The Camping and Caravanning Club

There are over 100 Camping and Caravanning Club sites across the UK, with more than 700,000 members.

What sets this site network apart from others, is it’s a not-for-profit organisation and all of the incoming funds go directly back into the business. As a result, they allocate large amounts of spend into on-site maintenance and new-site acquisition.

Membership to this club offers access to a wide range of sites across the UK and Europe. Some sites are set in forests, for those who want to get back to nature, as well as your more traditional hard-pitch locations.

A unique aspect of the Club is the wide range of touring vehicles types they accept on their sites. Some clubs have a stricter approach to what types of touring accommodation they accept, whereas the “Friendly Club” will accept everything from your standard caravan to motorbike campers.

The Camping and Caravanning Club’s History

The Club began in 1901, making it the world’s oldest camping club. In 1901, the company was called the Association of Cycle Campers and was founded by Thomas Hiram Holding. Many consider him to be the father of modern camping.

In 1906, the Association of Cycle Campers opened its first campsite in Weybridge, Surrey. Following the opening of several more sites and gaining hundreds of new members, the organisation split into three separate companies, only to reform and add the Camping and Caravanning moniker in 1983.

The Camping and Caravanning Club today

Since the glamping boom in 2017, the company has created a brand, Ready Camp, to tackle the ever-growing popularity of the staycation.

The company has a clear set of values it feels make membership a friendly and accessible experience. It wants members and potential new members to share their passion for the outdoors.

In 2019, the Camping and Caravanning Club elected its first-ever female president, TV celebrity and outdoor enthusiast, Julia Bradbury.