Bales Ash Campsite

From £20 For 1 night, 2 adults 9.6 69 reviews
Space to play for everyone (added by manager 30 Jan 2023)
The hut in the spring sunshine (added by manager 23 aug 2022)
The pitch (added by manager 23 aug 2022)
The communal campfire, perfect to meet fellow guests (added by manager 23 jun 2015)

  • Laidback campsite in a peaceful north Devon location
  • Rosemoor Gardens 15 minutes' drive; 35 minutes to north coast beaches
  • Devon cream teas available; firepits for hire
With a low carbon footprint, views to make your eyes water, homemade cakes and scones and a warm welcome for the pooch… it's no surprise that guests glow with warmth about the spacious Bales Ash Campsite near Umberleigh. Described by its amiable owners as 'a little green campsite in the heart of north Devon', Bales Ash sits up above the Taw Valley amid countryside of the beaut variety and fab views across to nearby Exmoor. The Tarka Trail is within easy driving distance and the (also fab) surfing beaches of north Devon are within about 12 miles. As you might expect from a site that endorses 'camping as it used to be', the vibe is relaxed and friendly. The amenities are kept to a spotless standard and include three hot showers, three eco-friendly compost loos, a shared portable toilet and outdoor Belfast sinks with hot and cold water. Wifi is available and guests can charge phones for free in the shower block. Water at Bales Ash comes from the site's borehole and is treated to provide pristinely clean fresh drinking water; tap water standpipes are also on each pitching field. All of the electric comes from 40 solar panels. There's also recycling collection. Teas and cakes can be baked on request (surely something to request as soon as you arrive) and the owners specialise in top-notch gluten-free baking. There's a shop selling cakes on site. And then settle down to stargaze or to sit by a firepit (for hire for a small charge): guests glow with warmth about the quiet of this place too.

Site type

Tent pitches 25
Motorhome pitches 25
Rent a tent 1
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 2
Open all year
Please note
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Twin axle vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.

Languages spoken

English

French

German

Spanish

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

99%

would recommend this site to a friend

97%

would stay here again

  • 85%
    10
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    8
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

So warm and welcoming at the site and an amazing location

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Richard S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

The Beech Hut cabin

Liked: Everything stayed in the beach hut and wow what a little building so nice and relaxing everything you could need in a small space.

Disliked: Nothing as everything we needed was within easy reach

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice and friendly campsite, good for group/multi pitch camping.

Overall 6/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 6
Wifi 10
Jayme B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Quirky, Nice hot clean showers, easy going, toilets are an experience, Freezer, washing machine and tumble drier. Also has a well stocked shop. Fire pits are a nice touch.

Disliked: Lots of dogs left off the lead and inconsiderate dog owners not cleaning after their animals. The lack of site rules means you can get noisy neighbours until ungodly hours

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks for staying with us, we do publicise that we have compost separator toilets, they are such a bonus for the environment and smell far better than a portaloo. It was unfortunate that after your lovely quiet week with us your last 2 nights were the August bank holiday Fri and Sat where things can often be noisier. That large group at the top did quieten down after we spoke to them. I'm ever so sorry that you had an issue with dog poo, I do wish you'd told us. We always plan where we locate dogs carefully and we walk the site a number of times each day and hadn't been aware of an issue with this. I did speak to one holiday let visitor who I observed not picking up but we do find that dog owners are very respectful here.

Great place for the dog. Lovely big fields. Great showers. Lovely people.…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 4
Deborah P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass pitch (private bathroom amenities)

Liked: Great place for the dog. Lovely big fields. Great showers. Lovely people. Clean and cared for. Handy little shop.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Me and my son (11 yrs) had a fabulous stay in the Beech hut. Fab site

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Sharon K. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

The Beech Hut cabin

Liked: Beautiful scenery Quietness Facilities Calm Helpful owners

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site Quiet Good value for money Lovely staff…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Emily F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Lovely site Quiet Good value for money Lovely staff

Recommend to friends Visit again

The atmosphere, having a fire and cooking outside. Relaxed and well run…

Overall 10/10
Location 6
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Jayne M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: The atmosphere, having a fire and cooking outside. Relaxed and well run site. Decent showers and toilets.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Staff were fantastic to deal with and very helpful and knowledgeable about…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
stewart r. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Staff were fantastic to deal with and very helpful and knowledgeable about the area

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks for this I'll pass this complement back to the staff.

Everyone was so accommodating and lovely, especially Caro whom we had the…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Daisy H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Everyone was so accommodating and lovely, especially Caro whom we had the most interaction with during our stay. We were very well looked after by all. Debbie the owner went above and beyond baking us a gluten free cake (due to being coeliac) for our sons birthday, was super yummy! The facilities were excellent and kept very clean, being able to do our laundry was a huge bonus too! The shop was stocked with gluten free bits and the basics you’d need. Being able to hire a fire pit&bbq on site was a huge help. There were a couple of hidden gems about 10/15 mins away that are great for families to do and explore. They also have a couple of football goals too which made our kids very happy!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly and accommodating. Lovely showers, super grateful for the washing machine.…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Jeannette D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: Friendly and accommodating. Lovely showers, super grateful for the washing machine.

Disliked: Weather, but that's not the camp site's fault lol

Recommend to friends Visit again

Well run friendly site

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or motorhome pitch

Liked: A very well run site, nothing at all to complain about.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Local produce

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Rallies welcome

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker

Peaceful

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Leisure/theme park nearby

Restaurant nearby

Surf school nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

Bales Ash Campsite

High Bickington

Umberleigh

Devon

England

EX37 9BL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

50.95563°N
-3.98211°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.7 mi The Square
7.7 mi The Square
9.1 mi Bus Station
Rail
1.4 mi Portsmouth Arms Rail Station
2.8 mi Umberleigh Rail Station
3.6 mi Kings Nympton Rail Station
Ferry
10.6 mi Bideford Ferry Landing
10.9 mi Instow Ferry Landing
11.3 mi Appledore Ferry Landing
Airport
29.2 mi Exeter International Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

A number of scenic strolls are directly accessible from the site, such as the easy one-hour round walk to two local pubs, or the hike to Woodland Trust land on Kingford Hill. The north Devon stretch of the South West Coast Path is a little further away. Within easy reach by car, the scenic beaches of Croyde, Woolacombe, Saunton, Putsborough and Westward Ho! will give days upon days of sunbathing, surf lessons, swimming, rockpools, kitesurfing and coasteering. The Tarka Trail, a series of footpaths and cycle paths through north Devon, is a short drive away; alternatively, cycle to one of the stations along the Tarka Line train route running for 39 miles between Exeter and Barnstaple. Also in the region, you could get green at the RHS Rosemoor Gardens or Broomhill Sculpture Garden; try National Trust attractions like Arlington Court; hike the Heddon Valley or visit the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon to see what's been what in the area throughout the ages. And if you have kids, they'll be glowing with happiness after days out at Devon family-based attractions like The Big Sheep, Exmoor Zoo, Watermouth Castle and Family Theme Park and Atlantis Adventure Park.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Westward Ho! 12.6 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Saunton Sands 15.3 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Croyde Bay 16.5 mi Sea N/A Good Excellent Good
Putsborough 16.7 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Combe Martin 17.6 mi Sea Poor Poor Poor Poor

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Rosemoor 6.8 mi

Castle Drogo 19.4 mi

Exeter Cathedral - Church of Saint Peter 25.4 mi

The National Trust Killerton House & Gardens 25.5 mi

National Trust

Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum 13.2 mi

Finch Foundry 15.8 mi

Heddon Valley 18.1 mi

Castle Drogo 19.4 mi

Watersmeet 20.1 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

KING'S NYMPTON PARK 3.7 mi

Eggesford Station - Eggesford Barton - Nethercott - Eggesford Station 6.6 mi

CASTLE HILL 7.2 mi

GREAT TORRINGTON CEMETERY 7.5 mi

TAPELEY PARK 10.1 mi

Local events

  • GoldCoast Oceanfest (Friday 21 June 2024 – Friday 21 June 2024)

    Croyde, Devon 16.5 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Devon?

  • Does Bales Ash Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Bales Ash Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Bales Ash Campsite? A number of scenic strolls are directly accessible from the site, such as the easy one-hour round walk to two local pubs, or the hike to Woodland Trust land on Kingford Hill. … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Bales Ash Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Bales Ash Campsite? From £20 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.