Every August located on the river Ouse in Bedford, you will find Wild Canvas, a pop-up campsite surrounded by the picturesque riverside meadows of the Turvey House Estate.
The Wild Canvas campsite’s ethos is family-friendly relaxed festival atmosphere, offering a range of tipis or yurts, or you can opt to bring your own accommodation, be that a camper van or tent.
The site offers activities such as paddle boarding, yoga, crafting and hula hoop classes. There is also an onsite food stall, which is open at specific times throughout the day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the adults, there’s a well-stocked bar and a selection of DJ’s spinning their tunes over the weekend periods.
As music lovers, festival goers and fairly seasoned campers, Wild Canvas sounded just up our street!
On the weekend we had chosen for our camping trip, all the tipis and yurts had already been booked out, fortunately we already had all the necessary camping gear to make for a comfortable camping experience.
Our journey down from West Yorkshire was a wet affair, but by the time we’d reached our location, the rain had stopped, the ground had dried and we picked a beautiful riverside spot to pitch our tent.
The campsite consists of several fields to choose from, which allows for ample space between tents giving you plenty of privacy should you want it. The site has a separate car park and does not allow you to park your car next to your tent, so choose your pitch carefully. Large wheel barrows are provided to help carry your camping gear from the car park to your chosen pitch, but during busy periods, there may be a wait.
There are no electric hook-ups, but it’s camping after all, so this wasn’t an issue for us. We had power banks to charge our phones once the battery started to drain, but for a small fee, you can use the charging docks located at the bar.
With the tent pitched, airbed inflated and our cooking and seating areas all set up, it was time to explore.
First stop the bar
Located at HQ at the front of the campsite, is where you’ll find the bar, DJ booth, food stall and even posh toilets! Close by is also where you’ll find the ‘The Den’, a large yurt where most of the activities take place, as well as a festival inspired naked tipi called ‘The Disco Den’, adorned with a glitter ball to boot.
We ordered a Monte Carlo from the cocktail menu and sat down to take in the laid-back vibe. After a couple more drinks from the bar, we headed back to our tent for some R&R and to get changed for the evening’s entertainment.
Soul at the Sole
Changed and suitably refreshed, we headed down to the food stall where they were serving up ‘a grill’ – a selection of grilled foods, sides and salads.
With dusk setting in, we headed back to the bar where the party atmos was just getting going – funk, soul with some cool disco thrown in and before we knew it there was an alfresco party in full swing. What could be better than dancing and merry-making in such a beautiful setting.
DJ’s and decks done for the night, we wombled back to our tent to get a good night’s sleep, ready for the day ahead.
What a Difference a Day Makes
Day two and unlike the previous day, we woke to glorious sunshine and the sound of the gently flowing river Ouse.
On with breakfast. There’s certainly something calming about cooking food in the open and my partner enjoyed a nostalgic moment of cooking beans on a small camping stove as a child.
After our full English brekkie, we headed down to the pot wash area and showers. The pot wash area consists of two sinks with running water and there’s also a tap nearby with drinking water to fill water carriers or bottles.
I’m always a little dubious about campsite showers, but these were acceptable. If you’re weird about public showers like I am, take flips flops you can shower in and you’ll be fine.
The campsite’s toilet facilities are porta loos of which there are approximately four in each field. The toilets are emptied and cleaned daily and I was relieved to have not witnessed too many nasties.
Back at the tent and we decided to spend the day chilling out, basking in the glorious sunshine and watching kids and adults floating on the river, enjoying a paddle boarding class.
Having taken inspiration from the activity on the water, my partner decided to go for a dip to cool off, while I sat on the river bank submerging only my feet. The water was freezing, so I envied my partner and anyone else who braved the freezing water.
Swimming and paddling done for the day, we headed down to the food stall to share a wood fired pizza and, on our way, catching a glimpse of the yoga class taking place in The Den – and watching [with amusement], parents competitively trying to outperform their offspring during the Hula Hoop class.
Now, isn’t it funny how a day chilling and not doing much at all, can go by so fast?! Already it was wine o’clock, so we headed to the bar.
The evening menu at the food stall promised a hog roast. Whilst they did keep their promise, by the time we got to the front of the long queue, they had already sold out. We had arrived at the queue only 15 minutes after they started serving, so were disappointed that they had sold out so quickly. Our chosen alternative was a burger, but the accompanying side dishes had also run out by this time. Note to self: For specific food-themed nights, get to the food stall pronto to avoid disappointment. With disappointment lifted, we headed back to the bar to take in the DJ’s set of jazz funk and soul music.
On the walk back to the tent, and thanks to the beautiful weather, we found ourselves under a canvas of stars. With both of us lovers of all things astronomical, we decided to sit outside star gazing until fatigue set in and it was time to call it a day.
It’s Coming Home!
We woke excited for the day ahead, convinced that the Lionesses would bring it home in the Women’s World Cup final, which was being streamed on a large makeshift screen. Our optimism had led us to stay for another night, which would of course allow us to celebrate England’s win with our fellow campers. As we all know by now, the result didn’t quite go as expected, but still another day on the campsite was a better way to commiserate than packing up and dismantling a tent.
Chatting to a lady in the food queue the night before, we had been reliably informed that there was a small beach at the edge of one of the fields further away. We decided to go and explore and eventually came to the beach. For many, sunbathing swimming and paddling seemed to be the order of the day and who could blame them on such a glorious day… weather-wise anyway.
Later that afternoon, we could hear the dulcet rhythm of reggae music, so took a wander down to HQ to find a chilled Sunday session of reggae beats being spun. We ordered a Bloody Mary [one of the best I’ve tasted in a long time, and boy did it pack a punch!] and sat down to enjoy our lazy Sunday afternoon.
It was another lovely evening, so we decided to spend our last night at the tent, sipping wine around the cozy firepit campfire, until the airbed called for the last time.
Wild Canvas 2024?
Yes of course, we’d love to go back to Wild Canvas! This has lots going for it for all the family, a group of friends or even couples like us. Yes, it needs a few tweaks here and there; maybe one or two local food stalls, which would appeal to less seasoned campers who may not have all the cooking gear to cook their own food.
The organisers, as lovely as they are, are maybe a little too relaxed which to some, could be perceived as a little reticent. A bit more energy from the organisers/management team is sure to rub off on the guests and lift the vibe of this unique offering, which otherwise is a fantastic product.
If you’re into music and a chilled festival vibe, this should be right up your street, so be sure to block time out for August 2024 for your Wild Canvas Camping holiday.
Review and images by Sarah Cox @Coxys_Kitchen. Feature image supplied.
About Coxy’s Kitchen
Coxy’s Kitchen provides a dinner party and private dining service throughout Yorkshire. If you love having dinner parties but don’t fancy the cooking, contact Coxy’s Kitchen to cook your next dinner party. To make an enquiry or for an initial consultation, please email [email protected]
