitches.

Late spring through to early autumn is the most comfortable window for camping here, when the Boyd valley's watermeadows are at their greenest and evenings are long enough for a walk before dark. Summer weekends can get busy at sites closest to Bath, so booking ahead is worthwhile, particularly around the city's festival calendar. Outside of peak season, several local sites also offer glamping in bell tents, shepherd's huts or safari tents, which extends the season for anyone who would rather skip the tent-pitching and canvas maintenance but still wants to wake up in the Avon Valley countryside.