Camping in the United Kingdom

WEST COUNTRY

West country Tourist Board
60 St Davids Hill
Exeter EX4 4SY

The West country, Englands south west peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean, is Britains most popular holiday area and includes the counties of Avon, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and the Isles of Scilly. This region is so popular because of its geography and landscape. The coastline offers fantastic walks and beautiful scenery. Scattered along the coast are traditional English resorts like Weymouth, Torquay, Weston super Mare and Newquay. Just 28 miles from Lands End off the north Devon coast are the islands of Sicilly which are well worth a visit. Inland, if National parks are your thing then Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks can be found with their natural beauty and rugged grandeur. They are home to many different species of wildlife. Rolling hills, wooded valleys and small picturesque villages are found in abundance throughout the region. The historic cities and towns of Bristol, Bath, Truro and Exeter offer much to do and see. With a wealth of stately homes, castles and ancient sites such as Powderham castle, Longleat and Forde Abbey there is always something of interest for everyone. The variety of museums is endless. Bristol glass, Honiton lace, Bridgport rope and Cornish mining are just a few to mention. Most counties, cities and towns cherish their local heritage in local museums. In Exeter the maritime collections in the Maritime museum can be found. Because of its mild climate the west country offers a long growing season giving many opportunites to visit and take in some splendid gardens. Spring time is probably the best time for garden viewing with Abbotsbury and Tresco who specialise in subtropical plants.

EAST ANGLIA

East Anglia Tourist Board
Toppesfield Hall
Hadleigh
Suffolk IP7 5DN

East Anglia includes the counties of Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk. These counties are just waiting to be discovered. Cambridgeshire is an area of many contrasts. With many museums, punts and historic buildings one can always be occupied and find something new. Take a trip to the Ely cathedral, visit Oliver Cromwells house, fly small planes at Duxford or just take nice leisurely boat trips. To the north of the county is Peterborough with a heart of history. Just one hour away from London is Essex. Visit the seaside towns of Clacton and Southend, historic Saffron Walden and Roman Colchester which was once the capital city of England. North of Colchester is the famous painter John Constable country. The landscape here gave him many ideas and inspiration for his beautiful paintings. The pleasures of Norfolk are many. North Norfolk is an area of outstanding natural coastal beauty all the way along to West Norfolk. The capital of Norfolk, Norwich has Norman castles and colourful market places. And of course you can take boat or barge trips along the Norfolk Broads. For seaside fun frequent Great Yarmouth or walk in the peaceful Thetford Forest Park. In Suffolk one can visit the old seaside resorts of the Suffolk coast, view pastel washed cottages, antiques, and medieval wool towns such as Lavenham. To the West is Newmarket, the horse racing capital of the world. To the East are historic Bury St Edmunds and Lowerstoft.

SOUTHERN

Southern Tourist Board
40 Chamberlayne Road
Eastleigh
Hampshire SO5 5JH

Southern includes the counties of Hampshire, Dorset, The Isle of Wight and South Wiltshire. The region is known for its quaint market towns, cathedral cities and seaside resorts. For lovers of Britains history you need look no further as southern England has some of the finest examples of architecture, maritime or industrial heritage. If watersports are your thing then visiting southern England is a must. Visitors come from all over the world to sail on the Solent and Hamble rivers. The regions great seaside resorts are excellent for all the family, with their beaches, shops and lively holiday entertainment. Wherever you go there are constant reminders of the souths fascinating past. In Portsmouth you have the historical ships. Winchester is the city of kings, Southampton full of medieval quarters and Poole and Weymouth with their seafaring and smuggling connections. A huge variety of attractions can be visited in the region- fun parks, craft centres, country parks, historic houses, vineyards, farms - from the National motor museum at Beaulieu, to the Terracotta Warriors exhibition in Bournemouth.

SOUTH EAST

South East Tourist Board
The Old Brew House
Warwick Park
Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN2 5TU

The south east includes the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The region is vey easy to get to from other parts of the country and when you are here it is very easy to get away from the hustle and bustle of towns and escape into the beautiful countryside. There are 257 miles of coastline in the south east making the area a seaside lovers paradise with golden sands at Bognor Regis, Broadstairs, Camber and Littlehampton. There are also spectacular coast cliffs at Seven sisters, Beachy Head and the white cliffs of Dover. Unusual events take place all year round such as the world custard pie championship and the town criers championship. There are many arts festivals and the regions theatres include Glyndebourne opera house and the Chichester festival theatre. For sports fans motor racing can be found at Brands Hatch, polo at Cowdray park, tennis at Eastbourne and golf at Wentworth. Many famous people have lived in the south east. Anne Boleyn lived at Hever castle, Winston Churchill at Chartwell, Charles Dickens in Rochester and Rudyard Kipling at Batemans. The region is particularly suitable for growing vines and many vineyards are open to the public, including Lamberhurst and Carr Taylor Vineyard near Hastings which produced Englands first methode champenoise. The area is now also the gateway to the rest of Europe with the construction and completion of the Channel tunnel.

THAMES AND CHILTERNS

Thames and Chilterns Tourist Board
The Mount House
Church Green
Witney
Oxon OX8 6DZ

The Thames and the Chilterns include the counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire. These counties provide a land of rolling hills and lush water meadows, majestic stately homes and hundreds of miles of footpaths, rivers and canals. The river Thames flows through Henley (Town of the Henley regatta) and under the walls of Windsor castle. Upstream is Oxford with its famous university and Blenheim Palace, home of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. In the south the Berkshire Downs provide a backdrop for the horse racing centres of Lambourne and Newbury. The Kennet and Avon canal has been greatly restored and can be visited for a variety of activities. And lets not forget to mention the Chiltern Hills. In Bedfordshire one can find Woburn Abbey and Luton Hoo and also the world famous Whipsnade safari park. St Albans in Hertfordshire was an extremely strategical centre in Roman times. Queen Elizabeth 1 childhood was spent here and Charles Dickens was known to have made many visits to Knebworth.

HEART of ENGLAND

The Heart of England Tourist Board
Woodside
Larkhill Road
Worcester
Worcestershire WR5 2EQ