Thistledown Campsite, Nympsfield, The Cotswolds

Thistledown is a family run farm which has been managed organically since the owners moved there in 1994. Thistledown offers an alternative approach to camping: green values are emphasised, campfires are encouraged, the lower fields are car-free and there are no allotted pitches.

The farm offers more than just a spot to pitch a tent. Footpaths wind their way through 70 acres of ancient meadow and woodland; past streams, woodland ponds, Roman troughs, animal paddocks, picnic spots and land art. The owners have set up a farm shop so that visitors have an opportunity to buy local produce from small scale suppliers (including the owner's own sausages and lamb burgers), as well as local art and crafts. At the weekend, the shop stocks milk and dairy, meat, fresh bread, ice creams, preserves and much more, all sourced from the local area. There is a clay oven and café space used for pizza evenings and slow-cooked lunches.

The farm has a rich and varied history. They have found neolithic hand tools, a rare iron age storage pit, the remains of various roundhouses, and evidence for Roman occupation. In later centuries, the farm was part of the Woodchester Park Estate. You can still see the remains of the seven mile-long deer wall that enclosed the valley. This formed part of the Woodchester Estate, which borders us to the North. This is a lovely area for a walk, and Woodchester Mansion is well worth a visit. The farm is managed to promote wildlife, and the lower pastures have a good selection of wild flowers in the early summer, attracting lots of insects. The owners have planted areas of new woodland and we also act as a wildlife receptor site, rehoming animals disturbed by development elsewhere. 

The old pastures are now car-free camping fields, whilst clearings are mown into the elderflower orchard for campervans and those who prefer to be near their car. The lower pastures have hot showers, washing up facilities and composting toilets. Wheelbarrows are provided to carry belongings from the car parking to the campings areas, and lifts are available in a lightweight 4x4 buggy. The Elderflower Orchard is much more basic, with events toilets only (you can walk 4 mins to use facilities in the lower pastures). You can have your own fire pit in any area, and firewood is usually delivered daily. There is a discount of £5 per tent in the lower pastures if you arrive via bike, public transport or on foot.