Best Places To See Butterflies in the UK

• 25th Jun 2018

Butterflies are one of the most charming sights of the UK summer. Sadly, however, many of our fabulous butterfly species are under threat. We should all cherish these colourful inhabitants of the British Isles and do what we can to conserve, protect and encourage them in our gardens and in our countryside. Camping holidays in June and July are the perfect opportunity to get up close to some of our most stunning butterfly species. Here are three of the very best places to see butterflies in the UK this summer:

Purple Emperors at Knepp Castle, Sussex

The breathtakingly beautiful males, with their rich purple hue can occasionally be seen serenely soaring above oak trees in English woodland on hot summer's mornings. These beautiful butterflies are sometimes said to be the holy grail for butterfly hunters, since these elusive creatures only rarely descend from their treetop homes. Experts say that shrimp paste can be spread on a sunny spot beneath some oak trees to attract these butterflies and increase your chances of a siting. To increase your chances of seeing one further, consider a camping trip to Sussex and visit Knepp Castle, a rewilded site where visitors can take 'butterfly safaris' with one of the leading experts on these butterflies.

Swallowtails at How Hill Nature Reserve, Norfolk

These spectacular yellow and black lookers are Britain's biggest butterflies. Sadly, the swallowtail is now only found in one part of the UK – the Norfolk Broads. The caterpillars feed on a marshland plant called milk parsley. Look out for them on pink and purple blooms in the beautiful nature reserve water meadows of How Hill, where you can also visit a stunning arts and crafts house. One of the best ways to see these water meadows is on an electric boat trip, and the one at this reserve is one of your best opportunities to spot these relatively rare butterflies.

Adonis Blues and More at Box Hill, North Downs, Surrey

Blues are only one of many butterfly species that you will see in reserves around the chalk downs, Chilterns, Cotswolds and Poldens towards the end of July. Blues are perhaps the easiest to spot, with their vivid blue colouring, but there are many other species to look out for, including the rare silver-spotted skippers and fritillaries, amongst others. Take a camping trip to Surrey, Hampshire or Somerset, for example, and you could get the chance to see some truly beautiful butterflies on pleasant hillside strolls.

Check out the campsite listings to plan your camping trip to one of the above areas.