Compton Farm
Campsite in Compton Bay
Compton Farm is a National Trust tenant farm offering camping on the clifftops above Compton Bay, one of the island's best surfing and swimming beaches. The site is gloriously simple, with grass pitches set in fields above the dramatic south-west coast. The sunsets from this position are among the finest on the island, and the walk down to the beach through the chine takes only a few minutes.
Facilities are basic: composting toilets, cold water taps, and not much else. There are no showers on site, no electric hookups and no hardstandings. Campfires are permitted in designated areas, which sets Compton apart from most island campsites. The nearest shop and pub are in Brook or Freshwater, a short drive or a longer walk along the coast path.
The location is the draw. Compton Bay is consistently rated among England's best beaches, with clean sand, good waves for surfing and bodyboarding, and fossil-rich cliffs that yield dinosaur footprints and ammonites. The coastal path runs through the farm, connecting westward to Freshwater Bay and The Needles, and eastward along the Military Road towards Brighstone. This is camping stripped to its essentials, and the site attracts people who value landscape over luxury.