Motorhome travel: 12 campsites for city breaks

For a multitude of things to do when you're out and about in your motorhome, head for the city. This selection of 12 campsites, across a range of locations in the UK, are perfect for getting the best of both worlds - the tranquility of the countryside and the attractions of the city. 

Coombe Caravan Park, Wiltshire

The Race Plain, Netherhampton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 8PN
01722 328451
Open: All year

Coombe Caravan Park offers tree-lined hardstanding pitches with electric. Unique to the site are the 7,500 bedding plants that the owner plants annually, creating a floral feast for the eyes! Facilities include a heated shower block, privacy cubicles and a laundry. There’s also a shop in the main season and a play area.

Next to the campsite is a golf course and, just five miles away, is the magnificent city of Salisbury – there’s a park and ride at Britford (SP5 4DS) with spaces for motorhomes.

Salisbury Cathedral, which has the tallest spire in Britain and is home to one of the original copies of the Magna Carta, is well worth a visit, as are the many museums, shops, cafés and restaurants.

Caerfai Bay Caravan & Tent Park, Pembrokeshire

St Davids, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA62 6QT
01437 720274
Open: 1 March 1-10 November

This campsite is less than a mile from St Davids, the smallest city in the UK. You can walk into the city and explore the cathedral, bishop’s palace, craft shops and cafés without needing to move your motorhome off pitch. For those who would like to walk a little further, the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path passes the site’s entrance. You can access the beach from the site via a concrete path and steps.

The majority of pitches offer sea views out to St Bride’s Bay and the Pembrokeshire coastline.

Motorhomes benefit from hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up. There are toilets and showers, family rooms, disabled facilities and a laundry. There’s also an amenity room with chairs, tables and tourist information.

Dogs are welcome on site and are accepted on Caerfai beach all year.

Whitlingham Broad Campsite, Norfolk

Whitlingham Lane, Trowse, Norfolk, NR14 8TR
07794 401591
Open: All year

Welcoming campervans and small motorhomes only, this site is situated within 80 acres of country park, within the Broads National Park and just 15 minutes by bike from Norwich. There’s also a bus stop just under a mile away.

Pitches are spread over two fields, both a short walk from the visitor centre and café. You can rent fire pits on site and there are wheelchair-friendly facilities.

As well as the usual chain stores of a large city, Norwich has plenty of independent cafés and bars to sample, along with a castle, museum and art gallery, and not one, but two, cathedrals.

Dandy Dinmont Caravan & Camping Park, Cumbria

Blackford, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 4EA
01228 674611
Open: All year

Dandy Dinmont Caravan & Camping Park is situated in Green Meadows Country Park, within walking distance of part of Hadrian’s Wall and with easy access to the centre of Carlisle. There’s a bus service every 30 minutes to the city centre where you’ll find a cathedral, castle, museum and art gallery.

For those who want to explore the area on foot or two wheels, the site is located next to the Reivers cycle route and the long-distance Hadrian’s Wall walk. Dandy Dinmont is also close to local shops and amenities.

The site is level and surrounded by countryside. There are hardstanding pitches with electric serviced by toilet and shower facilities, a laundry and free WiFi.

Interestingly, the campsite gets its rather unusual name from the terrier breed of dog, as back in the 1960s the location of the site was originally a breeding kennels for the Dandie Dinmont Terrier.

Mortonhall Caravan & Camping Park, Edinburgh

38 Mortonhall Gate, Frogston Road East, Edinburgh, EH16 6TJ
01316 641533
Open: All year

Just four miles from Scotland’s capital city, Mortonhall occupies a tranquil countryside estate location with views of the Pentland Hills, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Craggs. There are miles of walks around the estate, with highland cattle in neighbouring fields. There are toilets and showers on site along with a licensed shop, bar and restaurant. Pitches vary from basic grass to full service.

There’s a frequent bus service from the site into Edinburgh or you can walk from the estate. As well as a capital city, Edinburgh is a festival city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town. Explore the castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Calton Hill, with views over the city. With culture, entertainment and shopping, there’s plenty to do here.

Highfield Farm Touring Park, Cambridgeshire

Long Road, Comberton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7DG
01223 262308
Open: 29 March – 31 October

(pic credit: Visit England/Iain Lewis)

Highfield Farm Touring Park is set in peaceful countryside, just five miles west of the city of Cambridge.

Trumpington park and ride is 10 minutes’ drive away and has motorhome parking spaces or, just a short walk from the campsite, is a bus stop with services to the city.

Cambridge is famous for its historic university buildings and architecture, as well as for punting down the River Cam.

With museums, galleries, independent shops and eateries, there is so much to explore.

Feeling a world away from the bustling city, Highfield Farm covers eight acres surrounded by conifers, hedges and trees.

Pitches are arranged around the perimeter to keep a feeling of spaciousness to the park. For motorhomes there are hardstanding or grass pitches with electric and a waste point. Facilities comprise four toilet/shower blocks, a laundry, small shop and dog exercise area.

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site, Oxfordshire

426 Abingdon Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 4XG
01865 244088
Open: All year

This Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club site is a relaxing, tree-lined bolthole less than two miles from the centre of Oxford. You can catch a bus into the city from outside the site, walk or cycle.

Pitches are not level, so chocks may be required and there can be some noise from the railway and dairy adjacent to the site, but it’s the ease at which you can access the city that makes this site so appealing. Facilities include electric hook-up, toilets and showers. Dogs are welcome on site.

Known as the ‘city of dreaming spires’, the many university buildings of Oxford offer a feast for the eyes with their stunning architecture. You can also visit the cathedral, castle and many museums, or take a boat trip down the river. You’re also spoilt for choice for places to eat and drink.

Camper UK Leisure Park, Lincolnshire

Church Road, Swinethorpe, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, NG23 7EE
01522 702651
Open: All year

Picturesque Lincolnshire countryside surrounds this site, only a five-minute drive from the centre of Lincoln. There are 12 fully serviced pitches, all of which have hardstanding, electric and water supply. The shower block has underfloor heating so, with the site being open all year, you can visit Lincoln at any time and still be warm and toasty on site!

There are numerous walks and cycle paths in the area, with at least one heading into the city. Lincoln bustles with shops, museums, galleries, a castle and of course a cathedral. Visit in the warmth of summer and enjoy drinks al fresco while marvelling at the stunning architecture, or wrap up warm to sample the delights of the popular Christmas market in winter.

Elaghvale Camping Park, Co Londonderry

49 Upper Gallagh Road, Derry-Londonderry BT48 8LW
07801 731815
Open: All year

As the second largest city in Northern Ireland, Derry~Londonderry is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland. The walls are about 1.5km in circumference and form a walkway around the inner city.

Other attractions to see include the neo-gothic guild hall with its stained glass windows, a cathedral, museums, galleries and theatres. There’s also the more modern structures, such as the Peace Bridge, that connects the two sides of the River Foyle.

Five minutes’ drive from the city (or a £6 taxi fare) is Elaghvale Camping Park, a small, open site situated on a hill, with great views towards the city. There are concrete and gravel areas for motorhomes to pitch on and facilities available include a toilet block with showers and a laundry. There’s also a herb garden that you are welcome to pick your own salad and herbs from.

Plymouth Sound Caravan & Motorhome Club Site, Devon

Bovisand Lane, Down Thomas, Plymouth, Devon PL9 0AE
01752 862325
Open: 5 April – 30 September

Resting on a headland just outside the port city of Plymouth, this Caravan & Motorhome Club site offers superb views across the bay at Plymouth, known locally as The Sound. The South West Coast Path is nearby providing plenty of scenic walking opportunities and there’s also the Plym Valley Cycleway for those who want to explore on two wheels.

Plymouth itself is just over five miles away and there’s a bus stop half-a-mile from the site. Plymouth has plenty to explore, including the historic dockyard, the National Marine Aquarium and, of course, a cathedral. There’s also a choice of shops and restaurants.

Other nearby attractions include Morwellham Quay, a reconstructed Victorian copper port and the ancient monastery of Buckland Abbey.

Site facilities include electric hook-up, a motorhome service point and WiFi. Please note this site does not have a toilet block.

Naburn Lock Caravan Park, Yorkshire

Naburn, York YO19 4RU
01904 728697
Open: 1 March – 6 November

Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, under a mile from the village of Naburn and by the River Ouse, this site is adjacent to pretty Naburn Locks. There are 100 pitches, with grass or hardstanding and electric available, and a separate area of the site for adults only. Facilities include showers and toilets, a laundry, shop, coarse fishing and facilities for the disabled. A pub and a restaurant are only half-a-mile away.

Naburn Lock Caravan Park is just four miles from York and a bus service stops directly outside the park, or between March and September you can take the river bus that runs from the locks into the city. Attractions in York include the cathedral, which has more medieval stained glass than anywhere else in the country, the National Railway Museum and plenty of independent shops.

Willowbank Holiday Home & Touring Park, Merseyside

Coastal Road, Ainsdale, Southport PR8 3ST
01704 57156
Open: 14 February – 31 January

Just five miles from the centre of Southport and within walking distance of the National Trust nature reserve and Sefton coastline, Willowbank Holiday Home & Touring Park is the perfect retreat yet close to the vibrant city of Liverpool. It’s a 40-minute drive to the city (there are motorhome bays at the Adelphi Hotel Car Park L3 5UL) or you can take public transport from close to the campsite and be in Liverpool in an hour.

Liverpool’s cathedral is Britain’s biggest, and the fifth largest in Europe. You can also explore the museums and learn about the city’s music connections.
A must-do is to take a ferry across the Mersey!

Willowbank is a high-quality site, surrounded by woods and trees, with hardstanding or grass pitches available and the on-site facilities include heated washrooms with toilets, showers and a laundry. There’s also a dog walking area and play area for children.

This feature was originally published in the February 2019 issue of MMM magazine. To read more like it, subscribe to MMM magazine today.