Gaggle of Geese, Buckland Newton, Dorset
Set in two hectares (five acres) of fields, orchard and gardens, the Gaggle of Geese is probably one of the few free houses that also run to a skittle alley, a crazy golf course and pygmy goats, as well as a cracking campsite. The owners offer local beers, a menu of pub classics, and a barbecue and pizza oven in summer. Campsite showers and loos are in a converted shepherd’s hut. There are a couple of shepherd’s huts to rent, too, if you prefer a little more luxe.
• Two adults from £16, pitchup.com, gaggleofgeese.co.uk
The Daneway, Sapperton, Cotswolds
Hidden down a somnolent country lane halfway between Stroud and Cirencester, the Daneway is a country pub seemingly from another age. Originally built as cottages for navvies, the inn is now a decadent den of posh pub grub and real ales. The campsite, 100 metres down the road, is an inviting little greensward beside a former canal, with a beautifully kept wet room. At weekends, campers can wolf down lunches of baguettes, sandwiches and home-baked delights at the pub’s open-air Muddy Boots Café.
• Adult £10, child £5, thedaneway.pub
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Lorton, Lake District
In the Vale of Lorton, with views of Whin Fell to the west and Kirk Fell to the east, this 17th-century inn is a purveyor of Cumbrian ales and dishes made with locally sourced produce. At the far end of a narrow field sheltered by high hedges, the family-friendly campsite has a shower and loo block as well as washing and drying facilities. And for the canvas-averse, there are caravans to rent, as well as a little shed called the Pod.
• Adult £8, child £4, wheatsheafinnlorton.co.uk
Ken Bridge Hotel, New Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway
Beside the Ken Bridge, whose five elegant arches span the Water of Ken, stands a Georgian coaching inn whose diminutive beer garden overlooks a riverside campsite. The combination of a small, lush field, a river gliding below, a welcoming bar and restaurant and a backdrop of attractive low hills makes it hard to beat as a campsite. While relaxing by your tent, keep an eye out for red squirrels in the trees, otters and kingfishers patrolling the river, and ospreys and red kites soaring above.
• First adult £10 plus £4/£3 each extra adult/child, kenbridgehotel.co.uk
St John Inn, St John, Torpoint, Cornwall
A mile or so from long, sandy beaches, in a glorious wooded valley, St John Inn was brought back from dereliction four years ago. All the accoutrements of a good country pub have been restored: low beams, an open fire and real ales. Camping tranquillity is assured since this adults-only site caters for a maximum of seven tents, with a couple of pods among the trees. The pub even has its own “village store”, launched last year, so you can compile your breakfast without leaving the grounds.
• Two adults £20, pitchup.com, stjohninn.co.uk
Royal Oak, near Buxton, Peak District
The High Peak Trail/Pennine Bridleway runs beside the Royal Oak’s campsite, offering cyclists and ramblers (as well as horse riders) bracing off-road routes through the southern Peak District. In the evenings you can enjoy the pub’s open fires, cask-conditioned ales and hearty dishes using seasonal produce. The campsite’s fields are partially sheltered by woodland, and “super pitches” come with a picnic bench and fire pit. There’s also a large, award-winning (and, more to the point, well-heated) bunk barn.
• From £14 per tent, peakpub.co.uk
Wuthering Heights Inn, near Haworth, West Yorkshire
Secluded from the wuthering winds, this adults-only campsite enjoys terrific views over the Worth Valley. Walkers are spoilt for choice, with the Millennium Way, Pennine Way and Brontë Way all close at hand. The pub serves cask ales and homely fare from local suppliers, and is within easy hiking distance of the Brontës’ home at Haworth, and Top Withens, the now-ruined farmhouse said to have inspired Emily’s novel. For a more genteel stay, there are a couple of shepherds’ huts (named Emily and Charlotte, naturally).
• £7pp, thewutheringheights.co.uk
Alde Garden, Sweffling, Suffolk
This is more a campsite with pub than a pub with campsite: the bijou camping and glamping site was well established when owners Marie and Mark resurrected the long-closed Sweffling White Horse. There are five small tent pitches in the wildlife garden, plus yurts, a cob roundhouse, a bell tent and a gypsy caravan. The 200-year-old inn has won three Camra awards, and though the only dish on the summer menu is a ploughman’s, there’s shove ha’penny, ringing the bull and bar billiards to play.
• £18 per tent, aldegarden.co.uk
Bull’s Head, Herstmonceux, East Sussex
There’s more than three hectares of fields at the Bull’s Head, so plenty of room to spread out. Campfires are allowed, too, so when you get in from, say, hiking the 1066 Country Walk, which passes the site on its way from Pevensey to Rye, you can rustle up something tasty over the fire. The pub has a shady beer garden and its menu makes good use of local ingredients and the pub’s homegrown vegetables and herbs.
• £20 a pitch (up to four people), pitchup.com; bullsheadborehamstreet.com
Dragons Back, Pengenffordd, Brecon Beacons
The highest pub in the Brecon Beacons national park, the Dragons Back sits between the competing peaks of Castell Dinas and Mynydd Troed. Timing here is everything. The pub usually opens only on Fridays and Saturdays, and the small, terraced campsite is available only to those who use the pub (but there is also a bunkhouse and a shepherd’s hut on offer). After a couple of Welsh real ales and some home-cooked, locally sourced food, guests can try their hand at “the infamous kettlebell challenge”.
• £7pp, thedragonsback.co.uk, 01874 711353 (booking by phone only)
