After some parts of the UK have gone 40 days without rainfall this summer, the ground and the nation are ready for a downpour. Fortunately, the Met Office is forecasting clouds and outbreaks of rain, with heavier, thundery bursts developing through the week. To mark the turn in the weather, Pitchup.com has picked five UK campsites built for watching rain roll in rather than hiding from it.
The Lakehouse, Ugborough, Devon
A lakeside cabin on the edge of Dartmoor with an open-plan living area looking straight out across the water, plus a lake-view deck and a log burner for afterwards. As showers spread more widely through the week, the deck offers a front-row seat to watch rain move across the lake without stepping outside. Price per night £345
East Crinnis, Par, Cornwall
At East Crinnis, Par, Cornwall, geodesic domes overlook a farmland lake set among tall pine and fir trees, giving guests a sheltered spot to sit and watch the rain sweep in. The domes’ curved, transparent panels offer an uninterrupted view of the sky, so guests can watch the weather change without ever stepping outside. Price per night £90
Tarset Tor, Hexham, Northumberland
Cedar-built eco-bothies beneath the Tarset Tor outcrop in Northumberland National Park, with large windows framing the Northumbrian hills and a wood burner inside. Northern England is set to see some of the heaviest and most persistent showers this week, making the bothies’ oversized windows a genuine rain-watching vantage point rather than just a design feature. Price per night £150
Henny Riverside Camping, Sudbury, Suffolk
A wooden pod on the banks of the River Stour, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening onto a private terrace over the water. Watching the Stour rise and ripple under rain is one of the more soothing ways to experience the change in weather from somewhere warm and dry. Price per night £80
Wallace Lane Farm, Cumbria
A quiet hillside farm site in west Cumbria with sea views, within 40 minutes of the coast, lakes, hill walks and mountain biking, and a five-minute drive from Caldbeck’s pub, cafés and shop. North-west England is forecast to catch some of the heaviest showers of the week, so the site’s hillside position and sea views make it a prime spot to watch weather sweep in from the coast. Price per night £135
