Categories: Camping

15 campsites and glamping sites with bushcraft courses

Survival seminars, woodland workshops, bushcraft basics – term time is around the corner and we’re talking ‘back to school’ of the campsite kind! How about a little extra learning from these 15 spectacular UK campsites…

Cumbria: Gill Head Farm

Ensconced within the Lake District National Park, Gill Head is a tiny working farm that’s been run by the same family for years. The current generation have been thoughtful enough not only to open a campsite but also to arrange regular onsite activities, games, and bushcraft courses run by an expert local firm.

Surrey: Surrey Hills Yurts

Plotted on the wooded fringes of Westcott village, Surrey Hills Yurts is an eco-aware, hassle-free hub seemingly in the middle of nowhere yet surprisingly close to London. Bushcraft courses are run year round, with everything from willow weaving and wood carving to dye making, archery and ecology walks on offer.

Kent: Badgells Wood

With just a short section of road leading you into vast Badgells Wood, this off-grid, semi-wild campsite is one for those looking to take a wheelbarrow into the wilderness and feel thoroughly cut off from the outside world. Bushcraft courses are excellently but irregularly run, so enquire for exact dates and details.

North Yorkshire: Baby Moon Glamping

Despite it’s pleasingly cosy appearance as a quaint and tiny glamping site, Baby Moon in North Yorkshire isn’t afraid to roll it’s sleeves up. Group bookings of the site can arrange activities or workshops in advance and the list is fairly endless, including creative writing, wool craft, forest school and bushcraft.

Gwynedd: Bryn y Gwin Farm

Based across natural tiers in the Mawddach valley in Snowdonia, Bryn y Gwin is a traditional campsite welcoming tents, campervans and caravans. Ex-army expert Nick will sort you out. He learnt the survival trade during winters in deepest Norway and his campfire lighting tips will prepare you for chilly nights.

East Sussex: The Original Hut Company

This romantic shepherd’s hut retreat less than a mile from Bodiam castle run foraging courses through the autumn in conjunction with the chief sourcer of a nearby Michelin Starred restaurant, The Curlew. Take to the woods for fungi and fruit before roasting it all over campfires. No set dates, enquire for further info.

Hampshire: Abbotstone Wood

With a range of camping pitches, from a wide open meadow to hidden clearings in the Hampshire woodland, Abbotstone is a laid-back, family campsite with something for everyone. Bushcraft classes run on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings and should be booked in advance on their website.

Glamorgan: Cwm Tawel Yurts

A volunteer-run, charitable organisation, Cwm Tawel Yurts is a truly special glamping site in South Wales and a genuinely inspiring place to stay. They offer an assortment of traditional courses on site, including willow weaving, coracle building, Welsh Lovespoon carving, clay oven building and bushcraft survival.

Devon: Middle Ruckham Farm

The petite eco-farm at Middle Ruckham is a wonderfully hidden gem. Secluded but not remote, relaxed but not unkempt, timeless but not out-dated – Middle Ruckham Farm is a casual campsite of old and one perfect for those in search of a little bushcraft education. Workshops are irregular, so enquire for details.

Surrey: Big Hat Bushcamp

The brainchild of former British Army captain, Ian Brember, Big Hat Bushcamp offers family-orientated woodland bushcraft at a secluded lakeside location, with an array of bespoke courses (ranging from three hours to full weekends) on offer. Very few sites can compare to their level of insight and experience.

Norfolk: Hidden Meadows Glamping

On the Norfolk-Suffolk border, Hidden Meadows is an accurate name for this quiet and secluded site. Their onsite nature craft courses (£15 per person) include identifying animal signs and tracks, how to navigate with and without a compass, how to make a shelter and campfire, and basic survival skills.

Cumbria: Long Valley Yurts

Particularly renowned for it’s laid-back lakeside credentials, the owners of this Lake-District-meets-Mongolia glamping site are still more than happy to organise a whole host of activities, with trained instructors leading everything from rock climbing and abseiling to Ray Mears-ing on a bespoke bushcraft adventure.

Shropshire: Underhill Farm

Part campsite part community project, Underhill Farm Campsite don’t just run bushcraft workshops but can also turn their hand at almost any other trade, from wool spinning and carpentry to pottery and willow weaving. Campers can pitch their own tent or stay in one of the rustic onsite yurts available during summer.

Carmarthenshire: The Ceridwen Centre

To call The Ceridwen Centre a campsite is like saying Da Vinci was a bit handy with a paintbrush. This purpose-built hillside hideaway is as seamless at hosting workshops, retreats, and weddings as it is at hosting a glamping getaway and, with autumn the prime time for foraging, there’s no better time to visit.

Hampshire: Adhurst Yurts

There’s no set timetable to the bushcraft courses at this secluded yurt site, so it’s best to register your interest far in advance. If guests have asked for a workshop others at the site are informed, in case they’d like to join in but, with just four yurts in total, it remains a thoroughly exclusive and informative experience.

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By James Warner Smith

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