Best destinations for Camping in Britain
Camping in Britain has been booming since the coronavirus crisis. In recent years, many new campers have joined the camping community. Many of them choose to spend their holidays in their own country. Will all of them know that the best campsites are in Truro (rating: 9.7) and that the most popular camping destination overall is the Great Yarmouth District?
JetCamp researched over 1500 campsites in Great Britain to find the best camping destination. 429,429 reviews helped us to reach several conclusions. We looked at factors such as the average rating of a campsite per destination and the popularity of campsites throughout Great Britain.
Camping in Britain – tourist areas
Many campsites in Great Britain are located in tourist areas: East Lindsey, North Devon, West Dorset, Scarborough and the Great Yarmouth district. From the Jurassic Coast in Dorset to Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth, choose what you like most but go camping!
Campsites in England – South coast
The South Coast is the sunniest place in Great Britain, with over 1900 hours of sunshine per year, and with over 400 miles of coastline. The South Coast has something for everyone, stretching from the chalky white cliffs, sandy beaches, and natural spits of Bournemouth to Christchurch and Poole in Dorset. In this tourist area you’ll have more than 430 campsites to choose from.
Top 3 camping destinations on the South coast of England (with at least 6 campsites):
1. Arun District: Rating: 8.9
2. Wealden District: Rating: 8.8
3. Chichester District: Rating: 8.6
Campsites in England – West coast
There are more than 40 campsites on the West coast. Most of them are pet-friendly. The most popular camping type here is glamping, where nature meets modern luxury. Stay in complete contact with nature and have all the amenities you may need!
Top 3 camping destinations on the West coast of England (with at least 6 campsites):
1. Hayle: Rating: 9.3
2. Newquay: Rating: 8.9
3. Looe: Rating: 8.6
Campsites in England – East coast
There are more than 200 campsites on the East coast. The majority of them are pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friend on a holiday too. The most popular accommodation type here is glamping too. Try the modern way of camping!
Top 3 camping destinations on the East coast (with at least 6 campsites):
1. North Norfolk District: Rating: 9.2
2. King’s Lynn and West Norfolk District: Rating: 9.1
3. Great Yarmouth District: Rating: 8.9
Top 5 best average rating per destination
When looking for the best location for camping in Britain, it is good to know in which destinations you can find these campsites. To find out we have made a Top 5 of the destinations with on average the best-rated campsites in Great Britain. In determining the Top 5, we have also taken into account the minimum number of campsites per destination, which in this case is five.
1. Truro (England): Rating 9.7 (5 campings)
2. High Peak District: (England): Rating 9.4 (10 campings)
3. West Devon District (England): Rating 9.4 (9 campings)
4. Harrogate District (England): Rating 9.3 (18 campings)
5. Eden District (England): Rating 9.3 (12 campings)
Top 5 most campsites per destination
In order to find the camping hotspots of Great Britain, we also investigated where in Great Britain most campsites are located. It turned out that the biggest number of campsites is located in the East Lindsey District in England with 30 campsites. Number two is the North Devon District with 28 campsites. The Top 5 is concluded by the Great Yarmouth District with 21 campsites.
1. East Lindsey District (England): 30 campsites
2. North Devon District (England): 28 campsites
3. West Dorset District (England): 24 campsites
4. Scarborough District (England): 23 campsites
5. Great Yarmouth District (England): 21 campsites
Top rated countries for camping (*based on a minimum of 40 campsites per country)
We all know that you can’t beat Camping in Britain, but which nation is best to pitch your tent for a holiday?
In general, UK campsites are doing well overall with an average rating of 8.8. Campers in Scotland are the most satisfied with an average 8.9 score. The 3 countries in Great Britain score on average between 8.9 and 8.7.
1. Scotland: Rating: 8.9
2. Wales: Rating: 8.7
3. England: Rating: 8.7
What makes a destination popular? (Popularity Index)
To determine what makes a destination popular, a popularity index has been created. This index was developed by looking at the number of reviews per destination, country and all of Great Britain.
The number of reviews of campsites per destination is divided by the most number of reviews in 1 destination. This number is then multiplied by 100. The figure resulting from this calculation determines the popularity index of an area.
Teignbridge is an example. All campsites in Teignbridge (there are 18) have a total of 10129 reviews. The destination with the most reviews is Great Yarmouth with 11661 reviews. The popularity index of Teignbridge is then:
10129/11661*100 = 86.86, which makes a rounded score of 87.
The popularity index revealed several interesting details. It is clearly visible that the destinations with a high popularity index are located in England with large campsites/holiday parks within their boundaries.
The Top 5 destinations according to the JetCamp popularity index:
- Great Yarmouth (England): Index: 100
2. Scarborough (England): Index: 96
3. Teignbridge(England): Index: 87
4. Newquay (England): Index: 71
5. East Lindsey (England): Index: 68
Top destinations per country (with min. 5 campsites*) and the average rating
Scotland
1. Inverness-shire: Rating: 9.1
Wales (*based on minimum 4 campsites per destination)
1. Brecon: Rating: 9.4
2. Caernarfon: Rating: 9.2
3. Abergavenny: Rating: 9.2
England
1. Truro: Rating: 9.7
2. High Peak: Rating: 9.4
3. West Devon: Rating: 9.4
About JetCamp
Available in 10 languages, www.jetcamp.com has nearly 23,000 verified campsites and holiday parks, and over 5 million visitors a year. In addition to the focus on content and inspiration, more and more campsites and holiday parks can be booked online. JetCamp provides an overview of availability and prices. Bookings can be made online with the accommodation owner or tour operator. Payments can also be made directly to the campsite or holiday park.
To see the full research, please click here