Talk of the town

Whether you’re a history buff, a culture lover, a shopper or a gastronome, a Club campsite is often the perfect base for a city break

There’s nothing quite like a city break. On a weekend away, or longer, you can combine sightseeing with hobbies and interests, whether that’s attending exhibitions at galleries or museums; visiting great pubs, cafes and restaurants; indulging in a spot of retail therapy; catching a show or a major live music or sporting event; or even just savouring the atmosphere of a busy, working metropolis. What is more, using a caravan, motorhome or campervan can save a lot of money on accommodation while, in many cases, you remain close to the action.

Capital time

Tower Bridge, London

London is well served with three Club campsites sitting within the M25 – Abbey Wood is closest to the centre, while Wyatts Covert and Alderstead Heath are in leafier suburbia. We’re just looking at Abbey Wood Club Campsite here... Benefitting from the launch of the new Elizabeth Line, Abbey Wood offers quick, easy access via a fast Tube train into central London, but it is also a peaceful enclave in the south-east of the city. (The station is around 10 minutes’ walk from the Club campsite.) Whether you are visiting Greenwich, taking in a West End show or hoping to explore a big attraction like the British Museum, Tate Modern, St Paul’s Cathedral or Buckingham Palace, this site is the ideal base.

Or perhaps you would like to consider Cardiff or Edinburgh. While Tredegar House Country Park Club Campsite is on the outskirts of Newport, many members take advantage of its proximity to Cardiff (50 minutes by train, or a 30-minute drive) to visit the Welsh capital. Major attractions include Cardiff Castle, Cardiff Bay and the Principality Stadium, while the National Museum is home to art treasures alongside natural history galleries. Running until 2025, a major exhibition called ‘The Art of the Selfie’ (pay what you can afford to enter) examines the history of self-portraits, including works by Rembrandt and Van Gogh as well as contemporary artists.

In Scotland, Edinburgh Club Campsite gives you the chance to combine fresh air and open spaces – Silverknowes Beach and Silverknowes Golf Course are close by – with the city’s historic centre. The sheer number and variety of attractions around Princes Street Gardens, the Royal Mile and the rest of the Old Town are reason enough to visit, but throw in a world class arts and culture scene – perhaps best exemplified by the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe – and fantastic places to eat, drink and be merry, and it’s little wonder that more than four million visitors are welcomed into the city each year.

Buzzing Bristol

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol

If you’re after lively centres, you’re spoiled for choice in the UK. As things stand, you can still stay at Baltic Wharf Club Campsite – in buzzing Bristol’s docklands – until 15 December 2024, but please do keep an eye on camc.com in case anything changes. With its vibrant nightlife, incredible street art and wonderful places to eat – check the diverse, delicious options at St Nicholas Market, for example – you’ll want to ensure you leave plenty of time to experience everything this gem in England’s south-west has to offer.

Moving north, England’s second-largest city, Birmingham, can match Bristol’s combination of fascinating history and superb daytime and evening entertainment. Chapel Lane Club Campsite is to the south of the city in Wythall, but with a combination of bus and train you can reach the famous Bullring in under an hour. Once there, how about sampling some of Brum’s best restaurants? From the street food of Indian Cafe Racer to upmarket chains such as The Botanist and The Ivy, there’s a great choice available.

If you’re after some entertainment while staying at Old Hartley Club Campsite, remember that the centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is just 12 miles away. From the packed bars of the Bigg Market and gigs at the Boiler Shop and live jazz at Newcastle Arts Centre to comedy, musical theatre and more at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House or the Theatre Royal, it’s well worth using Old Hartley as a base to sample the nightlife on offer.

Historic centres

Clare Bridge in Cambridge

While all of the cities mentioned above have their own fascinating histories, you might still want to consider the following on account of their ancient centres.

York, for example, proudly displays its Roman roots alongside its Viking past, growth during the Middle Ages and its importance during the English Civil War. The city is full of sights and attractions that delight history buffs, and is well served by Club campsites, with York Beechwood Grange and York Rowntree Park open to Club members all year round. You could also use them as bases to visit Leeds, which is just 22 minutes by train from York.

The centre of York is compact enough for most people to negotiate without the use of public transport, and you could say the same about Cambridge, another settlement that saw considerable expansion under Roman, and later Viking, rule. But the best way to explore this wonderful city is surely by punting along the River Cam, which wends its way past some of the esteemed university’s oldest and prettiest buildings. Stay at Cambridge Cherry Hinton Club Campsite to enjoy the shops, bars, restaurants and sights.

On the south coast, Portsmouth offers so much for anyone interested in Britain’s seafaring past. Pitch up at Rookesbury Park Club Campsite – just outside the city, and also handy for nearby Southampton – and visit the Historic Dockyard attraction, which tells the story of the Mary Rose, HMS Victory and much more. Afterwards, perhaps take a harbour tour or an exhilarating trip on a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) before enjoying a quayside sundowner.

Last, but by no means least, Strathclyde Country Park Club Campsite, sitting to the south-east of Glasgow, is a peaceful spot at which to retire after a day’s sightseeing in Scotland’s largest city. Many of the museums in Glasgow focus on recent history, such as the Riverside Museum, which covers transport heritage as well as commercial days gone by, and The Tenement House, an “authentic time capsule of life in early 20th-century Glasgow”. Naturally there’s great shopping, nightlife, large events and festivals, too – it’s a great time to visit one of the UK’s liveliest cities.

Hopefully this selection has given you some ideas for future trips, but if you want more check out the panel on this page or visit camc.com.

Four more Club sites for city breaks

Salisbury Cathedral

Moorhampton, Herefordshire

Situated in the countryside but just 10 miles from Hereford’s centre, you could use this campsite as a base for visiting Hereford Cathedral (and the Mappa Mundi) or taking a stroll along the Wye. You could also stay at Lucksall Affiliated Site.

Chester Fairoaks, Chester

Visit picturesque Chester to walk the city walls, go boating on the Dee or enjoy superb shopping in the famous, half-timbered ‘Rows’. Also a possible base for days out in Liverpool and Manchester.

Exeter Racecourse, Devon

With its fascinating underground passages, Gothic cathedral, Roman city wall and quayside, there’s plenty to see and do in Exeter. Perhaps take a walk along the River Exe, too.

Salisbury Hillside, Wiltshire

Visit Salisbury Cathedral – home of the best-preserved Magna Carta manuscript – and the remains of the fort at Old Sarum before relaxing in this pretty city’s green spaces.