The Shire

View prices & book 6.5 4 reviews
Trampoline for the kids
New
Well-maintained field surrounded by greenery
Tree-shaded pitches
Plenty of space for everyone

  • Basic off-grid Devon site 15 minutes’ drive from Crediton
  • Dartmoor National Park 20 minutes’ drive; Castle Drogo 25 minutes
  • Pub and shop five minutes’ walk; riding and fishing 20 minutes’ drive
Going off grid in Devon? The Shire is calling… This tree-shaded, no-frills camping field just off the A3072 is 15 minutes’ drive from Crediton and has all the basics you need for a bit of wild camping – namely a compost loo, running water and solar power for phone charging. Please note, though, that there are no showers and no lighting on site, so you'll need to come prepared. Barbecues are welcome for the full wild camping vibe, but alternatively a garden centre with a café, an essentials shop and a pub with food and pool tables are all within five minutes’ walk of the pitches. There is plenty of countryside fun to be had with horse-riding lessons and fishing lakes within 20 minutes’ drive. Walkers can head for the high moorland in Dartmoor National Park, while cyclists can get on the Granite Way (both 20 minutes) near Okehampton. You can also easily spend a day exploring historic Exeter (half an hour), with its quayside, cathedral and medieval underground passages that once carried drinking water into the city.

Campground type

Tent sites 10
Camper sites 10
RV sites 10
Open now
Opens June 1
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.

Languages spoken

English

Romanian

Open from Sun, Jun 1 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

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    7
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Location
6
Value for money
10
Accommodation
4
Facilities / Activities
4
Customer service
7
Child friendliness
4
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
2

75% would recommend this campground to a friend

75% would stay here again

What customers say

This small campsite has a great location near shops & pubs, with helpful hosts & some nice amenities. However, many reviews cite rude hosts, poor pitches with nettles & traffic noise. Bathrooms were barely clean, & no dishwashing area.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 1
Arrival date (latest first)

Awful…

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
1
Value for money
No rating
Accommodation
1
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
1
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
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Lucas B.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Awful

Disliked I don’t usually leave reviews, but after what my family and I experienced at this campsite, I feel obligated to warn others. From the moment we arrived, the hosts were rude, unwelcoming, and made it very clear that guests were more of an inconvenience than anything else. We were spoken to with an appalling lack of respect and made to feel like we were constantly in the way.

The facilities weren’t anything to write home about either. The bathrooms were barely clean, the pitches were uneven and cramped, and the general atmosphere was anything but relaxing. The campsite is by a busy noise road. For a place that markets itself as “family-friendly,” the attitude of the hosts was shockingly cold and aggressive.

We left early because we simply couldn’t take the negativity anymore. I’ve never felt so mistreated while on a trip with my family. There are plenty of other lovely, welcoming campsites out there—this is not one of them. I genuinely regret spending a single penny here.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We're sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your stay, but we feel it's important to clarify a few things for the sake of fairness and transparency for future guests.
Within 20 minutes of your arrival, you began helping yourselves to clearly private items that were part of our personal living area, including our large heavy firebowl which took 2 of you to carry to your pitch (obviously not there to be moved) chopping board, helped yourself to firewood and even our sun loungers. One of our pots was even used to do your dirty dishes, and the dirty water was left behind.
These items are not included in the £12-per-pitch camping fee and were not offered for guest use. We politely contacted you to explain this and asked that you return the items, but you continued using them regardless.
We provide a low-cost, no-frills wild camping experience, with space to pitch, access to drinking water, and compost toilets. We are very clear about what's included. We do our best to offer a peaceful, respectful environment, but unfortunately, in this case, boundaries were not respected, and we felt our space and belongings were intruded upon.
We understand that not every setup suits everyone, but respect goes both ways. We welcome guests who are looking for a simple, respectful wild camping experience-but not those who feel entitled to take whatever they feel.

Great place to stay and lovely…

Overall

9 out of 10
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Jonathan T.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Great place to stay and lovely people

Recommend to friends Visit again

It was a nice place just for a short weekend.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Accommodation
4
Facilities / Activities
4
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
1
Cleanliness
6
Wifi
1
Megan G.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked It was simply and small. Was within feet of a co-op so super convenient. They also had really cute chickens!

Disliked The ground was very uneven and full of stinging nettles and spiked weeds so my daughter couldn’t really run around. There’s no washing up area at all, so was a bit of a mission to get dishes washed. Was steps away from an A road so you can just hear all the traffic all night long.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Pleasant, affordable and quaint.

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
3
Curtis J.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Nice setting, wildflower meadow in surrounding parts. Near ammenities such as pub and shop, 5 min walk. Nice hosts, allowed us to use washing line after very rainy day and freezer for ice blocks. Trampoline was a fun bonus :)

Disliked Bumpy ground, at least on the left hand side near river.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No hot water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

The Shire

Land at West of Bow

Crediton

Devon

England

EX17 6LA

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.80103°N
3.82352°W

Nearest transport

Bus
9 mi Thomas Cook
14.1 mi Bus Station
15 mi The Square
Rail
3 mi Morchard Road Rail Station
3.3 mi Copplestone Rail Station
3.9 mi Lapford Rail Station
Ferry
17.6 mi Topsham Lock Ferry Landing
17.6 mi Topsham Ferry Landing
17.7 mi Topsham (Turf Lock Ferry) Ferry Landing
Airport
18.5 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

Local attractions and activities: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - Okehampton (market town): 15 minutes - Riding school: 15 minutes - Fishing lake: 20 minutes - Dartmoor National Park: 20 minutes - The Granite Way: 20 minutes - National Trust - Castle Drogo: 25 minutes - Exeter: half an hour.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Dawlish Warren 21.8 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Dawlish Town 21.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent
Dawlish Coryton Cove 22 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Teignmouth Holcombe 22.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Exmouth 22.6 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Castle Drogo 7.3 mi

Exeter Cathedral - Church of Saint Peter 13.9 mi

The National Trust Killerton House & Gardens 16 mi

RHS Garden Rosemoor 16.8 mi

Crealy Great Adventure Park 19 mi

National Trust

Finch Foundry 6.7 mi

Castle Drogo 7.3 mi

The Church House 15.6 mi

Killerton 16.1 mi

Killerton: Budlake Old Post Office 16.4 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

WOOD HOUSE 5.2 mi

Eggesford Station - Eggesford Barton - Nethercott - Eggesford Station 6.4 mi

CASTLE DROGO 7.4 mi

Chagford - Castle Drogo - Fingle Bridge 8.3 mi

SHOBROOKE PARK 8.6 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?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Shire have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Shire dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near The Shire? Local attractions and activities: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - Okehampton (market town): 15 minutes - Riding school: 15 minutes - Fishing lake: 20 minutes - Dartmoor National Park: 20 minutes … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Shire?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  8 a.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  8 a.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Shire? From $22.91 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.