There are many different ways to enjoy Motor homing at any time of the year and the chance for a stop-over completely free of charge got us interested. Known as“Britstops” these include pubs, restaurants, antique centres, craft fairs, vineyards, cider makers and farm shops, to name but a few.
There are over 1,000 hosts around the UK that will let you stay overnight free of chargeand use their facilities, in exchange all they ask is for you to maybe buy a drink or meal at their restaurant and they will then be happy to host you for the night.
These are not camp-sites so generally you won’t be allowed to set up camp with an awning, bbq or picnic tables etc but they are convenient overnight stops for travellers needing somewhere to stay.
Facilities vary and the Britstops book clearly labels the facilitieson each site.
Each of our motorhomes includes the use of a Britstops book which details every host by area. You will need to follow the Britstoppers code of conduct (on page 9). Generally, if you are to use the hostsfacilities it is polite to phone ahead first, buy a few drinks, a meal of spend some money at their venue in return and to stay for only 24 hours.
To try this out, we met up with our friends Chris and Diane, also avid motor-homers and headed for Battlesbridge, a small village in Essex. This is the most unusual place as the whole village is made up of antique and crafty type shops. We spent several hours browsing and then had a few drinks and a meal in the local pub. Next morning, we had an amazing breakfast in the roof top café which had gorgeous and far reaching views before heading to West Street Vineyard and restaurant in Colchester. We arrived around 4 and before long there were 4 other “Brit-stoppers” setting up for the evening. We were allowed to park right next to the vines and the view from the motorhome was incredible. The restaurant is extremely popular so if you are planning a visit here I recommend you book your motorhome and your table for the evening in advance. The tapas menu was delicious and good value for money. Of course, the wines on offer are made from the grapes surrounding us and I have to say, were really delicious. We were made to feel very welcome and left with a few bottles to bring home.