Motorhoming in the South West

Whether you travel the length or breadth of our isle in your motorhome, you’re going to find somewhere beautiful or interesting to park up. We live in a picturesque part of the world, and England has more than its fair share of wonderful places to relax, explore and savour. In this edition of our blog we’re going to focus on five great places, so point your campervans south west and let’s go!

Here’s an offbeat suggestion. If you’re interested in visually impressive examples of the ancient British Isles – specifically megalithic culture – then you’re going to find Avebury and its surrounding areas in Wiltshire are really rich ground for you. Avebury itself is a World Heritage Site and contains the largest megalithic stone circle in the world – but it is also part of a much larger prehistoric landscape containing other fascinating sites such as West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury Hill and the world famous Stonehenge (which is 24 miles away).

The earliest signs of human activity around Avebury seem to be from around 7,000 years BC but the henge, outer stone circle and two inner stone circles date from around 3,000 years BC. The village of Avebury lies within the stone circles, and you are free to wander amongst them. Nobody knows exactly what these monuments were for, but many theories abound and if you’re looking to absorb theories as well as relevant information then it’s a good idea to invest in a copy of Julian Cope’s wonderful book The Modern Antiquarian. The Visitors Centre at Avebury provides guided tours and the Alexander Keiller Museum houses some of the most interesting artefacts discovered on the site.

The whole area is steeped in a certain mystique which makes it truly special to explore, and it’s worth scheduling a day of your motorhome trip to land up here and immerse yourself in pre-history. There are several campervan or motorhome sites within ten miles of Avebury, near the towns of Calne and Marlborough, so you should find somewhere nearby to stay relatively easily. Avebury itself has a car park offering all day parking at a reasonable rate for motorhomes. There’ll definitely be field-walking involved during your stay, so don’t forget your boots!

A mere hour away from Avebury lies another interesting World Heritage Site – the city of Bath. Former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel has lived close by for many years and in 1977 released his first solo single, Solsbury Hill. This modest mound – which is way too difficult to access in a motorhome, so be prepared to go on foot – is really worth a visit as it offers an incredible view onto the beautiful city below.

Bath, sited on the River Avon, was a favourite place for the Romans and they built baths on the hot springs there in the first century AD. This awe-inspiring building remains to this day, restored as a visitors centre and therefore a great focus for your trip into the centre of Bath. You can explore the complex, walk on the original Roman pavements and see the ruins of the Temple of Sulis Minerva as well as visit the museum collection which contains many Roman artefacts.

The rest of Bath is equally as stunning. The Royal Crescent a wonderful example of Georgian architecture, a huge Grade I listed building containing thirty terraced houses. A museum at No.1 offers a great chance to discover more, and actually walk through one of these incredibly impressive  spaces. Nearby, the Herschel Museum Of Astronomy provides great insight into the life of composer and astronomer William Herschel who, using a telescope from this very house, discovered the planet Uranus in 1781. Author Jane Austen lived in the city in the early 19th century and worked on The Watsons and Susan (which became Northanger Abbey) while there. The Jane Austen Centre, a museum dedicated to her time there, is just a ten minute walk from her home on Sidney Place.

It’s almost impossible to do this most wonderful city justice in just a few paragraphs. There is so much to see and do, and we recommend you park up at one of the caravan and motorhome sites near or on the edge of the city and spend a couple of days exploring.

Down to Cornwall, now, and a visit to the forward-thinking Eden Project. This epic garden space, which nestle in a reclaimed china clay pit the size of 30 football pitches, is a dramatic paradise. The pit, which was used a location in the BBC’s 1981 series the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) is located about 3 miles from the town of St. Austell (another TV connection – the birthplace of John Nettles, aka Bergerac). The project itself featured in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day.

The project is dominated by two huge greenhouse enclosures consisting of distinctive adjoining domes that house thousands of plant species. The hexagonal-patterned biomes simulate non-British conditions – the first a rainforest, and the second a Mediterranean environment. It also has an outside botanical garden which is home to many plants and wildlife native to Cornwall and the UK in general.

The Eden Project is a space age botanic marvel was specifically designed with an educational environmental mission: To promote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources leading to a sustainable future for all. It took two-and-a-half years to construct and opened to the public in early 2001. Visitors are welcome to park motorhomes or campervans in the car park. Unfortunately, no overnight parking is permitted.

All seaside towns are beautiful – whether they’re ‘preserved in time’ relics which exude the charm and old-fashioned glory of shoreline resort holidays, or places buzzing with modern facilities and the young. Torbay offers both. It’s a 25 square mile area in Devon which contains three beautiful resort towns (Torquay, Paignton and Brixham) and 20 miles of sandy beaches along a 22-mile stretch of coast. Unspoilt with some breath-taking views and a usually excellent climate, it’s no wonder this area is known as the English Riviera. You’ll find plenty to do and plenty to see, and it’s a relaxing and beautiful area to point your motorhome towards.

It’s a great location for soaking in the sun or seeing the sights. Torquay has a selection of great museums, galleries and attractions to visit. Amongst the best are: Babbacombe Model Village, which represents the last five or six decades of British life and culture in miniature. Animated scenes, along with touches of very English humour bring it all to life, and it’s a charming way to spend a bit of your precious leisure time. The town was also the birthplace of the legendary ‘queen of crime’ author Agatha Christie, so no holiday would be complete without the walking tour in her honour, which takes in the site of her childhood home and other interesting places from her life.

All this plus the beautiful cathedral city of Exeter only 20 or so miles away…