camp details
Access Issues
Low impact, high participation camping
When?
Where?
How much it costs and how to pay
How to get there
Accommodation
Camp catering
Family-friendly and accessible
What to bring
Dogs
Journalists
Photography
Access Issues
See here.
Low impact, high participation camping
As a temporary community focusing on building a better community for all, the Peace News Summer Camp will be based on some of the things that are needed for a good community; encouraging participation and self-government, and minimising its impact on the planet. The camp will be renewably powered and will have running water. There will be luxurious compost toilets, strawbale urinals and basic washing facilities.
When?
The camp will be open from Thursday 26 July and will end on Monday 30 July. If you are available to help set up the camp in the few days before it starts and tat down after it finishes, your help would be really appreciated! Please contact us to let us know.
Where?
The Camp will be located in the grounds of the Crabapple Community at Berrington Hall, near the village of Berrington. It is around 5 miles south east of Shrewsbury in Shropshire. See map.
How much it costs and how to pay
Entrance to the camp costs £20-£75 depending on income. For under 14 year olds the camp is free. The camp is organised on a small budget by a group of volunteers – we are relying on the entrance contributions to break even so please give what you can afford.
You can book on-line here or pay by credit / debit card over the phone: 0207 278 3344. Alternatively, you can send a cheque (made out to “Peace News”) to: Peace News, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DY. Please specify how many people you’re booking for!
The cost per day of 3 meals will be £6-£11 for adults. See Camp catering.
If you’ve not already booked (and / or you haven’t booked your food) then you can do this on arrival at the Camp.
We don’t issue tickets but will put your name on the list of people who have pre-booked.
How to get there.
PLEASE NOTE: If you get lost on your way to the Camp – especially on the last leg of the journey between Shrewsbury and Berrington – and need to speak to someone from the Camp please call 07503 488 949.
The camp is ½ mile from the Berrington village, and 1 mile from the larger village of Cross Houses.
The nearest train station is Shrewsbury. You can then get the bus to Cross Houses (see below). If coming from a long distance it can sometimes be cheaper to get a ticket to a large station such as Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Manchester or Crewe and then a separate ticket on to Shrewsbury. Check national rail for train times and prices.
See here for directions and a map to the camp from Shrewsbury for cyclists and others
We encourage non-cycling campers to use public transport if possible as Cross Houses is on a bus route.
When you arrive at Shrewsbury train station, ask someone to point you to the bus station. It’s only a few minutes walk from the train station. The bus service that runs from town to within a mile of Crabapple is the 436 towards Bridgnorth,. It runs every hour from 7.40am to 5.40pm with a “late” one at 7.40pm. The journey to Cross Houses is approx 15 mins. You will need to press the stop button when you see the sign for Cross Houses. Some of the services on this route are low-floor accessible buses, contact Arriva ( http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/contact-arriva/) for details.
The camp itself is about 1 mile from the bus stop. From the bus stop at Cross Houses, walk back towards Shrewsbury past the petrol station (on your right) and take the first left turn signed “Berrington”. After about ½ mile, the road forks at the edge of the village. Take the right turn signposted “Betton Abbots” and we’re about ¼ mile up the road on the right.
See the bus timetable (This is the timetable covering the period from 24 July 2011. Please note that the last bus leaves Shrewsbury at 7.40pm, and that – unlike the pre-24 July timetable that was previously linked-to from this page – there are no longer any Sunday services.)
If you intend to come by bus but need help getting to and from the bus stop, you can arrange a pick up with us: details will be available nearer the time.
There is also a taxi rank just outside Shrewsbury train station. Accessible taxis can be got from here.- but it is MUCH cheaper to book a cab from a local company – Comet Cabs 01743 344444, or Vincent Cabs 01743 367777. Vincents also have a booking office just across the road from the station, which is handy if you don’t have a phone to book a cab in advance.
There will be a limited pickup service operating between the camp and Shrewsbury train station which will need to be booked in advance. This will only be operating, by arrangement, for those with lots of luggage, children, restricted mobility or who find it difficult to use the bus for other reasons. Details will be available nearer the time.
There are some car parking spaces available, but please notify us in advance if you intend to bring a vehicle. Priority will be given to people with mobility needs. Please travel by public transport or make alternative arrangements, such as car sharing, if at all possible.
See here directions and a map to the camp from Shrewsbury for cyclists and others
Accommodation
Accommodation on the site is camping only. Please bring a tent and any equipment you need to camp for your stay. For those of you who don’t want to actually camp at the camp, a local B&B would be an option.
Camp catering
Veggies of Nottingham will be providing a wonderful vegan spread for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The cost per day of three meals and drinks will be £6-£11 for adults (depending on income). Individual meals can also be bought at the camp. Catering for children will be organised separately by the camp.
The camp will run a licensed bar during the evening.
If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know in advance.
Family-friendly and accessible
We aim to make the camp as accessible to those with disabilities as possible. To make sure we cater for your needs, please contact us before you come.
There will be a family tent area for those with children, a kids activities tent and loads of great outdoors things for them to do. We will also be providing child-friendly food.
What to bring
- A tent and sleeping bag and any other equipment you may need
- Warm, waterproof clothes and boots. It can get chilly at night!
- A torch
- Money for the gate and for food from Veggies. See How much it costs.
- Literature and things to share with others that may be of interest
Dogs
No dogs (except guide dogs) are allowed on site – sorry.
Journalists
After experience and discussion arising from the first PN Summer Camp, we have decided to allow friendly journalists on site as long as they are clearly identified. However, if any one person feels uncomfortable with having media in a workshop the journalist will be asked to leave that workshop.
Taking photographs
Not everyone is comfortable with being photographed – even by friendly fellow campers – especially if the photos are to be put up on the internet! Please be aware of who is in the frame and check that they don’t mind. We have an unofficial camp photographer who is documenting the camp for Peace News. Please let him know if you want to be excluded from these photos (he will announce himself at morning meetings).’
