Hole Station Campsite - Devon Camping Holidays Testimonials

Just wanted to drop you a note to say what a wonderful time we had last week staying at your site for a few days. It’s such a wonderful site, and the changes you have made just add to our love for the place. The tarp on the pitch was brilliant, and having access to the lovely supplies, including the grill to cook on was great. Your place is a little bit of heaven, and the friendliness and hard work of you both just makes it perfect. Thank you and see you again next year.

Thanks for an awesome if brief stay - Hole Station is very special and we'll definitely be back! See you again next year (or maybe later this...?)

What a great place to stay. We ejoyed it even having to leave our beloved camper parked in the car park and used a wheel barrow to take our bedding and food to our rent a tent with it's own dinning tent and fire pit in a wooded clearing.
If you like a quiet peaceful place to stay it's here compost toilets and all .
Just a short walk from a pub 15mins along the cycle path which is just outside the campsite.
At night sat around a campfire with a glass of wine looking up to the stars what more can you ask for? We will be back there soon.

Reviewer: Cyclekitty (13) Date of Visit: April 2011 Unit: Tent


Amazing campsite! We stayed for 2 nights passing through on a cycling trip. I wouldn't say it's for everyone as it's very low impact and basic but quirky and charming at the same time.

There's only about 15-20 sites and you're quite far from your neighbours. The rent-a-tent sites look fun, as you get a small kitchen, table and chairs under a basic shelter, it has a colonial feel about it.

The fire packs are good, you let them know in advance and they provide you with everything you need for a small campfire at your site.

You can also buy local meat and eggs from them which is handy.

The showers were great, much better than I was expecting, they're low flow but the temperature and pressure are still high. The composting toilets are novel but I imagine they'd make some people cringe. They've also got full recycling and composting facilities.

It's really nice to get back to nature and to be able to do it in such an enjoyable way. Would definitely recommend it!

by Jade Price

Step off the beaten track into the wilderness, to embrace peace and nature at its very best. We all need space to breathe, away from the city, and camping is a special way to find that release. It allows us to live amongst nature and share the benefits of the natural world. Despite the UK being extremely over-populated, it still offers immense expanses of stunning wilderness. With breath-taking landscapes ranging from lakes to wooded valleys, and from lush dales to towering mountains, we can still escape from the busy to the peaceful.

Camping in the wild has become difficult over the years, with the limitations on the increase. In England and most parts of Wales ‘wild camping’, which is unregulated tent pitching, is illegal. This is due to landownership and boundaries drawn across protected areas of wilderness. Scotland is more lenient and allows you to camp almost anywhere. Naturally, campers are expected to look after the site camped at, leaving no damage or evidence of your stay. Tents must also be pitched out of sight of houses and farms. It may therefore look as though camping out in the wild in England, away from crowded sites packed with bustling families, may be unobtainable. There’s good news on the horizon; there are one or two cleverly concealed camp sites that offer seclusion, peace and fresh air.

One such place is Hole Station Campsite, located in a lovely rural area of West Devon. It is extremely private, only overlooked by the trees and a starry night. There are few camping spots available too, which means less noise and no crowding. The campsite is located off a quirky little country lane and offers its campers 45 acres of wild flower meadow and woodland. No ear-plugs required!

(inspired times issue 8 spring 2011)

Reviewer: Karen Singleton (1) Date of Visit: April 2011 Unit: Tent

We love this site so much! This was our second stay at Hole Station and I think it says a lot if you return to the same site more than once! This is as close to wild camping as you can get and the pitch we had this time was absolutely fab - set in a woodland clearing you could only see other tents if you really tried to look for them!

The owner is lovely and works so hard to maintain the natural feel of the woods as well as the happiness of his campers! You can only admire his hard work and constant smile!

We will definitely be returning here year after year - our little peace of heaven, plus our two boys absolutely love it! Complete wilderness, mud, trees and dirt - a boys heaven!

The toilets take some getting used to, not because they're compost toilets (which seriously hand on heart do not smell!) but because there's only one for men and one for women and they're next door to each other which for me personally is a little close for comfort, but not enough to put me off going again!

If you want peace and tranquillity then this is the place for you - the dawn chorus in the woods is really something you have to hear to believe!

If you go into the woods today your sure of a big surprise! Loved this place, a city dwellers adventure- camping out under the stars, campfires, four legged critters running about under the tent! Stayed here for 6 nights in our own tent although the 'hire' tents are well equipped and convenient.

Everyone was really friendly and respecting the ethos of this ecocampsite. Yes, the toilet/washing facilities are a little different to the norm but trust me you do get use to it.Fresh eggs and campfire wood for a small charge. Great base for sight seeing in North Devon/Cornwall -National Trust's Castle Drogo and Lydford Gorge and the Tamer Otter Sanctuary are all well worth a visit. Beautiful beaches at Bude and Paidstow are not too far away.

Just wanted to say a quick thank you for a lovely five days. We had a wonderful time and arrived home feeling very relaxed. We will definitely be back, and have recommended the site to our friends.

Trip over and back home now.
Thanks for the camping, I really appreciated your peaceful environment and the peace! Wish I could have had a week.
I found two small ice packs in boot of my car (in bags) so will return when we can get away again...

Just a quick note to say thanks for a wonderful stay. I wish we'd had a little longer to enjoy the great facilities and explore. We are already planning a return visit in the late summer but we are keen to involve our wives and children who would love Hole Station.

We have just spent a week at the Hole station campsite and had a fantastic time. We booked the 'rent a tent' as we have a 9 month old baby. The setting was so beautiful and peaceful. Having the tent and kitchen area all set up was a real treat and made it a much simpler experience- less time organising and more time relaxing!

The pitches are really nice and big and secluded by the woods, we really felt that we had got away from it all. Yet all the facilities you needed are close by. There is a shower unit and compost toilets, full recycling facilities and a little caravan with games and a book swap.

They also have dogs, goats, horses and chickens(you can buy the eggs from them).

It was great to be able to have fires on your pitch as most sites won't allow this.

There is a gorgeous pub in Sheepwash a couple of miles away with great food.

We would totally recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a quieter more chilled camping holiday- a real gem of a place, I'm sure we will be back soon.

I just wanted to thank you for the camping over the Easter weekend. It's a beautiful area and the facilities at the site were great. Despite the weather it was exactly what we were looking for.

Review by: Ent751 (2) Date of Visit: August 2009 Unit used: Tent

Just returned from a fabulous few days at this site, we were met by the owner and kids were immediately introduced to Mr Crash the goat, followed by Holly and Star the dogs. We were shown to our pitch which was along a boarded pathway and in the woods absolutely fab location overlooking a clearing to spy the owls later on in the evening. Cars are not parked next to the tents so pack light and be prepared for a bit of to and fro with the wheelbarrows.

The site itself is small and very quiet (no music or tv's which was heaven), kids will enjoy the making of dens, tree climbing, walks in the wood and to the local pub. Campfires are provided and are great to relax by with copious amounts of marshamallows and wine. The pitches are all woodchipped so the tents are kept nice and clean and any rain that does come soaks through with hardly any mud coming back up.

The facilities include showers, toilets, washing up and recyling. The compost toilets take a little getting used to but they are cleaner than some of the standard toilets I have been in and the owners regularly check them and make sure they are all in order. There are also plans in the pipeline to improve the supply of hot water which was nice to see.

We went out on most of the days and found that most places were within 45 min drive i.E Bude, Dartmoor etc. The nearest supermarket was approx 4 miles away and the local pub could be walked to in 15-20minutes with nice reasonable food.

All in all we would recommend this site to anyone who wants a relaxing holiday and enjoy the wildlife - we will certainly be going again and I know the kids want to see Mr Crash again lol.

Review by: Terry319 (1) Date of Visit: August 2009 Unit used: Trailer Tent

A warm welcome and help to move onto our pitch was our introduction to Hole Station and to Greg. Nothing was too much trouble. Don't worry about the compost toilet it's practically odourless and a major improvement on most public toilets. Young children were having a great time, their parents relaxed with no on site traffic to worry about. Campfires were popular and excellent, the last time I sat with friends around one of these was in about 1954. Thanks Greg for a great experience.

Review by: Sharonwest Date of Visit: June 2009 Unit used: Tent

We stayed in a rent a tent at Hole station, as we wanted to try out camping with our daughter before updating our small tent.

The site is situated down a small lane next to woodland.The eco toilets and shower are great.

The pitches were huge, with the bonus of the paths and pitches covered with shredded pine, which meant despite the two very rainy days whilst there, we and the tent did not get muddy!Both the dining shelter and communal tent area were boarded as well.

The dining shelter had all the equipment we've been meaning to buy but not got round to( a decent cooker that didn't take 5 hours to make a cup of tea on like our one). It was good to have a separate area to sit in for food.

We had a campfire every night, which I would thoroughly recommend. Greg the owner could not have been more helpful, and we're glad we took his suggestion of going to the Hatherleigh market on Tuesday - not to be missed!

There are chickens, a goat, two horses, two dogs and a cat on site who our little girl was enthralled with.

I would heartily recommend this campsite as one of the best ways to camp closer to the outdoors with minimal impact on the surrounding environment!

Review by: Chelsea girl Date of Visit: July 2009 Unit used: Tent

Really didn't want to write this review because I want to keep Hole Station Campsite a secret!

We have just returned from a fantastic weekend at Hole Station. 8 of us had the 'Super pitch' camping area of the site, our tents were pre-erected as was a cooking area, covered seating / table area, firepit with rustic home made benches, and we even had our own private 'eco loo' beside our pitch.

The site itself is set in very pretty woodland off the beaten track. We were met by the very friendly and relaxed owner who personally showed us to our pitch and even helped transport our luggage! The super pitch is a distance from the main car park area so would advise to pack light, there are wheelbarrows near the car park which are very handy for heavy items.

Showers/toilets are near the entrance, along with the washing up area, recycling and wood collection area (for your firepits), and the information caravan / library.

Despite the torrential rain that we had had in the previous 2 weeks to our stay the pitch was not muddy and all pitches are covered in wood shavings / chips. The walkways to the pitches have also been boarded out. The pre-erected tents are a great idea - on the super pitch there were 2 x 4 man tents, a 3 man tent and a 2 man tent. The tent porch areas had been boarded with wood and each porch had a couple of fold up chairs.

Camp site guests have the run of the forest so lots of lovely walks and paradise for dogs. We did walk the disused railway path to the Golden Inn at Highampton (friendly landlord and locals) with large beer garden, (would advise to take torches at night).

Composting toilets - absolutely fine (even with the fussy women in our party!) clean and very well made.

Overall opinion - Unspoilt, relaxed, natural campsite for lovers of the outdoors and nature, wake up to the sound of trees rustling and woodpeckers and pheasants. We cant wait to go back!

I just wanted to let you know how much we all enjoyed last week's stay at Hole Station. The facilities were excellent and we stayed dry despite the weather, thanks to your hard work on the pitches. Graeme had a brilliant birthday and we found it lovely to catch up with our friends with no distractions, other than the wildlife. My ears still haven't got used to being back home, after the quiet of the site!

We all thought you were really helpful, relaxed and friendly too, which really helped make our holiday.

Looking forward to seeing you next year!

Susannah, Graeme, Lisa, Lisa, Rich and Chris.

Finally got round to submitting a review on our recent stay at Hole Station campsite.
The first thing that we wanted to say was that this was an ideal setting for a "chill-out" break,away from noise and organised camping.
What a lovely setting for a campsite and quiet 50th birthday celebration ...just one question...Why can't you supply good weather too! That has to be the only complaint.
Our visit coinsided with some of the heaviest rainfall ever,but didn't get muddy thanks to your woodchips on each pitch.Saw a Red Deer,buzzard,green woodpecker and tree creeper all within the area of the site.Not to mention "Star" who seemed to adopt us at mealtimes.Great start to a fine campsite...Will be back soon
Martin and Sarah K.

Thanks for your hospitality when I stayed at Hole Station recently. I came for a quiet birthday celebration with a few friends, we all had a great time. We stayed on the Rentatent superpitch and I am so glad we did! Everything we could possibly have needed was there on the pitch, and the privacy was very much appreciated, as were the campfires. An unexpected bonus was seeing a greater spotted woodpecker in an oak tree next to our pitch, I was brewing coffee and there it was!
Your conservation efforts in the woods and meadows are commendable and very worthwhile - well done all and I very much look forward to returning to Hole Station.

We happened upon this campsite completely by accident and were so glad we did. The owners were so friendly as too were their cat and dogs and chickens and horses...!! The whole site had a lovely feel to it and was very quiet and peaceful. They have a norwegien rail carriage which I believe you can stay in and the whole atmosphere was a delight. If I am ever camping that way again Iʼll definitely drop in, Neil and Shirley...x

My husband and I have camped in many places over the years but this was our first trip with our 5 month old daughter. This is the sort of campsite that we have been trying to find for years! The site is quiet, beautiful and unspoilt as there aren’t that many pitches. The woodlands are beautiful and we got to feed the chickens our leftovers and get to know the family dog and cat. The family were so kind and helpful and they have such a wonderful outlook it certainly made our holiday.
The rent a tent idea is fantastic, especially as we had so much extra baby stuff this time and we were so glad we didn’t have to put the tents down in the rain. Unfortunately it rained most days but we were in an all weather pitch (woodchip around tent area) so we didn’t get muddy. There are plenty of places to visit if it does rain, the otter sanctuary is lovely and we managed to sniff out lots of lovely cream teas. If you are looking for a quiet get away in a lovely part of the country this is the one for you.
We shall definitely be back again, and look forward to watching our daughter explore the woodlands more when her little legs can carry her.

A really brilliant campsite; it was great to cook over an open fire and go for walks in the woods with the kids. The 1926 railway carriage made for a truly unique ablution block, as well as kitchen and reading room! The kids were able to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. I loved the fact that the cars were in a separate area and a wheelbarrow was to hand for transporting your gear to the pitch. A friendly camping experience and we will definitely go back.

We stayed at your campsite recently, it was one of the best camping experiences I have had, quiet, lovely walks through the woods, beautiful countryside and really quiet roads! Your recommendations on local places to visit were all excellent (especially the archery!). We will be back for a few more days in August, looking forward to it.