Nicholson Farm
Docklow, Herefordshire
The livestock are not the only four-legged and feathered residents at this 200 acre dairy farm – buzzards, kestrels, goshawks and sparrowhawks glide above the grassy tops of these Herefordshire hills by day, while owls hoot among the trees by night.
The farm is set on a little hillock – an ideal lookout for both birds and campers; indeed, the views are splendid. You could take in a tour of the farm led by farmer Tim, who will even allow the kids to help out with some of the farm chores. Otherwise you can hire bikes, and there's even a fishing lake – permits can be bought from the farm
The site has 10 generous pitches – only 500m from the A44 but set in a little depression, so any traffic is inaudible. If you need a real bed you may default to the B&B at the farm. A pub, the Kings Head, about two miles west, offers the usual fare. Tim will ferry you there if you ask nicely.
Easter–Oct; £12 per pitch per night for an average-size tent (family of 4), £2.50 per extra person per night
Braham Farm
Ely, Cambridgeshire
The main ecological attraction here is Wicken Fen, about seven miles away. It is the National Trust's oldest nature reserve, brimming with rare species of wildlife. The abundance of water and the rich peat soil allow rare flora to thrive, which in turn create a habitat for thousands of animal species. Indeed, more than 8,000 species of plants, fungi and animals make their home in these 22 square miles of wetland. Plants such as great fen sedge, fen violet and milk parsley jostle for position with other rare flora such as tubular water-dropwort.
Rare birds that live at Wicken include the marsh harrier, reed bunting and bearded tit. Added to that are 400 insect species known to be rare in the UK.
Braham Farm's campsite might seem unpromising at first, wedged as it is between the A10 and the mainline railway to Cambridge. However, closer inspection reveals a charming little plot on the lawn of an ancient farmhouse with breathtaking views of Ely Cathedral, only a two-mile walk away through the farmland.
The nearest pub, the Cutter Inn in Ely, is an award-winning hostelry serving traditional food and excellent wines and cask ales.
Open all year; up to £5 per person per night, up to £10 per family; 01356 662386
Potton Hall
Dunwich, Suffolk
Welcome to Dunwich – the town that was eaten by the sea. Dunwich was once in fact a city – the capital of East Anglia. But that was 1,500 years ago, and now, thanks to coastal erosion, only a smattering of buildings remain, nervously awaiting the inevitable. Just as well, then, that its non-human residents are better able to cling on.
The Suffolk Coast and Heaths area of outstanding natural beauty is home to rare and precious species such as the Dartford warbler, woodlark, nightjar and adder. There are waymarked nature trails and lovely walks linking beach and heath. While you're at it, look out for porpoises and seals. Inland you might spot nightingales, barn owls, badgers and voles – even muntjac and red deer.
The campsite at Potton Hall is well-hidden, lying a good way up a dirt track on a bank of the inconspicuous river Dunwich. The 300-year-old hall, now used as a recording studio and concert hall, lurks nearby. There are no facilities. No electricity. No loo. Bring your own or bury it! However, the site is sheltered and quiet and if you're here for the countryside, it will suit very well. Nearest decent pub: The Ship in Dunwich (01728 648219), about three miles away – if it's still there.
Open all year; £6 per pitch (adults only – no children allowed); 01728 648265
Tom's Field
New Forest, Hampshire
Legions of overworked and exhausted Londoners escape to the New Forest regularly in search of a bit of peace, but, thankfully, most pass by this laid-back, no-frills, family campsite deep in the Hampshire countryside.
It's mercifully quiet for a site that's just minutes from the M27. Here you wake up to the smell of heather and the sound of New Forest ponies nuzzling metres from your tent. Fallow and red deer are common; donkeys two-a-penny – there's a field-full behind the reception. There are also butterflies and frogs to spot, and if you're really lucky, an adder – Britain's only poisonous snake.
Nearby there are 100 miles of cycle routes and seemingly endless well-marked walking or riding paths in the forest.
The site, owned by Tom and Tina Charman, is a former pottery and farmhouse that breathes charm. Tom's Field now has 50 pitches: two rows of family-size plots, and the copse at the end that couples seem to like. There's a shower block, washing-up sinks and a shop.
A pleasant bucolic hour or two can be whiled away in the beer garden at the Fighting Cocks pub half a mile away (01425 652462) serving well-kept ales and the usual pub grub.
Note: you must book the site ahead, as it's only open for about 28 days a year.
May public holidays plus weekends in Jul–Aug; from £8 per pitch per night, £5 per adult per night, £2.50 per child (4-13) per night; 07759 474158
Penrallt Coastal Camping
Pwllheli, Gwynedd
The Llyn Peninsula is awash with wildlife both on land and sea, and this slightly eccentric family campsite sits right on its nose. Along the coast, grey seals lounge on the rocks as Manx shearwaters, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, shags and curlews feast on the plentiful fish. The nearby Seagull Islands provide nesting spots for puffins. The fish also provide food for bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoise, and there are occasional sightings of pilot and minke whales.
Inland, the remote heathlands, dunes and pastures provide shelter for rabbits, hedgehogs, shrews and voles, which are tasty treats for polecats, weasels and badgers. In the woods you might spot jays, nuthatches and woodpeckers and, on the moors, stonechats, goldfinches and sandmartins. All this attracts raptors such as kestrels, buzzards and peregrine falcons. Meanwhile, myriad insect species make life easy for the local reptiles and amphibians, including frogs, newts, slowworms and grass snakes.
Penrallt fits right in. It's ingeniously eco-friendly, with reed beds installed for processing human waste and abundant recycling facilities. The site has won awards for all this, yet has all the facilities you need for a comfortable stay, including showers, fridges and laundry.
Although it has more than 40 pitches, it gets full in peak season, so book in advance. Note: one reason the wildlife likes it here is it's a long way from civilisation. The nearest town of any size – Abersoch – is about 12 miles south, and the nearest pub is the Lion Hotel in Tudweiliog, about three miles away. Still, the beer's good.
Open Easter–Sep; from £7 (1 adult)/£9 (2 adults) per pitch per night, £4 per extra adult per night, £2 per child (under 18) per night; 01758 770 654
Cae Gwyn
Bronaber, Gwynedd
Nature lovers can't go wrong with this Snowdonian gem: the campsite is itself a nature reserve, and a designated site of special scientific interest for its rare animal and plant life. And the river that runs through it, the Afon Eden, is home to one of the last breeding colonies of freshwater pearl mussels in Wales, as well as Atlantic salmon, otters, trout and floating water plantain.
Exploring the splendidly under-touristed Rhinog range, accessible directly from the site, you would be unlucky not to spot the local population of wild goats. The heath is home to small birds such as grouse, meadow pipit, ring ouzel and wheatear in the summer. In turn, they are prey for peregrine falcons, merlins and hen harriers.
With heartlifting views of an unspoilt and largely protected part of Snowdonia, Cae Gwyn is also on the edge of some great mountain-biking in Coed-y-Brenin forest. Plenty of paths cross the farm too, for hiking and riding – or you could simply while away a day or two fishing.
The camping facilities are tip-top, and the measly charge covers hot water, showers, drying room, bike cleaning, fridges and even farmyard Wi-Fi. If that's still not enough, there's also a B&B option and a camping barn for the uncampables. You'll probably need a car to get to the nearest shop or pub, in Bronaber (a two minute drive), but that's probably not what you came for, right?
Open all year; £8 per person per night, children by special arrangement only; 01766 540245
Machrihanish Caravan and Camping Park
Campbeltown, Argyle and Bute
This region of Scotland is superb for whale watching. Cetacean species regularly sighted in the area include the fin whale, short-beaked common dolphin, seals, harbour porpoise, minke whale and Risso's dolphin.
Inland, wild goats roam the stony moorland outcrops, and you might be lucky enough to spot an otter basking on the rocks or gliding through the many rivers. Meanwhile, the golden eagle soars over the uplands, which it shares with peregrine falcons and buzzards.
The skies are also usually dotted with a host of seabirds. Some are rare – such as the Leach's petrel, Balearic shearwater, grey phalarope and Sabine's gull. Serious twitchers will enjoy visiting the nearby Machrihanish Seabird and Wildlife Observatory. There's even an owl sanctuary nearby.
The camping park itself can claim some of the best views in the country, looking out over the Atlantic and the isles of Islay and Jura. It's a quiet, family-friendly place with level, all-weather pitches, a campers' room with kitchen facilities and local tourist info – and best of all, they claim to be practically midge-free, thanks to their coastal location. Surely a rarity in Scotland! Its proximity to a famous "links" golf course means there's also a great little pub called the Old Golf Course Bar just a few minutes' wander from the campsite.
Mar–Oct; £6 per adult per night, £3 per child (3-18) per night, under-3s free; 01586 810366
Barn Farm
Birchover, Derbyshire
On the edge of the historic village of Birchover sits this traditional Derbyshire gritstone farm, in the glorious White Peak. Watched over by the eerie Stanton Moor with its 70 barrows and five stone circles, the farm's two main camping fields make the most of the commanding views over the Derwent valley.
This is a family-friendly place; kids are bound to make friends with the resident peacocks stalking about the farmyard. Wilder neighbours include black fallow deer, badgers and more than 60 species of birds, including the golden plover, the occasional merlin, nuthatches, dippers and peregrine falcons, along with the rare hen harrier. If you visit in spring you'll hear the chatter of the skylark as it rises into the sky.
Further afield, the gravel pit workings in the south Peak District have created marsh and reed beds, which allow wildfowl, including the curlew and lapwing, to flourish.
The campsite is popular with hikers, who are able to strike off on any of the four major paths crisscrossing the site.
Two things to consider: first, Barn Farm is often used by school groups – though if this gets annoying, there's plenty of space to escape into; second, Birchover stone, which has provided the raw material for the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and the Houses of Parliament, is still popular, which means the nearby quarry makes a racket from Monday to Thursday.
Mar–Oct; from £7.50 per adult per night, £3.75 per child (under 14) per night; 01629 650245/07899 710018
Rothiemurchus Camp and Caravan Park
Aviemore, Highland
Rothiemurchus is a vast Highland estate that has been owned and run by the Grant family since the 16th century. It's one of the most pristine parts of the Cairngorms national park. The combination of mountain loch and glen has attracted visitors for centuries, and the local fauna for far longer. The list of mammals alone is staggering: red deer, roe deer, red squirrels, otters, mink mountain hare, three types of bat – even the rare wildcat can be found here.
Above the ancient forests swoop golden eagles and ospreys. Overall, with more than 125 species of birds, 27 species of mammals and reptiles and 400 species of flowers, this should be in the top 10 of any nature-lover's camping experiences.
The tranquil campsite is set among whispering pines and offers three different spots: riverside, woodland and river island. A genuine wilderness setting, but with modern facilities, including toilets, showers and a dishwashing area plus launderette.
Closed Nov; £8 per adult per night, £2 per child (5-18) per night, under-5s free; 01479 812800
Halladale Inn
Melvich, Highland
This northerly portion of Scotland is very popular for birdwatching. The river near to the campsite is home to oystercatchers, ringed plovers and curlews, and 13 miles south lies the RSPB bird sanctuary at Forsinard Flows – the largest blanket bogs in the world. Doesn't sound that attractive, but there you'll find greenshanks, golden plovers, dunlins and black-throated divers pecking about in the shallow waters, while hen harriers and golden eagles haunt the blue overhead. You might also see an otter in the rivers or pools or catch a glimpse of a herd of red deer across the moors.
The campsite is situated right next to the inn, which is open all day, serving a varied menu of local produce including the occasional freshly caught brown trout. Virtually all 10 pitches enjoy views of the river Halladale, which you can follow to a beautiful beach a 10-minute walk away.
Open all year; £5 per adult per night, £2.50 per child (under 16) per night; 01955 602596
