Crossways

The gate clicks shut behind you, and suddenly it's just canvas, grass, and the particular quiet of the English countryside settling in for the evening.

Crossways welcomes both tents and campervans, and while the facilities list is refreshingly unfussy, the pitch-what-you-need simplicity will suit couples after a proper digital detach, solo campers who pack light, and anyone tired of regimented rows. If you're bringing a dog, best to ask ahead — they're open to it, just want to know you're coming. The lack of fanfare suggests this is a place that lets the landscape do the talking, wherever in the UK it happens to be tucked away.

Campfires are worth checking about on arrival — they may say yes depending on conditions, which adds a flicker of possibility to your evening plans. Expect a back-to-basics feel, the kind of site where you remember why you started camping in the first place. Quiet, unpretentious, and perfectly adequate if you've brought what you need and left the rest behind.