HAMPSHIRE has been named the camping capital of the UK thanks to the thousands of happy campers that go back to basics for a cheap and cheerful holiday down south.

Whether it's under canvas or in the luxury of a comfy caravan, the soaring number of inquiries from campers for Hampshire has landed the county the title of most popular camping destination in a recent survey.

And in spite of the rain soaked summer, campers are continuing to arrive in their droves.

Many of the New Forest's campsites are currently fully booked.

Ashurst campsite - one of the biggest in the New Forest - is full to bursting this weekend with all 280 pitches reserved, despite the unfriendly weather.

Ronnie Douglas, site manager at Ashurst campsite, said: "We have lost a fair bit of business this summer because of the bad weather, but we are still fully booked up this weekend. It's such a lovely place to come and camp.

"We have been full for four of the last six weeks and we would normally expect to be full throughout the school summer holidays, although this hasn't been the case this year. Many people have decided to leave early because of the weather."

Forest Holidays, which runs ten campsites in the New Forest, said campsite visitors to the area will plough £7m into the local economy during this summer.

Although the wet weather has put some people off, the company still expects to have welcomed more visitors to Hampshire's campsites this year than last year.

A spokesman said: "Majestic broadleaf forest, attractive lowland heath and chocolate box villages combine with easy access to the coast to make Hampshire a popular choice with campers."

Yell.com carried out the survey, analysing holiday-themed enquiries on its search engine. Hampshire was closely followed by Glasgow, Bristol, Essex and Dorset as the top venues where people searched for camping facilities.

Hampshire County Councillor Michael Woodhall, executive member for economic development, said: "Hampshire is a very attractive county in so many ways.

"It has delightful landscapes, market towns, cathedral cities, historic buildings, coastal scenery, country parks and the New Forest - so many things for people to do, I think that's why it's proving to be a popular place to visit.

"The camping facilities are excellent. My family has camped at Hollands Wood near Brockenhurst before and we had a wonderful time. It's marvellous for the children.

"Hampshire is also easy to get to - you can be down here and set up camping within 90 minutes of leaving London."

Ruth Walmsley, spokeswoman for the Camping and Caravanning Club, which has more than 420,000 members in the UK, said: "We have seen an increase this year in the number of people using campsites, even in view of the weather.

"One of the reasons for that is the incredible campsites we have in the UK in some of the most beautiful locations.

"Hampshire is great for camping because it's a beautiful area and it has a lot of campsites."