Camping & Cycling
Around Our Ancient Cotswold Village
Camping & Cycling
Around Our Ancient Cotswold Village
Camping around Brailes
Aylesmore Farm Campsite – via Hipcamp
About
It’s very much back-to-basics and back-to-nature at Aylesmore Farm Campsite. It’s the kind of place to bring the kids if you want them to have a taste of camping on the wilder side. Here on a Warwickshire hillside, deer and hare are often spotted and owls twit-twoo at night. The views are far reaching and green, the sunsets can be spectacular and, on a clear night, the stars are just as impressive. A family-friendly ethos and the fact that there’s just a handful of pitches means it’s a peaceful place where groups are not allowed. It’s somewhere to enjoy space, freedom and fresh air just north of The Cotswolds and not far from Stratford-upon-Avon.
The sense of adventure starts with your approach to the two-acre campsite. Your hosts will be in touch with a message to explain, in detail, where to go. You leave the road and travel up a rough farm track to reach the hilltop camping field where the view of rolling countryside is revealed. There’s not a lot to distract you from that. A few cows grazing in nearby fields and the simplest of facilities. There’s a couple of (rather nice) compost loos, a washing-up sink and a cold water tap. That’s it. Your hosts might pop along to deliver logs or to check on you and the facilities but, by and large, they leave you to enjoy the site on your own.
The slower pace that an off-grid site like this encourages offers a lovely break from modern life. You may simply want to stay put and enjoy it but there’s much in the surrounding landscape that’ll tempt you to get out and explore. And most of that is pretty relaxed too: countryside walks and long lunches at Cotswolds pubs, the pottery in nearby Whichford, Batsford Arboretum and plenty of gardens and stately homes. A National Trust membership comes in handy. The liveliest place is probably riverside Stratford-upon-Avon which, though often bustling with visitors, is yet another pleasant place to explore.
Other things to note
Come and choose your spot to camp on our peaceful, starry hillside. We have 10 pitches on a two acre site so if we’re busy, you’ll be in shouting distance of other campers but not in each others pockets. Midweek you’ll often have it to yourselves. Walk or cycle the two miles to the local village for bread and coffee or to the pub for dinner, drive to the straw kitchen in Whichford for a delicious breakfast and potter around the pottery, or just sit and drink tea and watch for deer across the fields (you might see the white stag). Watch the sun go down and look out for the resident barn owl and the many hares (that occasionally sleep in the sawdust for the compost loo). Please be aware, our site entrance is rough and stoney, with a dip. Lowered or delicate vintage cars probably won’t want to risk it. We’re a very small, quiet site and don’t take adult groups in an effort to keep things peaceful. But if you’re a group looking for peace and know you’re going to be peaceful yourselves get in touch and we can probably accommodate you.
the geography of our Village
Brailes is a civil parish about 3 miles (5 km) east of Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, England. It includes the two villages of Lower and Upper Brailes which are located in the north Cotswolds, but it is often referred to as one village as the two villages adjoin each other. The parish includes the village of Winderton about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of Brailes, and the deserted medieval village of Chelmscote about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of Brailes. The parish is bounded to the east by Ditchedge Lane and Beggars’ Lane, which are a historic ridgeway that also forms part of the county boundary with Oxfordshire. The northeastern boundary is a minor road, part of which follows the course of a Roman road. Sutton under Brailes is part of the ecumenical parish but is not included in the civil parish.
The River Stour forms part of the southern boundary, and another part is formed by Sutton Brook, a tributary of the Stour. To the west, north and the remainder of the south the parish is bounded by field boundaries. Brailes is surrounded by hills. Upper Brailes is on the side of Brailes Hill, which at 761 feet (232 m) high is the fourth-highest point in Warwickshire. The east side of the village is bordered by Mine Hill, which is over 620 feet (190 m) high and is topped by a television mast, and Holloway Hill, up which the B4035 road runs towards Banbury. Between Holloway Hill and the Oxfordshire Boundary, the B4035 passes near the top of Gallow Hill, which is 679 feet (207 m) high.
Cycling Around brailes
Road bikes or Mountain bikes, we’ve got a ride for you.
MTB Route 1:
A gpx route is available for download to your gps enabled device:
BCC Ditch Edge & Wichford Wood
Road Route 1:
A gpx route is available for download to your gps enabled device:
BCC Burton Dasset Das
Looking to cycle further around the Cotswolds? Some links:
National Cycle Network (Sustrans)
TY Cycles – Dedicated cycle workshop & hire centre in the Chipping Norton