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The Pig Place Campsite

92%
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· Adderbury, Oxfordshire, England
4 acres hosted by Sara W.
22 motorhome pitches · 23 tent pitches
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Best campervan spots: Finalist
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2023.
Canal-side camping for adults on a rustic Oxfordshire pig farm

When Dean and Sara first moored their narrow boat here in 2007 it was a drastically different place. The land still sloped gently down to the canal-side, green and inviting, but otherwise it was little more than a simple cattle pasture, blotted with the odd molehill and a scattering of buttercups. Today, however, it has truly been transformed. It has become the sort of place you hear about several miles down the canal; a whisper between boating folk who feel they each share this local secret. Chug around the bend and the banks are now a manicured carpet of grass and decking, split into segments and dominated by pig pens, and duck and chicken coops. “STOP”, the sign reads, “Farm Shop”.

We don’t need asking twice, though plodding along with a tent and sleeping bag it’s not a mooring spot we’re after. Welcoming campervans, caravans and the humble tenting camper, The Pig Place is open to all and it’s signage sums up the general atmosphere. The focus here is not on plush camping pitches with power-showers and strings of wooden clad chalets, no, first and foremost this is a simple, yet delightful small holding and only after the animals, the farm shop and the mouth-wateringly good food van came the campsite.

The resulting ethos is fantastic. The camping is wonderfully rustic – there is one portable toilet and no showers on the site – but that certainly doesn’t mean it is neglected, with Dean and Sarah always on hand and inviting you over when it’s feeding time to join in and see the pigs. It’s inclusive, but not overbearing, and their conscious decision to keep everything small-scale and low key, makes it a sociable and thoroughly relaxed place to pitch.

The food, of course, is an obvious selling point. Their farm shop, selling meat, free range eggs and veg, is truly enviable – though if you envy it too much you may end up buying a couple of hens to take home with you – and the cooking trailer (The Pig Stop) is opened up each morning to serve an unbeatable home-reared breakfast. It may just be a ploy. The wafting smell of bacon is so good you can imagine that somewhere, in a lock, several miles down canal, there are already folks on board their boat sniffing at the air and tracing their way in your direction!

Nearby, the town of Banbury has enough independent shops and restaurants to keep you busy and the immediacy of the M40 means seemingly far off towns like Oxford and Warwick are actually just 40 minutes or so away. The motorways ever presence in the landscape may be unmistakeable on the map but its treed flanks do a surprisingly good job of shielding any noise, leaving the Pig Place to retain its unmistakably rural charms.

Activities
Biking
Fishing
Hiking
Paddling
Natural features
River, stream, or creek
Field
Farm
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92%
89 Ratings · 83 reviews
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Kate P.recommends
September 13, 2023
Piglet - Small tent - No Car
Such a kind and friendly host! This is a lovely campsite with (non-smelly) rare breed pigs in the middle.
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Phil C.recommends
September 7, 2023
Sow - van under 22ft - with EHU
Facilites were great for our camper. No showers but everything else you'd need and the animal neighbours and great cooked breakfast by the canal more than made up for this!
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Camila D.recommends
August 21, 2023
Piglet - Small tent - No Car
We love the place, very nice staff. They have Wonderful breakfast. And beautiful surroundings, everything was very clean
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David T.recommends
August 15, 2023
Gilt - van under 22ft - No EHU
Lovely setting
Lovely setting, very relaxing, I loved the sofas along the canal bank, it was easy to arrive and get pitched, and the food and drink and shop all very handy for topping up supplies
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John W.recommends
August 11, 2023
Piglet - Small tent - No Car
Wonderful spot- great tent space for small tents. Great to meet other long distance walkers and cyclists, all with great tales to share over a beer in the rustic outside bar area on a balmy summer’s evening. All for a tenner!
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Emma C.recommends
July 31, 2023
Weaner - tent - No EHU
Nice little site
Lovely little site. Great location on the canal. Unfortunately lots of wasps which did cause a bit of stress when dive bombing our food and drink haha.
Location
Adderbury, Oxfordshire, England, United KingdomTraditional, ancestral territory of various First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Sara W.Joined in June 2015
From the host
If we're your kind of place, we look forward to meeting you. Our camping areas are 'child-free' and cater for motorhomes, caravans, campervans and tents. Being canalside you're welcome to visit by narrowboat and kayak too. Our breakfast is just amazing. Fabulous food with a fantastic view over the Oxford Canal and Cherwell Valley - what's not to like? The Trough is our kitchen, open from 8am every day, with a magnificent menu showcasing our hand reared pork products. The addition of 'Trotters Bar' makes The Pig Place a perfect place for adults to chill out and soak up the canalside atmosphere, with plenty of local ales, draught lager and crisp fresh cider, cocktails, wines, spirits. Keep an eye on our website for music, quiz nights, themed weekends and promotions. Please note that this is an Adults only campsite - 18 year olds or above allowed only.
Nearby attractions
The canal towpath provides excellent walks to some of Oxfordshire's and Northamptonshire's prettiest villages, pubs and restaurants. If you don't mind using the car, though, it's just 4 miles to Banbury, its attractions include, aptly for this campsite, Tooley’s Boatyard (01295 272917), dating back over 200 years and the oldest working dry dock in the country – if you fancy a boat trip on the canal this is the place to come. For a longer day trip pack some of the site's bacon sarnies and drive to Shakespeare's Stratford-Upon-Avon, historic Warwick, or south to magnificent Oxford – all are within a 40 minute drive.
Food and drink
The farm shop here is truly excellent. Their rare breeds provide excellent sausages and various different cuts, along with free range eggs. Better still, every day there is hot food available. The freshly cooked food from their outdoor café includes sausage, bacon and eggs and burgers, BBQ pulled pork and weekend specials plus decent coffee and cake. Though there are 4 pubs in nearby Adderbury, the more pleasant option is to walk the half hour along the canal towpath. It's around 2 miles to The Great Western Arms (01869 338288) a fantastic old pub with a good beer garden and family-friendly atmosphere.
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