Camping Near Bradford-on-Avon

Our First Trip of the Summer

Camping near Bradford-on-Avon on our first camping trip, now that the COVID-19 lockdown routines have started to ease. The trip was overdue, incredibly welcome and was dual purpose – to camp and to celebrate our friend’s 40th birthday. We booked the campsite ages ago, hoping it would be open. Our prayers were answered, and the site opened only a few days before our arrival. It was my friend Rob’s 40^th birthday. I’ve known him since 2010, when we first met at the Defence School of Photography. I finished the course first and headed to Plymouth with Rob, who was enrolled on the course behind me, following five or six months later. We spent a lot of time together learning our new trade…and the rest is history, as they say.

The Blackberries Camping Park

Back to camping near Bradford-on-Avon…we stayed at The Blackberries Camping Park. The site sits at the top of the steepest road on Earth! I didn’t think Bumper was going to make it after we hit a few potholes and lost all traction…but we made it safe and sound. Overall, the site was pleasant. It was designed with nature in mind, with pitches divided by wild meadows, trees and shrubs. But the best bit was the goats—four of them who loved to be fed. 

We got a fire going on the first night. The campsite owner told us to keep it off the grass to avoid damaging it. This wasn’t very convenient, and as usual, I know best, so I decided to find some rocks to put the burner on. What I didn’t take into consideration was the ash that fell through the bottom of the burner. It goes without saying what the grass looked like the next day, after the owner had moved the burner while we were away, revealing a bald patch. Oops. I went to reception with my tail between my legs…to get more wood (and apologise, of course). The wood was £5 for a box of hardwood. We found loads of branches to use as kindling to get the fire going, which also saved us from buying it.

On Sunday morning, we became handy in the camper van kitchen. We cooked up a bit of a fry-up for the lot of us, which is a little challenge in such a small space. The rest of the time, we cooked over the fire with our little portable stove. Both parties brought bread, burgers and sausages, so we had an overload of meat over the weekend. Note for next time – coordinate food supplies!

Rob and Helen had their little lad, Stirling, with them. He spent more time in Bumper than anywhere else, I think. Using him as leverage, I tried my hardest to convince them to get a van and join the camper van movement. So far, I am unsuccessful, but watch this space; the conversation is not over.

Bradford-on-Avon

Bradford-on-Avon was only a ten-minute drive from the site. We’d been here before, but our travelling buddies hadn’t, so we headed for a little look around. We love the place. It has a nice, relaxed feel with fantastic architecture and history, but without the coachloads of tourists. Or should that be boatloads, given there is a canal? There’s a car park at the top of one of the hills, which is free. You may not consider that a bonus, but by the time you have got to the bottom and seen all the cute little terrace houses and alleyways, you’ll change your mind…until it’s time to walk back up.

But if a two-year-old can manage it, I’m sure you can too! I’ve put the car park on the map at the bottom of the page if you can’t find it. When you leave the car park on foot, heading towards the town, take a right at the first fork and wind your way down the hill for the best experience. You might get lost, but that’s the best bit about exploring anywhere, right?! And you won’t go far wrong as long as gravity is still on your side.

Despite being a relatively small and relaxed place, it has the most chaotic little road. There’s a roundabout with nowhere safe to cross, and it’s more congested than the M25 at rush hour. But despite your life being in danger, don’t let this put you off visiting. There’s a tearoom called The Bridge Tea Rooms, which dates back to circa 1502, and we will one day see it; it’s a good indicator of the town’s history, which can be traced back to Roman origins. The town later grew in the 17th century, fueled by the wool industry, which brought in vast wealth.

We went to this little bakery called Parsons for lunch. I got a bacon sarnie. You can see from the picture below just how delicious it was, can’t you? And it was only £2.50. We sat in the little grassy spot by the Tourist Information and chewed the fat, literally and metaphorically. I can’t remember the last time we just sat somewhere like that for lunch and enjoyed the world going by. According to Helen (Rob’s wife), we share everything we eat. We hadn’t really noticed before. But if there was ever a time I didn’t want to share, it was now. Stacey ate most of my bacon sandwich (OK, maybe only a couple of bites), depriving me of all the best bits.

A Brief Visit to Bath…

­Camping near Bradford-on-Avon was a blast. But ever the opportunists, we weren’t ready to return home, so we popped into Bath on the way. The last time we visited Bath, it left a sour taste in our mouths, with a spot of food poisoning too. It was really refreshing to revisit. It was clean and tidy, with a friendly, happy vibe. The sun definitely helps with the latter, but with partial lockdown still in place, it reduced the usual tourist numbers you might expect on a warm July day, as well as the normal number of stag and hen parties. Thinking of Camping near Bradford-on-Avon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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