Camping in Cornwall: a farm campsite on the north coast

Looking for camping in Cornwall without the crowds of a big holiday park? Lower Pennycrocker Farm is a quiet, family-run campsite on the North Cornwall coast, about two miles from Boscastle and around seven miles from Tintagel. It has been in our family for more than 80 years.

Why camp on the north coast?

North Cornwall is the wilder side of the county: high cliffs, sandy coves at low tide, small harbour villages and the South West Coast Path running the full length of the shore. From the farm you are close to Boscastle harbour, Crackington Haven, Tintagel and the beaches around Bude, with Port Isaac and Padstow within an easy drive.

What kind of campsite is Pennycrocker?

We are a working farm site rather than a resort. There's no clubhouse or entertainment, just open fields, big skies, free hot showers and parking beside your pitch. It suits couples, families and small groups who want peace and the outdoors.

Who we welcome

• Tents of all sizes
• Touring caravans, motorhomes and campervans
• Families and couples
• Dogs, maximum two per booking
• Groups of up to 8 people

Prices per night

Adult	£10
Child (5 and over)	£5
Electric hook-up	£7
Dog (max two)	£2 each

Awnings are free and so are the showers. See pitches & prices for details.

When to come

We are open from 1 April to 31 October and reception is open 9am–7pm. Spring brings wildflowers on the cliffs, summer is best for beaches, and September and October are often calm and quieter.

Why choose a farm campsite for camping in Cornwall

Cornwall has hundreds of places to pitch a tent, from big holiday parks with pools and bars to tiny fields behind a pub. Camping in Cornwall at a working family farm sits somewhere in between: you get proper facilities and a well-kept site, but the evenings belong to birdsong, big skies and the sound of the wind over the hedges rather than a disco. At Lower Pennycrocker Farm we have kept it that way on purpose. Our family has looked after this land for more than 80 years, and Colin and Karyn still run the campsite themselves.

If you are comparing a North Cornwall campsite with somewhere on the busier south coast, the difference is space. Our open grass fields give every tent, touring caravan and motorhome room to breathe, your car parks beside your pitch, and the views stretch out across the countryside towards the sea. Guests regularly tell us the site is quiet, spacious and relaxed — the reason many of them come back year after year.

Where we are in North Cornwall

Lower Pennycrocker Farm is at St Juliot, Boscastle, Cornwall PL35 0BY, about two miles from Boscastle harbour and roughly two miles off the A39 Atlantic Highway. For the exact gate, use What3Words happen.violinist.inserted. That location puts some of the most dramatic coastline in England on your doorstep:

• Boscastle — about 2 miles, with its harbour, cafés and coast path. See camping in Boscastle.
• Crackington Haven — about 5 miles, a sheltered cove with rock pools. See our Crackington Haven guide.
• Tintagel — about 7 miles, for the castle and cliffs. Read our Tintagel guide.
• Bodmin Moor and Rough Tor — about 6 miles inland.
• Bude and Port Isaac — each about 15 miles, both easy day trips.
• The South West Coast Path — about half a mile down the lane.

Because we sit between the coast and the moor, a single base covers beaches, cliff walks, fishing villages and open moorland. Most guests never feel the need to move on to a second campsite.

Camping options: tents, touring caravans and motorhomes

Tent camping in Cornwall

Our grass pitches suit everything from a one-person backpacking tent to a large family tunnel tent with a porch. Awnings and pup tents are free, so there is no extra charge for the little tent the children sleep in. Read tent camping in Cornwall for pitching tips and what to pack for coastal weather.

Touring caravans and motorhomes

We welcome touring caravans, motorhomes and campervans, with electric hook-up available at £7 a night. The final approach is along narrow Cornish lanes with passing places, so take your time. Our touring caravans and motorhomes page covers arrival, hook-up and the route in.

Family and group camping

Children aged 5 and over are £5 a night, and groups are limited to a maximum of 8 people, which keeps the site calm for everyone. See family camping in Cornwall for ideas that keep children busy on and off site.

Dog-friendly camping in Cornwall

Up to two dogs per booking are welcome at £2 each per night. Please keep them on a lead around the farm and clean up after them. The full policy is on our dog-friendly camping page.

Simple, honest prices

Our 2026 prices are per night: adults £10, children 5+ £5, electric hook-up £7 and dogs £2 each (maximum two). Awnings, pup tents and showers are free, and parking beside your pitch is included. As an example, two adults with a tent and no electric pay £20 a night; two adults and two children aged 5+ with electric pay £37. Full details are on pitches and prices.

We are open from 1 April to 31 October, and reception is open 9am–7pm. Call 07967 605392 if you will arrive late.

Facilities on site

We keep facilities straightforward and well looked after: free hot showers, toilets, a disabled toilet and a washing-up room. There is no shop, bar, pool or play area — this is a quiet farm campsite, not a holiday park. Boscastle has shops and places to eat a short drive away. See campsite facilities for more.

What to do when camping in North Cornwall

Walks and the coast path

The South West Coast Path is the main reason many walkers choose this part of Cornwall. From Boscastle you can walk south past Willapark headland towards Rocky Valley and Tintagel, or north-east past Pentargon and Beeny Cliff towards Crackington Haven and High Cliff. Inland, the wooded Valency valley leads up towards St Juliot church. Our walks near Boscastle guide and the best walks from Boscastle post have routes for every level.

Beaches

North Cornwall beaches range from rocky coves to long surf beaches. Crackington Haven, Bossiney, The Strangles, Widemouth Bay and the beaches around Bude are all within reach; some Bude beaches are lifeguarded in summer. Read beaches near Boscastle before you go, and always check tide times.

Villages and day trips

Port Isaac, Padstow, Bude and Tintagel each make a full day out. We have written separate guides to the Port Isaac day trip, the Padstow day trip and the Bude day trip, with parking tips and ideas for combining them.

Food and rainy days

For cafés, pubs and takeaways close to the farm, see places to eat near Boscastle. Cornish weather changes fast, so we have also put together a rainy day in North Cornwall list of indoor options and sheltered walks.

When to go camping in Cornwall

Our season runs from April to October, and each part of it has something different:

• April and May — quieter lanes, spring flowers in the hedges and long light evenings. Nights can still be cold, so pack warm layers.
• June — often settled weather, very long days and fewer crowds than the school holidays.
• July and August — the busiest weeks, with the warmest sea. Book early if you need specific dates.
• September and October — calmer beaches, golden light and some of the best walking weather. See our autumn camping in Cornwall post.

Whenever you visit, pack for wind and rain as well as sun. Our North Cornwall camping packing list and camping in wind and rain guide will help.

Booking your Cornwall camping holiday

You can check availability and book on our home page, or call Colin and Karyn on 07967 605392 between 9am and 7pm. Email colin.heard@yahoo.com if you prefer. Tell us your dates, the number of adults, children and dogs, your unit (tent, caravan or motorhome) and whether you need electric. Booking direct means you speak to the family who run the site, and you can ask anything before you arrive. Our booking tips post explains how to get the dates you want.

Getting here

Most guests drive via the A39 and then follow the lanes towards Boscastle and St Juliot. The lanes are narrow in places, so allow extra time with a caravan or motorhome and use passing places. Postcodes in rural Cornwall cover large areas, so use What3Words for the gate. Our getting here page has the full directions.

More camping guides

For everything else, browse the guides hub, our camping in North Cornwall guide and the Tips journal.

Choosing a campsite in Cornwall

There are hundreds of campsites in Cornwall, from big holiday parks with pools and entertainment to small farm sites like ours. The right one depends on your trip. If you want space, quiet evenings and simple, clean facilities, a farm campsite suits you well; if you want a pool and a clubhouse, a holiday park may suit better. We explain the difference honestly in caravan parks vs farm campsites in Cornwall, and our checklist on how to choose the best campsite in Cornwall covers pitches, prices, dogs and noise.

Camping holidays in Cornwall from a north coast base

Lower Pennycrocker Farm is about two miles from Boscastle and about half a mile from the South West Coast Path. From here, Tintagel is about 7 miles, Crackington Haven about 5 miles and Bude and Port Isaac about 15 miles. We are not a beachfront site, but there is a good choice of beaches within a short drive; see camping near beaches in Cornwall. Many guests come for a week; others come for a short camping break of two or three nights.

When to book

July, August and bank holiday weekends are the busiest times. May, June and September are often quieter, with good weather for walking. Our best time to visit Cornwall guide compares the months.