The vast, 26,000-acre forest of Tronçais is one of France’s little known treasures. Planted by order of Louis XIV to supply wood for the French Navy, it is one of the largest swathes of oak woodland in Europe. Today it’s better used to supply some of the finest cognac and Bordeaux win barrels in the world, lending oaky notes to that bottle of plonk you share around the campfire.
On the north-west edge of the forest, with some pitches enjoying the shade of ash and birch trees, Camping Champ de la Chapelle is a family-friendly, quintessentially French campsite, where the atmosphere is thoroughly laid back. Activities range from cooling off in the pool and clambering on the climbing frame, to more ad-hoc opportunities for fun, such as building dens in the woods or taking a trailer ride behind the tiny blue campsite tractor.
Facilities are well kept. As well as the regular ablutions there are baby-changing rooms, disabled access showers and fridges for campers to use. There’s an on-site bar and café and fresh bread delivery each morning, while those happy to forego the campsite’s mainly electrified pitches, can occupy one of the twenty beautiful ‘wild camping’ spots at the far end, where things are at their quietist.
Surrounded by trees, the campsite certainly feels properly cut off from the outside world and it’s a good place to come for that much talked about ‘digital detox’. It's an 8-minute drive or 45-minute walk to the nearest reasonable sized village, Saint Bonnet. Set beside a lake, it’s an excellent spot for a wilder swim than the campsite swimming pool and there’s a great beach right beside it for picnics. The shed-like tourist office in the village is a good spot to gather your bearings, too, before taking off by bike or on foot into the forest proper.
