Stonehenge Campsite- Summer Solstice

A motor home site for the Summer Solstice

This is a very attractive campsite, just off the A303, within cycling/walking distance of Stonehenge.

It has a large open camping field and a beautifully landscaped area for camping pods,( if you want to leave your unit or gear at home), and motor homes and caravans and most of these are hard standing.

It used to be a certified site and the attention to detail in the landscaping through the sheer efforts of the owner is highly commendable. He then decided to expand with 2 camping fields, complete with fire pits.

There are two portable cabins for showers etc but do not let this put you off, they are immaculate, especially for the ladies. There are, however, only two showers in each ,so these come under strain in peak periods. The managers are aware of this and try to manage demand accordingly.

Portable toilets are provided in the camping fields to ease demand.

A nice touch is the well equipped ‘campers’ kitchen with 4 ring hob, microwave with free tea and coffee making facilities and also eggs provided but hardly surprising, you have to pay for these.

There is a village pub, ‘The Boot’ and farm shop, both within walking distance and most of it off road.

The highlight of the season is the ‘Summer Solstice’, a 4 day extravaganza from 18th to 21st June and very reasonably priced at £25 per night, given the popularity of this event, as it will be sold out by March.

It has a unique atmosphere with a communal area reserved for singing and music around the central fire, so if you are a frustrated  new age traveller, a closet druid or just want to have fun, then this could be the place for you.

The climax is the summer solstice at the stones and as part of your campsite fee, the site provides a free shuttle bus to Stonehenge. (or you can walk, see below

Or alternatively if you want to  come at a quieter time to enjoy the excellent walking then you will be assured off a warm welcome.

Stonehenge is a pleasant, cross country, 2 hour walk from the site, (glad they have now updated website as previously it was suggested it is an hour and a half walk) and with an ATB it is an easy bike ride. They will provide you with a map but an OS map would not go amiss. All in all it is about a 10 miles round trip.

Tip National Trust Members get free access into Stonehenge even though this is an English Heritage site.

Other Walks

Tip The site is probably better for walking than cycling, though there are many quiet roads and byways, these are often bisected by busy roads or the byways are not easily cycled. The potential for a good network of cycle routes is enormous.

Salisbury OS Map 184 (10 miles approx)

Walk to Stapleford, you can avoid the road for most of the trip, and then take the Chain Hill byway, crossing the A360, picking up the footpath  to the church at Middle Woodford.

You then take the Avon valley into Salisbury and again you can avoid roads for most of the walk.

You walk into Old Sarum, passing the Camping and Caravan site, into the city.

Alternatively you can cross the Avon  bridge below Old Sarum and follow the river into the City.

After exploring the town, where undoubtedly the cathedral is the main draw, let the bus take the strain for the return - Red Route No 2- the campsite will have a timetable

Wilton OS Map 184 (8 miles approx)

On this walk you take the bus to Wilton . Ask the bus to drop you off at the Wilton Factory Outlets as you can then walk from here to the main sites. Wilton is a pleasant market town, whose wealth was originally dependent on wool, unfortunately it does suffer from heavy traffic.  Places of  interest include Wilton House, home to the Earls of Pembroke (admission charge) the far end of the town, the Italianate Church and the old church on the green and the old Wilton Factory (now a shopping centre) .

You walk past the main church, then to St Johns on your left which are now private houses and then you immediately cross the road and go under the railway bridge, which faces you.

To your left there is a byway which goes up to Grovely Hill.

Take the first public bridleway on your right (ignore the permissive bridleways) to Hadden Hill and then follow this all the way down to Greater Wishford and then follow the river back to Stapleford and then to Berwick.