I bought the van late in the season.  Not only did I want to squeeze in a camping trip before winter hit, I decided that a trip in early October would be a good test to see whether the insulation already in the van was up to scratch.

…I’m extremely sad to say….it was not!  Our main camping friends came with us in their T5 which they had converted a couple of years earlier.  They were snug and warm in their van.  Daz and I were freezing! After acquiring two extra blankets and duck taping us into the van it was just about OK the second night.  That’s right, I literally taped around the side door which had a big gap along the bottom.  A gap I only noticed as the light came in through it in the early hours of the morning.

To be fair, our friends also have two dogs to help warm their van at night, but needless to say the experience definitely gave me a push to re-insulate.

Other than the cold, I really must recommend the campsite Thistledown Farm.  We had a fantastic experience and it has stuck with me ever since.  The site itself is situated in the rolling valleys of Nympsfield, near Stroud in Gloucestershire.  There are varying price ranges and different fields and facilities depending on the type of camper you are.  We went for the Elderflower Orchard which at the time was very cheap.  It is the most rustic area, set in a pretty orchard so you have a good amount of screen provided by the scattered trees.  You are also able to have fires and bring dogs to the site which are two of the main things I look for in a site.

They also have a lovely (new?) cafe which makes great pizza!  With warm and inviting staff who made us feel really welcome despite us arriving late after the sun had set.

The only downside is that the facilities in this space comprise of portaloos so make sure to bring light!  There are main facilities with composting toilets and showers further down the site which are available to use, but I admit that I did not do so as the portaloos were kept nice and clean by the site owners.

If you have been to Thistledown Farm how was your experience?