Conker Tree Farm

The chestnut trees that give this Rutland farm its name cast dappled shade across the grass on warm afternoons, and come September the ground crunches underfoot with fallen conkers that'll delight any child still young enough to thread one on string.

This is proper low-key camping — grass pitches for tents, campervans and caravans, toilets and showers onsite, nothing fancy, which suits families after countryside peace and dog walkers exploring England's smallest county. Rutland Water's close enough to make this a sensible base for cyclists on the round-reservoir route or sailors launching from one of the marinas, though you're equally well-placed for rambling the rolling farmland that makes this corner of the East Midlands feel surprisingly remote.

Campfires are sometimes allowed but check when you arrive — the owners will let you know what's workable. It's a friendly, farm-stay sort of place where you pitch up, unwind, and remember that camping doesn't need bells and whistles to feel exactly right.