This is my first time posting on this website and I'd like to first say what a FANTASTIC site this is! I've been lurking for several weeks, reading all the great advice and helpful tips and have really appreciated all of it! Thanks!
My husband and I just got back from our first camping trip and have now been bitten by the camping bug! We drove five hours to Wales and ended up spending most of our time doing nothing and just relaxing in the tent! So, we figured if relaxing and doing nothing is our preferred way to camp, perhaps we could spare ourselves the 5+ hour drive and camp somewhere a little closer to home!!
We live in Coggeshall, Essex, and our preference would be for a campsite that allows campfires. I did a search on this website in the campfire list, and came up with Debden House Centre as a possibility. I'd love to hear from anyone who has been there. One of the Reviews said that they only allow people with children to camp at the pitches with campfires. Does anyone know if this is still the case? I have emailed the campsite and am waiting to hear back from them.
Also, if anyone can recommend any great campsites (for tent camping) within an hour's drive of Colchester, I'd love to hear about them. If they don't allow campfires, that's ok, too.
Thanks in Advance! (Sorry for the long-winded post!!)
Cindy and David
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
If ever you're in the lakes try Fisher Ground, Eskdale. The reviews aren't great but if you're the sort of people that like camp fires it's great. Very laid back and friendly but a bit primitive. Avoid bank hols.
Thanks CC! I'll add Fisherground to my list of places to visit!
By the way, I just heard back from Debden Campsite and they said that they DO allow people without children to camp on the campfire pitches, contrary to what I read in that campsite review...
I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they say when we show up! We are booked in for May 12th and 13th. Yay!
Thanks for the campsite recommendation. That site is only about 45 miles from us, so we'll definitely be checking it out! One thing - I just read the reviews of Orchards and someone said it was £15 for campfire privileges! Is that really true? I'm wondering if that is for a longer stay than a weekend or something. I've written to Orchards to find out. If so, then Debden would be much less expensive for us.
So far we plan to Check out Debden next weekend, Park Farm Bodiam for the Bank Holiday Weekend, and then next on the list is Orchards a couple of weekends later! We are really diving into this camping thing!!
I believe it's £15 for the big one we have on meets - but don't know about the small individual ones ......... if camping down in the trees I would have thought the wood would last for a few days (lots of would wood there lol)
Have not been to Bodiam (never had much luck with them answering the phone) - but know of a group that pulled out, after doing a recce on the site
Manor Court at Ashurst is a nice site with campfires (wood was £3 per back last yr) but again expensive £6 per adult £4 per child
I'll let you know what the price for a small, two person campfire is when they respond to my email. Hopefully its a little less.
Oh, I'm hoping that Bodiam is ok for us. Though, judging by our first camping trip in Wales, I think we'll be happy anywhere that simply has a pitch for us to put up our tent - since we were pretty lazy and just stayed put on our pitch last time! The price of £6 per person isn't a huge deterrent since its still a whole lot less than staying in a hotel or B&B for us and is even more relaxing.
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
Geoff from Orchards has just emailed me back saying that for the two of us it will cost £8 per tent per night (great price!) But... that campfires cost a WHOPPING £20 per night just for the privilege of having a campfire (plus wood). Wow. My husband and I are shocked at that price! As consolation in the response he wrote "but you don't have to have a fire every night!"
Yeah, I am really shocked at this. Seems really excessive. I'd love to hear WHY a campfire would cost so much. We don't mind bringing our own wood or would prefer that the wood just be sold seperately because there is no way we'd use £20 worth of wood in our little campfire. Oh well, there are plenty of other campsites around. This one was just nice and close to us.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Debden House Campsite?
