Do you have any recommendations for campsites (not caravanny/family) in the south of England near chalk streams with a nice pub nearby please?

Ooooh! Good post.

Here Comes the Summer!

Meh not getting hopes built up too much Al

what am I missing out on by not speccing campsites with a chalk stream previously? 🤔 Is it just clearness/general tranquility??

My garden!
The Hogsmill is running nice and clear at the moment.

Campsite doesn’t need to have a stream, just within a few miles, but yes, clearness and wildlife spotting.

Just thought if one I stayed at on our way to Cornwall.

https://www.tuckersgraveinn.co.uk/

Does excellent cider, has a cracking site and a great beer garden area for the site.

Depends on definition of Southern England and havent used it since live in the area but maybe the Lee valley nearly wild campsite.

Doesnt allow under 12s and is fairly small and there are several nature reserves around it and is a chalk stream area.

Probably Hampshire but not set in (chalk) stone

River Test in Stockbridge, Hampshire. Lovely area and am sure there’ll be campsites around. The Mayfly pub is worth a visit for a tranquil setting on the Test.

South Downs/Sussex ? Great walking and a few chalk streams knocking about according to Google.

Does Malmesbury count? Lovely campsite and great pubs up in the town.

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Pub with no name (the White Horse) Priors Dean. Field by a cracking pub. Think you can still camp. Used to do it with the kids. 3 miles from East Meon? Lots of access to the Meon along its length with old railway line cycle track running parallel from West Meon to Wickham.

Or camping yurts at Meon Springs just off the SDW.

Campsites, chalk stream and pubs nearby?

Then you want the Meon Valley in Hampshire, campsites, lots of small country pubs, chalk streams and nice walks as your in the Southdowns

https://www.hipcamp.com/en-GB/land/england-meon-meadows-fisherman-s-cabin-1xmhzynv?adults=1&children=0

https://meonsidecamping.weebly.com/the-campsite.html

Chalk Steams of Hampshire as featured on the BBC Wild Isles Series

https://www.campsites.co.uk/search/campsites-in-hampshire

Chalk stream but no mention of fly rod?? Just why?

Because fishing is boring.

You are Fergal Sharkey and I claim my five pounds

Because fishing is boring.

Incorrect 🙂. And certainly shouldn’t be boring on a decent chalkstream

Here you go,

https://www.campsites.co.uk/search/campsites-in-wiltshire/salisbury/chalke-valley-camping

I’ve never camped here cos I live too close, but I can vouch for  the river ebble and a couple of the pubs in the neighbourhood. The countryside is amazing at the moment, bluebells, wild garlic etc. Loads of gravel style riding around also, if that’s of interest.

Also + 1 @drac. Cider at Tucker’s grave is lush!

Consider access to said chalk stream, OP.

The big estates, landowners and fishing clubs like to keep their extensive river sections very private on the classic fishing chalk rivers, which means in many places you are restricted to glimpsing the river at a distance and occasional crossing points. Those managing those areas are absolutely not chilled about sharing their passion and love of the natural environment with casual trespassers – it’s basically their fishy golf course. Test Valley is really not great in this regard, worth bearing in mind.

I’d consider the Itchen upstream of Winchester, middle Hampshire Avon and even wildcards like the upper Kennet and Lambourn being better options than some of the ‘classic’ chalk stream tourist hotshots, unless you are connected 😉

Not so sure about the camping, but anywhere between Avebury and Hungerford, the Kennet is a proper chalk stream, above Avebury it’s called the Winterbourne, and becomes the Kennet just over the road from Silbury Hill, where the Swallowhead Spring joins it. So there’s the Red Lion in Avebury, The Who’d A Thought It in Lockeridge, a variety of pubs in Marlborough, The Bell in Ramsbury, The Wheatsheaf in Chilton Foliat, and The Bear Hotel and The John O’Gaunt Inn in Hungerford, and The Dundas Arms in Kintbury. I believe there was camping available in Savernake Forest, but I’ve not been up there for ages.

The Wiltshire, Dorset chalk is very wet after this winter, so a lot of winterbournes are flowing at the moment. Which is of course unfortunate for everyone suffering groundwater flooding. Even the Mendips has GW flooding which is really rare. But that does mean you should have lots of choice in the Cranbourne Chase and North Wessex areas as well as Hampshire etc. R Ebble is a good example. Sorry I don’t have specific recommendations for low key camping.

Second the Mayfly Stockbridge pub recommendation. The beer garden is on the chalk stream by a weir and you can watch rainbow trout. Plenty of camping nearby

Here’s some campsites in the Marlborough area…

https://www.campsites.co.uk/search/campsites-in-wiltshire/marlborough

I knew I’d seen one somewhere. Here you go, a semi wild campsite in Dorset, with a chalk stream 😉

https://www.camperbug.co.uk/campsites/england/south-west/dorset/shaftesbury/woodfrys-farm-campsite