Wild Camping Cornwall

Celtic fire festivals used to be held at Bartinney Castle, dedicated to the sun god Belenos. They seem to have worked. Cornwall’s Penwith Peninsula is one of the sunniest spots on the British Isles and today, half a mile down a footpath from the castle’s faintest of earth remains, there’s a tiny wild campsite well placed to enjoy it.

There are just a couple of pitches and a pre-erected bell tent at Wild Camping Cornwall, which opened in 2021 after moving from another temporary location nearer the coast. The new site has been planted with dozens of trees that will make for quite the hideaway in years to come. For the time being it’s best to hope Belenos keeps the wind gods at bay, since the place can feel a little exposed when it gets gusty.

Facilities consist of a composting loo, a gas-powered shower and a firepit at each pitch (a bag of logs comes with every booking), and the stars are excellent night lights. The nearest neighbours here are a nature reserve and a string of Iron Age humps and bumps of significance, cared for by English Heritage, so light pollution is non-existent.

There’s more to the location, of course, than hiking through history. There’s a beach within 10–15 minutes’ drive in almost every direction you choose. Sennen Cove (six miles) is Cornwall’s most westerly surfing hotspot and frequently tops lists of the UK’s best beaches, while lesser-known spots like Lamorna Cove, St Loy’s Cove and Penberth offer smaller nooks where you can enjoy rock pooling under jagged cliffs.