When your children have grown up, all their most cherished memories of roaming free, having fun, making new friends and creating their own worlds will revolve around this site. But only if you take them there, of course.
If campsites were graded by how chilled their vibe was, Maker Camping would fall into the category marked Permafrost. To say it’s laidback here would be like describing Michelangelo as a half decent painter-decorator, ‘if you’re into cherubs and that’.
An army barracks in a former life, there’s now a certain hippyness to the way the Nissen huts at Maker’s entrance have been reinvented as workshops and a café by various arty types and the ‘rules are the province of squares and bureaucrats’ ethos continues on the camping area itself.
Two very large fields – one set aside for families – sprawl over a hilltop blessed with alarmingly panoramic views of Plymouth, the sea and the under-explored Rame Peninsula. If things get busy, two more fields magically open up, so there’s never any cheek-by-jowling. Kids love exploring the gun emplacements (their guns, happily, long since gone), bunkers and redoubts left here from the last war, or rushing off to make mischief in the woods. And if their parents can’t muster the energy to put up a tent, there are four simply furnished and cheap-aschips yurts in which to crash.
The site’s own shabby-chic bar, the Random Arms, opens on Friday and Saturday nights and a museum and alternative café have just been built. The camping land is owned by the groovy Rame Conservation Trust and managed by Maker Events; monies raised from the campsite go towards preserving the area for future generations, thus making those who camp here unwittingly virtuous.
The Canteen at Maker Heights (01752 659069; bookings recommended at weekends) is a café/restaurant run by River Cottage chef Nick who serves up delicious dishes using local produce at fair prices on the campsite.
In high season Friday and Saturday evenings between 6pm and 10pm, great homemade food is available from the Maker Meal Hut next to the reception shed.
The Family Foraging Kitchen frequently run wild food/foraging walks from Maker Campsite. Private 'wild edible' walk bookings can be made by calling 01752 823424 or emailing familyforagingandwildrecipes@gmail.com
Within easy walking distance (10-15 mins) are the delightful seaside villages of Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook with plenty of pubs and restaurants. Millbrook also has a fish and chip shop and small supermarkets. The View restaurant at Whitsand specialises in fish dishes and the Cliff Top Cafe at Whitsands has a great lunch/snack menu and very surfy laid back feel.