Mendip Basecamp, an award-winning off-grid family adventure camp in the Mendip Hills National Landscape, is located just over an hour and twenty minutes from Cardiff. With a few weeks left in the summer holidays, families can still book a trip to this site, which features an activity centre just 5 minutes away.
Award-Winning Campsite
The campsite was crowned Silver Winner at the 2025 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year category. It spans three fields, offering non-electric grass pitches for tents and campervans under 2.7m tall. Shared facilities are nearby, and campers can choose their own spot.
For those who prefer not to assemble a tent, the site’s Nomadic Bell Tents come pre-pitched with camp mattresses. The Glamphouse safari tents offer a more luxurious option, ideal for families or small groups.
Facilities and Evening Entertainment
Facilities include toilet and shower blocks with individual cubicles and family-friendly options. While there are no electric hook-ups, USB charge points are available. Evenings feature live music, storytelling, silent discos, and circus skills. Fire pits are normally available to hire, but the UK Government has asked the public not to do anything that could start a fire, in an emergency alert on Friday, August 14.
Activities for All Ages
The activity centre offers over 20 outdoor activities, including rock climbing, caving, paddleboarding, frisbee golf, and tobogganing. Visitors can learn to ski on a dry slope or paddle across a lake. The private watersports venue in Hewish near Weston-super-Mare offers canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Outdoor climbing sessions take place on a limestone rock face at Sandford Quarry, with expert guidance from highly qualified instructors.
Archery, axe throwing, air rifles, and frisbee shooting are available year-round. The 18-hole Frisbee Golf Course winds through rolling hilltops and woodland trails. Seasonal events include kids' adventure camps, Twilight Tobogganing in winter, and new 'Mendip Mini Fests'—family-friendly festival-style weekends included at no extra cost.
The Alpine Lounge, an alpine-style cafe at the main centre, serves coffee, cake, and hot food daily, including breakfast rolls, pizzas, and paninis. A shop on site provides camping must-haves and snacks.
Basecamp is open on all weekends and throughout school holidays from 15th May to 6th September 2026. Booking is highly recommended, especially on weekends and during school holidays.
