While campsites remain a vital part of motorhoming, there’s another option that has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years: Brit Stops.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, Brit Stops is a network of pubs, farm shops, breweries, vineyards, attractions and independent businesses that welcome motorhomes and campervans to stay overnight.

Often called Britstops, the scheme’s beauty lies in its simplicity.

Motorhome and campervan owners gain access to a network of welcoming overnight locations, often in attractive rural settings, while businesses receive additional customers and revenue.

Most hosts don’t charge for the overnight stay itself. Instead, visitors are expected to support the business by making a purchase. That might mean enjoying an evening meal at a pub, buying local produce from a farm shop, taking part in a vineyard tour or sampling products from a brewery.

Visitors gain a convenient and often picturesque place to stay, while hosts benefit from guests who actively choose to spend money at their business. It’s a simple idea, but one that creates benefits for everyone involved.

My wife Helen and I recently took a Bailey Endeavour B62 to a pub near Wareham in Dorset to try Brit Stops for the first time. At the time of writing, annual membership is £35.20, including a 20% promotional discount.

Membership unlocks the available locations, and with a few likely suspects added to our list, I then had a look from above with Google Maps. I could then determine how close major routes are, how large the car park is, etc.

Joining us were two friends travelling in their own motorhome. Instead of arranging taxis, worrying about who was driving, or rushing home after dinner, we were able to settle in for a relaxed evening, enjoy a meal together, and then stroll back to our respective motorhomes for the night.

As the evening progressed, we realised we weren’t the only visitors taking advantage of the stopover. There were around four or five motorhomes parked at the pub during our stay, and speaking to the pub staff, this additional revenue stream was particularly welcome.

The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly, and distinctly different from that of a traditional campsite. Everyone was there for the same reason: to enjoy a good meal, support a local business and spend the night somewhere a little different.

Vehicles such as the Bailey Endeavour and Endurance models are particularly well-suited to this style of touring.

Their compact dimensions make them easy to manoeuvre in pub car parks and rural locations, while still offering all the comforts needed for an overnight stay.

Having your own kitchen, bathroom, fresh-water and grey-water tanks means you remain entirely self-contained, which is often exactly what you need for Brit Stops.

Are you looking for something with a bit more space? How about a Bailey Autograph, Adamo or Alora motorhome?

At present, Brit Stops is primarily geared towards self-contained motorhomes and campervans. However, while researching this article, I spoke with the Brit Stops team, who confirmed that welcoming caravans in the future is something they may explore.

The main challenge comes down to space. A motorhome or campervan occupies a single parking space, whereas a touring caravan requires space for both the caravan and the tow car. For many hosts, particularly pubs, breweries and smaller farm shops, accommodating two vehicles can be considerably more difficult than finding space for a single motorhome.

Whether caravan-friendly hosts become part of the Brit Stops network in the future remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a conversation worth having. Given the popularity of touring caravans in the UK, there may be opportunities for larger hosts with suitable space to welcome caravanners, campervanners and motorhomers, creating an even broader network of unique overnight stays.

Good etiquette matters

Like any successful arrangement, Brit Stops works best when visitors behave responsibly.

Supporting the host business is fundamental. After all, the overnight stay is being provided because the business hopes visitors will become customers.

It’s also important to arrive with realistic expectations. Most Brit Stops locations are not actual campsites and may not offer facilities such as electric hook-up, showers or waste disposal points. Arrive with enough fresh water for your stay and ensure that grey and black waste tanks are empty.

Respecting the location, parking considerately and leaving no trace helps ensure the scheme continues to thrive.

The vast majority of motorhome owners understand this, which is one reason why the network continues to expand.

If you’ve spent any time watching American RV travel videos, you may have come across Harvest Hosts. Popular throughout the United States and Canada, Harvest Hosts operates on a principle similar to Brit Stops, connecting motorhome and RV owners with unique overnight stays at wineries, breweries, farms, museums, and other attractions.

Much like Brit Stops, the emphasis isn’t on free parking but on supporting the hosts who make these memorable stopovers possible. Travellers are encouraged to buy local produce, enjoy a meal, sample regional wines or take part in an experience offered by the venue.

The success of Harvest Hosts demonstrates just how popular this style of touring has become. Motorhome owners increasingly want more than simply a place to park for the night; they’re looking for unique motorhome stopover locations that form part of the journey itself. Whether it’s a vineyard in California or a traditional pub in Dorset, the principle remains the same: visitors support local businesses while enjoying memorable stopovers in places they might otherwise never discover.

For many motorhome and caravan owners, Brit Stops also offers a practical alternative to wild camping. While the idea of pulling up in a scenic location for the night may sound appealing, it’s important to remember that overnighting in a motorhome or campervan without permission is generally not permitted in England and Wales. Different access rights apply in parts of Scotland.

That’s where Brit Stops and its network of welcoming hosts come into their own. Rather than risking a knock at the door or causing friction with local communities, leisure vehicle owners can enjoy legal, welcoming motorhome and campervan stopovers while supporting local businesses. It’s a far more sustainable approach that benefits visitors, businesses and residents alike.

In many ways, Brit Stops captures much of what attracts people to wild camping in the first place. You might wake up beside a vineyard, overlooking rolling countryside or parked next to a traditional country pub, but with the reassurance that you’re staying with permission and helping support the local economy.

At a time when many rural pubs, farm shops and independent attractions face increasing financial pressures, Brit Stops provides a practical way to connect businesses with visitors who are actively looking to spend money locally.

For motorhome and campervan owners, it offers unique overnight experiences and opportunities to discover hidden gems. For businesses, it creates additional revenue and introduces new customers. And for local communities, it helps keep tourism spending where it can make the greatest difference.

Our evening near Wareham, at the Halfway Inn, demonstrated exactly why the concept works so well. A handful of motorhomes, a welcoming pub, a good meal and an enjoyable evening spent with friends. Yet multiplied across hundreds of hosts and thousands of visitors, the impact becomes much more significant.

One of the great strengths of a Brit Stops membership is that it encourages people to look beyond the obvious destinations. Some of the best stopovers are found in villages, market towns and rural settings that might otherwise be overlooked. With new hosts and other locations regularly joining the network, there is always somewhere new to discover. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective.

Brit Stops is proof that leisure-vehicle tourism can benefit everyone involved: motorhome and campervan owners, businesses, and communities alike. By creating memorable stopovers and helping direct spending towards independent businesses, it offers a model that works for everyone. Across Britain, that’s a journey well worth supporting.

To find out more, visit britstops.com