Looking for a new forest-y campsite - suggestions?

jimmcdonnell

Just returned from a weekend at Roundhill campsite in the New Forest. Fantastic scenery, very cycle friendly area BUT the campsites there are all owned and run by the Caravan & Camping Club/'Forest Holidays' and in recent years they've become an expensive (£32 for 1 person, 2 nights!) jobsworth-run nightmare, with petty restrictions and arbitrary rules popping up with each visit. No consistency either, making me think they're made up on the spot.

So: any recommendations for a quiet, scenic, bike/motorbike-friendly forest campsite within a couple of hours travel from London? Facilities don't need to be sophisticated - I carry a trowel - but walking and a small town/village (with pub) nearby would be grand.

J