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We visited this site for a second time in 2012 (first visit in 2011). We managed to talk our friends into also coming.
We both booked electric pitches (ours many months in advance).
On arrival, the owner does everything in his power to not let you have an electric pitch. He was asking me exactly what I had that needed electric and then dismissed the need for power. Eventually, I insisted that I wanted the electric pitch that we had booked many months before.
He did the same with our friends who arrived later and they (never having camped before) did not know quite what to say, ended up on non electric and went home a day early.
The 'use it or lose it' phrase used constantly in the shop is wearing. We spent a considerable amount of money (just shy of £200 in 4 days!) yet were still almost chastised to spend more.
The showers and toilets were worse than the previous year. The cleaner seemed very demoralised and fed up so I am in no way suggesting its down to her to rectify the issues (I would imagine very short staffed may be the problem?). The thick, in ground filth of the floor and surrounding areas in the toilets and showers is very unpleasant.
I took some pictures this time to see if I was being 'fussy'. My friends and family almost gagged when I showed them!
My husband spoke to the owner on one occasion and requested something be done to clean the area-the owner reacted in his almost usual style of interrogation. My husband explained the area really is in need of some thorough scrubbing/cleaning. The reaction from the owner, was 'if you don't like it then pack and leave'.
This site is so close to being great yet so far. The niggles from my previous review have become issues big enough for us to never return (or our friends to ever camp again unfortunately).
The owner needs to spend some of his time, money and focus away from selling in the shop to getting this site to a standard that would warrant a return visit I am very sad to say.
My favourite camp site ever! Me and a large group of friends have been camping all over the south east of England in the last few years, and this is by far the best place we have stayed.
First off Camp fires really make a trip. Orchard campsite sell wood on site and let you have your own fire, which so many campsite just don't allow.
The wonderfully friendly owners picked us up from the station and dropped us off again after. They even did a special run to the shop for us to pick up some things we wanted.
The toilets and showers were all very clean, despite the rain and mud and I don't think that anybody had to queue.
For any group of campers who want a laid back few days with songs around the campfire, this is the place to go!
This is a very laid back and fun place to stay with children. We pitched for 2 nights over a weekend. The site was bustling but not overly busy. The play park, wood and pond were brilliant places for the children to play and explore and as there were loads of other kids there our children quickly made friends. There were great touches to the weekend like free bags of marshmallows with the fire wood, and glow sticks when it got dark.
There was the occasional queue for the toilets and showers but to be expected on a busy weekend. The toilets and showers were for general use and it would have been nice to have at least separate men and women's toilets. However they were pretty clean (considering the mud as it was a wet weekend) and well stocked with paper and soap. The showers were nice and hot.
Washing up facilities were good and there were freezers for ice-blocks. Best of all was the kettle and microwave available by the washing up facilities, which was great for heating baby food and for early morning cups of tea without having to get the camping stove out!
Pitches were well spread out, we had a picnic bench near our pitch which we made full use of, and it was great to have an open fire. Wood was quite expensive though.
We went to Aldebrough for the day - an easy drive from the site and a stunning coastal town. The best fish and chips ever!
Overall we would definitely return here, mainly for the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, the camp fires and the amount of fun our children had.
My Husband took our daughter for a weekend away and I felt compelled to write a review as I had recommended the site due to all the good reviews seen on here.
My first thoughts are that the campsite really sells itself on the basis that it allows open fires and is a rarity in the area. However the failings were clear in many areas. Poor cleanliness in the toilets, over pricing of logs and a fishing lake that could hardly be given that name.
Having read all the reviews from this site we decided to book a 2 night stay at Orchard, couldn't believe our luck when we ended up having the hottest weekend for September/October!
When we first arrived we were shown around by Jerry who suggested places to pitch and also ensured a pitch next to us was reserved for friends joining us the next day.
The whole site is lovely, lots of different areas to pitch, we tucked ourselves in a small area by the pond so the dog wasn't too much trouble to other guests.
Other reviews comment on the camp fires ruining the grass, it wasn't an obvious issue as many people seem to set up fires in previous pits.
The facilities were good, no issues with queuing even though the camp site was very busy (due to good weather) and found them to be clean (as much as can be when people are walking in and out with muddy shoes).
The only downside we could see at all, was that although the shop was very well stocked with booze, chilled too and at a very reasonable price, the food choice was quite limited, that said we managed to select enough meat for a bbq!
Loved this site, we will definitely come back, staff can't do enough to help out and specifically Stuart, Jerry & Alan were very nice.
After returning from a French holiday we decided to take 4 of our grandchildren on a short break. We decided to use The Orchard Campsite in Wickham Market [Suffolk] because it was convenient for us and for the young ones to be brought to us.
We all loved the site, set in an old orchard at the bottom of which ran the River Deben, the owner Mr Hammond made us welcome and personally showed us to a good sunny flat pitch !
The site has a well stocked shop, , every day goods and a good selection of beers ciders and wines, fresh bread[on order] delivered daily from a local bakery. The village is only a short walk away where you can find a supermarket, an excellent butchers and a delicious chippy!
Mr Hammond is around from 7. 30am until 11. 00pm, he is jovial very helpful and has a wicked sense of humour.
We are a family of nine (6 adults, 3 children, who have just returned from a lovely 10 days at this excellent campsite.
As we were a large group, the owner thoughtfully allocated us the 'garden pitches' so we we could pitch how we liked.
The site itself is mall but perfectly formed with large pitch spaces. There are camp-fires everywhere which is wonderful to see.
The site is a haven for kids and our 4, 6 and 12 year olds loved the independence that safety brought and would go to the little park and shop quite happily. The shop itself is very very reasonable and not at all overpriced, in fact the majority of items were cheaper than the local Co-op.
The toilets and showers were well maintained and queues were okay, there are queues on ever campsite at 9. 00am at the weekends, so we chose to shower at different times and missed any queuing. I would agree that a mop for each person to mop their shower after use would be a very good addition. The family bathroom was a boon with 2 young children and was well used.
On arrival the site looked busy but well maintained and tidy. We were shown to our hardstanding pitch (the only one on site). Situated right next to the children's play area.
The play area does not consist of much, but acted as a meeting point for the children to hang out.
Not good if you don't want kids running past your van every 5 minutes, this didn't bother us though.
The on site shop is excellent selling just about anything and everything (including fresh baked bread delivered every morning)and is open from about 7am until about midnight.
There is a small river and a pond on site. The pond was good for fishing (bread being the best bait) but the river was weedy and very muddy and I wouldn't recommend swimming in it as others have suggested.
The facilities (showers etc) were strained from 7am and again at about 7pm.
The main attraction of this site for us was the fact that you could build your own real fire (with logs purchased from the shop)
My two children loved toasting marshmallows and cooking sausages on an open fire.
We walked to the nearest village of Wickham Market (about 15 minutes)and although there was only a few shops it was nice to sit and relax at the coffee shop and then head a further 10 minutes out of the village to the Greyhound pub for a good pint of real ale and a bowl of chips.
Although this is a busy site the noise level dropped to nothing at about 10. 30pm.
The only downsides to this site that I can think of are that the only hardstanding motorhome pitch is next to the play area and under some pine trees (noisy pigeons)there is no info point showing local attractions, The fires were a great bonus but kids from the play area kept running right past ours, the water tap was a good 15 meters from the pitch (long hosepipe needed).
WI-fI out of service
Overall it would appear that this site is mainly suited for tents and not really for caravans or campervans due to the quite steep downward slope of the field and the facilities on offer.
Have today returned from our 4 night stay at this campsite.
Enjoyed our stay and here are my observations:
* Pitch prices excellent value for money as the £16 per night fee for tents/caravans without hook up includes a party of up to 6 people. I think the electric hook up pitch was £21 per night again for up to 6 people.
* Very friendly welcome when we checked in and also on return visits to the shop.
* Shop is very well stocked and exceptionally good value for money - e. G. I got a huge spanish onion for 10p! Also a great range of beers and ciders also at reasonable prices.
* You cannot purchase replacement Gas bottles from the site shop so please bear that in mind - I was advised that there is a local outlet near by for this.
* My kids loved the site and it was small enough for me to be happy about my 8 year old twins going off to visit the play area and shop by themselves and they loved having this independence.
* Glowstick Scavange was fabulous - it was lovely to see when the call went out at dusk (on Saturday night) all the kids from all over the site run like mad to the top of the site for this legendary event! Then after much tormenting from Alan :) to see them all hunt for the glow sticks that had been thrown into the air.
* The toilets are unisexed but the wash rooms are male and female. There is a family bathroom with keypad code access which you need to obtain from Reception.
* There are 3 showers and there are queues at peak times but my husband would take his shower at 7am and not have to queue and I tended to take mine in the evening - again with no or very little waiting.
* The kitchen area consists of 4 sinks and also a microwave which was handy.
* There was a fridge and freezer on the site and although the fridge was an adequate size the freezer was quite full whilst we were there - so finding space during peak times could be a problem. It is handy having a free of charge freezing facility for your ice packs.
* We camped in the wooded area down the bottom and my teenager loved the 'Twilight' experience of our pitch! There are also pitches by the river, by the lake and on the meadow. After a morning of rain the trip back to the top of the site by car was a bit slippy due to mud and my car not being 4x4 but thankfully that was only the one time I had to experience this.
* The site is just outside of Wickham Market which had some stores but we also paid a visit to Woodbridge for more variety of shops.
All in all we enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend it to others - we came from the West Midlands to camp at this site purely by its reviews here and an article in a camping magazine and we were not disappointed.
Nice site. It was smaller than I imagined from the website but we had a plenty big enough pitch in a lovely spot by the river and no-one else looked squashed!
Decent shower/washing-up/toilet block and useful shop (price-wise think waitrose rather than tesco value but nice quality stuff. Icecreams were a complete bargain!).
Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. Very child friendly.
Only downside was the firewood situation - £15 for a barrow load of damp logs which were rubbish on the fire. There was a sign up saying no wood to be bought onto site but we chose to ignore that and bought some great wood from a farm shop down the road for £5 a sack! shhhh!
Also the Friday night there was a lot of road noise from the A12 - maybe the wind was blowing in the wrong direction!
A lot has already been written about this site so I'll try not to go over old ground too much.
I loved the friendly informality of the site. Having a real campfire was a treat, though the wood was a little expensive.
Pitches vary a great deal across the site and for the most part the site is on a slope which you need to consider when placing your tent. Most pitches seemed relatively spacious and unlike many sites they don't charge extra for gazebo's etc.
I did find the site a little noisy, especially at night, when there is quite a lot of traffic noise from the A12. The relaxed rules also meant that we had one night where a group of teenagers on the neighbouring pitch kept us awake until the early hours. We mentioned it to the site staff who I believe had a word and the next night they were quiet as mice! Most of the campers were families with children so naturally the noise quietened off after 'bedtime'.
However if you are very light sleepers or 'early to bed early to rise' types then I'd suggest a set of earplugs could be useful.
When the site is busy it is noticeable that there is a shortage of toilets and showers for the size of the site. You had to time your showers to avoid the queue. Also, because of the number of people using them despite the best efforts of the staff it was near impossible to really keep them clean, especially the floors.
However there was never a shortage of hot water and the water pressure was good.
The on site shop is excellent, next time I won't bring much food with me at all and save a ton of space in the car. Definitely get your fresh bread ordered for the mornings - delicious!
The real plus of this site is the location in a beautiful part of the Suffolk Countryside, surrounded by lovely walks, Woodbridge, Aldeburgh and Sutton Hoo are well worth a visit with fantastic woodland walks in Rendlesham Forest.
We had a recommendation from the staff for a local pub just a few miles from the site which offered a 20% discount on Thursdays for Orchard guests. Had a fabulous meal, well worth asking about.
We have just returned from a week at The Orchard campsite. We decided to go there after reading all the positive reviews and were really excited.
I have been thinking about what I am going to write all week long. When we first got there, I wanted to turn round and leave again. It was smaller than expected, seemed tired and worn, and nothing that we thought we wanted a campsite to be.
Mid week I was starting to relax and thought I am having fun but would not return. Well, after 7 nights, and 7 days of sun (well almost) we were sad to leave and would return tomorrow.
It is hard to explain but there seems to be a community spirit there that I have not seen anywhere else. We met some wonderful families, and some wonderful children. My two boys had the best time fishing and playing with all the other boys.
The good points - the real camp fires, the fishing, the glow stick scramble, the community feel, the shop - it has brilliant prices, the location (5 mins walk to centre of village), the families, and Paul the warden was brilliant.
The bad bits - its a smallish site with a lot of tents. There are a lot of groups. The toilets are not the cleanest, more showers are needed but if you take a shower later on in the morning or early evening you don't have to wait.
Most of the pitches are sloping. If it rains you may not get your vehicle out of the site as the road turns to mud. The WIFI is still not working but you are not informed of this when you arrive and there was not hint of it being fixed. Even though we don't spend a lot of time using it when camping it is something that we look for when we pick a campsite so I was a bit annoyed.
The washing machine and dryer don't work well, and again, you are not informed of any issues until you have used them. The dryer was getting clothes so hot but not taking the moisture out, we were told to just put less in. Well after £6 they still weren't dry and I gave up.
I had a cold shower one day and again there wasn't a sign out to inform people that there was a problem with the heater you were left to find out for yourself.
We visited The Orchard with a small group who have returned several times, and I can see why! Initial appearances when we arrived were of a very busy & ramshackle site, but the staff couldn't have been nicer, gave us a couple of options of where to pitch and walked us down to a secluded pitch in the trees to have a look before we set up.
They were happy to lend us a couple of pieces of small equipment we had forgotten, i.e. Dust pan & brush and extra tent pegs.
The free glow stick scramble of Saturday night was very well received by the kids and great fun for adults watching the glowicks running around in the dark! The site were very keen to make it fair for all the children and kept some back for the smaller children who had not got any in the scramble!
The site has lots to offer with a shop that sold most essentials and lots of non essentials and didn't seem to close until everyone had gone to bed!
The camp fires in the evening were lovely. The children's play area, although small, was sufficient and with the river at the bottom and a small pond together with footpaths leading to the village there was plenty to keep all entertained on site for a while.
However it would be a shame not to go out and explore the lovely Suffolk villages and countryside while visiting. We went to Framlingham & had a lovely day wandering around the castle and the quaint little shops and even sat by the village pond listening to a live bad with a beer - a prefect english summer day all round!
The main down side for me was the tracks on the campsite which became very slippery after a heavy down pour. Being at the bottom I felt I was going to slide the car into the tree at one stage. The pitch was quite uneven and sloped also, but I think you very quickly overlook this once you get into the atmosphere and charm of the campsite and its lovely Suffolk surroundings.
The site has a great reputation, and you can see why -plenty of room, ideal location and an easy-ish walk to Wickham Market.
Campfires are great, good on site shop and they fire glowsticks out for the kids at night!
We unfortunately had a pitch right next to the playground which meant a very early start - but that's a small complaint about a great campsite.
It gets booked early, so it's not always possible to get in!
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Common Questions
Is The Orchard Camp Site child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to The Orchard Camp Site? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
No Baby Changing 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
No Recycling Facilities 
Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
No Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing On Site 
No Wild Swimming 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
Horse Riding <1 mile 
Cycle Hire <5 miles 
Golf <1 mile 
Tennis <1 mile 
Beach <10 miles 
Watersports On Site 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
We visited this site for a second time in 2012 (first visit in 2011). We managed to talk our friends into also coming. 
