Part of the joy of camping is the connection to nature. Waking up to the sounds of birdsong, the call of the cuckoos in spring or the twittering of the blackbirds and thrushes year-round, is one of the greatest pleasures when you’re pitched up amid the foliage of a countryside campsite.
But there’s a different kind of joy to be found in falling asleep at one of the best caravan sites for experiencing the thrum of a city: the white noise of the moving traffic, the distant chatter as pubs empty onto the streets, the peculiar stillness of a metropolis in the middle of the night.
It feels quite special to be so connected to the urban outdoors when most of the city inhabitants are tucked away within the solid walls of apartments and townhouses.
I learned this when, in 2023, I spent a few nights at Baltic Wharf in Bristol – what used to be the Caravan & Motorhome Club’s most central urban site. I had stumbled back into my Eriba after a night at Wapping Wharf, where I sank locally brewed craft beers and ate street food with friends. My bed was just a 10-minute walk from this bustling hive of Friday night revelry, and it cost a fraction of the fee a city-centre hotel would have set me back.
The following morning, I woke early to stroll along the harbour, the sun glinting off its still surface, and I was joined only by ducks and the occasional local, early rising dog walker. I am absolutely certain there is no other way you can enjoy such privileges and conveniences in a city on such a small budget.
City sites
But sadly, this experience in Bristol is no more. Last summer, the local council closed the site down to make way for new flats to be built. This came a year after the London-based Crystal Palace Club Site was shut down in late 2024, again at the will of the local authority and certainly not because there is no taste for urban camping.
In fact, there’s plenty of interest: the Baltic Wharf site was fully booked on several weekends surrounding my stay, and the Caravan & Motorhome Club’s Abbey Wood site – not quite as central but just 25 minutes from the capital’s heart via the Elizabeth Line – is regularly at capacity throughout the year. So what’s going on? Why are city centre campsites becoming a thing of the past?
“My understanding is that Baltic Wharf and Crystal Palace closed because their respective councils didn’t renew the leases, and the sites ultimately became part of wider council redevelopment plans,” says Lee Davey, the creative caravanner behind the Tin Tent YouTube channel.
“Viewed through the council’s eyes, it’s understandable from a land value perspective, but I do think it’s a shortsighted view, as cities do lose something when these campsites disappear. Sites like Baltic Wharf brought a steady stream of visitors directly into the local economy. CAMC members tend to spend money in restaurants, pubs, attractions, transport and shops, often outside the traditional hotel market.”
These sorts of sites were few and far between already, but now the urban campsite has all but disappeared in Britain. Only a handful of urban-adjacent campsites remain, such as the CAMC’s York-based Rowntree Park site, which is within walking distance of the city centre – though you’ll need to book early if you want to guarantee your pitch. Around five miles away, their Beechwood Grange site has excellent public transport links to the city, too.
Within the bounds of the M25, the Abbey Wood Club Site remains popular and the Camping & Caravanning Club has sites in Chertsey and Walton-on-Thames, all just a short train ride from the centre of London (see what I had to say about celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Camping & Caravanning Club, too).
Town touring
But campsites in or close to cities seem to be dwindling, and it’s a real shame. We could learn a thing or two from continental Europe, where motorhome parks are usually sited just a 10- or 15-minute stroll from the city or town centre. There’s even a network of city centre campsites called Citykamp, with sites in several urban heartlands such as Paris, Lyon or Angers (and see our guide on how to register a caravan for Europe if you’re planning on embarking on an overseas trip).
“I think there’s growing potential in this style of touring,” says Lee Davey, “and this was underlined when I spoke to people at the NEC show. More people are using caravans and motorhomes for shorter breaks, and city-accessible campsites fit that trend perfectly, especially when looking for winter campsites with plenty of things to do in the area.”
Last summer I stayed at another city-based campsite: the CAMC’s Edinburgh Club site. After months spent camping on windswept islands in the Outer Hebrides and pitching up in remote campsites in the Highlands, there was a real thrill in camping just a 20-minute bus ride from the city centre. The novelty of having a Waitrose just down the road and all-day dining available in hundreds of city pubs, restaurants and cafés was, by this point in my trip, just as exciting as the mountain views from campsites in the Great Glen.
I love the immersion in nature you get when you choose a small, independently run countryside campsite, but I equally love the ease of access to culture, facilities and fun in a city. There’s a time and a place for both of these things, and I hope we won’t lose the ability to explore urban centres with ease from our little homes on wheels. If you have any great city-centre campsite tips, I’m all ears.
For those of you who are touring with a pet, don’t miss my selection of the seven must-have accessories for when you’re caravanning with a dog, either.
Do you agree with Lottie? Let us know via [email protected].
You can also follow Lottie on Instagram at @lottiegross
Images: Lottie Gross
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