Barn Owl Campsite

From £20 For 1 night, 4 adults 9.8 31 reviews
Camping pod (added by manager 14 Sep 2022)
Hidden pitch (added by manager 18 feb 2023)
One of our meadow pitches (added by manager 13 feb 2022)
One of the meadow pitches (added by manager 23 aug 2020)

  • Peaceful country park with a friendly atmosphere and green views
  • A 20-min stroll to Rattlesden; cycle and walking routes from the site
  • Lavenham, Bury St Edmunds and Long Melford within a 25-minute drive
For first-rate wanders around the fens, ponder a stay at Barn Owl Campsite in East Anglia – then take a look at the pics, pack those walking boots and get going. This site in Suffolk has strolling and cycle routes nearby and is a 20-minute drive from town tramping in the medieval settlements of Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds. Guests might want to linger in the former for old architecture dating back to the time when it was one of the 20 wealthiest places in England, from the Guildhall and Little Hall to the Gothic St Peter and St Paul's Church and a host of half-timbered cottages. Browsing shops and art your thing? Lavenham has 30 independent stores and galleries too. Diehard Harry Potter fans can often be seen swooning over the house where scenes of the boy wizard’s younger days were filmed as well. Bury St Edmunds also has architecture aplenty, including the ruins of an abbey with formal gardens and an aviary in its surrounds. For more landscapes of the manicured sort, stop by the Italian-style palace of Ickworth House, 25 minutes from the site and slightly west of Bury – but make sure to have a gander at the town’s huge ninth-century cathedral before you do. Other popular Suffolk villages are Long Melford for antique shops and the Tudor mansion of Kentwell Hall (25 minutes’ drive), as well as summertime open-air plays and concerts; Hadleigh, meanwhile, is the place for River Brett roams around the same distance away. But if you’re not up for travelling far? The park’s a 20-minute stroll from the village of Rattlesden, which has a small shop, a post office and a couple of country pubs.

Site type

Motorhome pitches 2
Tent pitches 8
Touring caravan pitches 3
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 2
Opens 26 April
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • Please note there is no electricity at all in the pods.

Languages spoken

British Sign Language (BSL)

Open from Fri, 26 Apr to

Pitch types & availability

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would recommend this site to a friend

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would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Natural, peaceful tranquil camping with low impact on the environment

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities No rating
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Tranquility, beautiful natural camping. Perfect place to relax and enjoy being present. So nice to stay in such a natural setting where the owners have put nature before profit. The secluded camping pitches that are nestle amongst the wild grasses and trees are beautiful. It was so quiet with little light pollution and natural shade from the trees. The owners provide firepits on the pitches and some have wooden benches or picnic tables. Where they are set amongst the trees hammocks are also provided. The compost toilets are extremely clean and user friendly. Truly the best camping site I have visited in UK for nature, peace and sustainability. Thank you.

Disliked: Having to leave x

Recommend to friends Visit again

The site was beautiful and well kept! The owner was lovely and…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Riley P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: The site was beautiful and well kept! The owner was lovely and very welcoming. Would definitely stay again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, level private pitches

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: The spaces, peace and the hammocks ready for relaxation.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet, with well-spaced pitches (some in the open, others with shade if…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Quiet, with well-spaced pitches (some in the open, others with shade if needed) in an unspoilt and natural environment. Hammocks, fire-pits and benches with awnings provided. Basic but clean facilities. Excellent help from the owners.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice camp, friendly staff,

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Wayne B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Welcome text before arrival, really felt for the owners had torrential rain, did our best to not disturb there camp site, unfortunately other guests didn't respect there camp and made the ground undrivable, for there own selfish reasons, hosts came up with solutions to make the camp drivable and personally came to my tent to explain how they could help, Tbh with the weather how it was it was I couldn't Of asked more than they offered, but feel they would of gone further should of I have asked, thank you so much x

Disliked: Should of closed of main gate in order to preserve drive way.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great shepherds cute, beautiful quiet location

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Toad camping pod

Liked: Lots of space around the shepherd’s hut, campsite was lovely and easy to find, staff were friendly and responsive

Disliked: The campsite location means you have to drive to go for a walk but this was fine for us

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with comfortable huts and good facilities.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Linda F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Toad camping pod

Liked: My adult daughter and I spent two nights in Toad, a lovely hut with a very comfortable large bed which was made up before we arrived, indoor table & chairs and a sofa (which can convert to a bed); outdoor picnic bench, camping chairs, chiminea and bbq for own use. A short walk across the field to a communal hot shower and compost toilet and a fridge,freezer and power points just across the road. No electricity in the hut but it has battery powered lighting. Very easy check in and friendly service. Nice walk around the adjacent wheat field. Dog friendly. Pretty pub nearby, the 5 Bells in Rattlesden, with a big garden and quality hamburger van outside which has a good veggie option and who will deliver to your table.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely green site with secluded pitches.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: This is a lovely site, nature-friendly and secluded. Each pitch is different, but all are well-equipped with tables, awnings and hammocks, and with well-maintained compost loos nearby. I had a very happy time.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great spot for basic camping in the wild

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: Huge pitches separated by unmown areas of meadow, lots of butterflies. Use of fire pit, picnic table. Quiet and unspoilt.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, clean, well maintained

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Paul D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Toad camping pod

Liked: The rural feel of the location. Wild camping feel as no electricity on site. But it's nice to be away from it all. Compost toilets around the site are kept very clean. The site is well maintained and beautiful scenery.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Picnic table

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Rallies welcome

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent pitches

Themes

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Location

Barn Owl Campsite

Felsham Road

Rattlesden

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

England

IP30 0SG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

52.18981°N
0.87319°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.2 mi Station Road West
7.6 mi Village Hall
7.6 mi Village Hall
Rail
3.7 mi Elmswell Rail Station
5 mi Thurston Rail Station
5.4 mi Stowmarket Rail Station
Ferry
23.3 mi Harwich International Ferry Terminal
23.5 mi Shotley Point Marina Ferry Landing
23.5 mi Shotley Point Marina Ferry Landing
Airport
29.7 mi Cambridge Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Twitcher? You can drive 35 minutes from the park for the blue tits and woodpeckers seen among the trees of the Cavenham Heath National Nature Reserve; walkers can also rove through forestry at Melford Country Park, a 25-minute drive away. For bigger creatures – 2,000 of them if you’re one for counting – Banham Zoo is 45 minutes away and has habitats filled with exotic critters such as ruffed lemurs, Goeldi's monkeys and dwarf caimans. Before all this, carrying on for five minutes in the car to Sudbury from Cavenham leads to boating trips and a look at the paintings at the gallery in Thomas Gainsborough’s former home. Guests who deserve a tipple or two can also treat themselves at Giffords Hall Vineyard, 45 minutes away.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Dovercourt 24.8 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Felixstowe South 25.7 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Felixstowe North 25.9 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Brightlingsea 27.2 mi Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
West Mersea 29.1 mi Sea N/A Good N/A N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 9.5 mi

Christchurch Mansion 15.2 mi

Bressingham Steam and Gardens 15.5 mi

Banham Zoo 18.8 mi

East Anglian Railway Museum 19 mi

National Trust

Lavenham Guildhall 6.5 mi

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds 7.5 mi

Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 9.5 mi

Melford Hall 9.8 mi

Thorington Hall 14.7 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Felsham - Brettenham - Thorpe Morieux - Thorpe Green - Bull's Wood - Felsham 1.5 mi

Bradfield Woods 1.9 mi

Tostock 3.2 mi

Bradfield St George 3.4 mi

Thurston - Great Barton - Pakenham - Little Haugh - Thurston 5 mi

Local events

  • Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival (Saturday, 28 September 2024 – Saturday, 28 September 2024)

    Aldeburgh, Suffolk 26.5 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Suffolk?

  • Does Barn Owl Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Barn Owl Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Barn Owl Campsite? Twitcher? You can drive 35 minutes from the park for the blue tits and woodpeckers seen among the trees of the Cavenham Heath National Nature Reserve; walkers can also rove through forestry … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Barn Owl Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  11 p.m.
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Barn Owl Campsite? From £20 (for 1 night, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.