Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site

View prices & book 9 63 reviews
Pitches by the water
Pitches by the water
Grass pitches
Sunset
The best riverside sunsets in the uk
Grab a morning coffee and croissant
Canoe hire is available directly from the campsite
Dip your toes in the river from our jetties
Around the pitches
1/61
Grass pitches
Sunset
The best riverside sunsets in the uk

  • Relaxed, friendly and simple site in the Dedham Vale
  • Launch straight onto the river Stour; canoe hire on site
  • Paddle directly to the pub; family-run site since the 1950s
Slow down a little at Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site, a family-run riverside site in the Dedham Vale (Constable Country). It's right on the river Stour, so hire a canoe to do the site's popular 'paddle to the pub' in nearby Nayland or launch your own craft, and then return for sunsets and campfires. Since opening in 1958, the site has been a firm favourite with guests in all seasons. Owner Gareth Bates is a member of the River Stour Trust and reckons this is the quietest and most scenic part of the river. The area is part of Constable country, the Suffolk paths and fields trodden by painter John Constable, and the whole of Dedham Vale is in a National Landscape. A footpath crosses the farm, and acres of artistically scenic walks are nearby; some start directly from the farm. Facilities at Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site include hot showers, ladies' and gents' toilets, fresh water, chemical disposal, a washing-up area and a small play area. The site also welcomes well-behaved dogs, kept on leads at all times.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 20
Tent pitches 20
Motorhome pitches 20
Rent a tent 2
Open now
Opens 30 April
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, 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.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Only firepits provided by the site are allowed.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu 30 Apr to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9

Overall rating from 63 Pitchup.com customers

  • 65%
    10
  • 9%
    9
  • 12%
    8
  • 3%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 1%
    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
Peaceful

90% would recommend this site to a friend

84% would stay here again

What customers say

This picturesque riverside campsite is praised for its stunning location and direct river access, ideal for kayaking and paddleboarding. Reviewers highlight friendly, helpful staff and well-maintained, clean facilities including toilets and showers. While some found the site overpriced, most enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and natural surroundings. Occasional reports of noise and overcrowding during peak times are noted.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 04/08/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 7
Arrival date (latest first)

Whats not to like

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Martin J. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked We were lucky to secure a river side pitch and the view and access was excellent.
The paddle to the swan pub was fantastic and has given us the impartas to kayak more.
The Manager on site was very helpful and when we told him we had forgotten our chairs he
Managed to save the day with some spares. Very kind and welcoming.
Pizzas Wednesday night a must have.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The riverside location is fab....we had…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Vicki W. 1 review

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked The riverside location is fab....we had the best time pottering about exploring on our canoe and fishing. Really lovely place

Recommend to friends Visit again

We really enjoyed our stay at…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Liam J. 1 review

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked We really enjoyed our stay at rush banks showers where hot and clean toilets was clean as well beautiful river we paddle board down to the pub and back would 100% recommend this camp site to anyone

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great if you want river access.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked - Direct access to the river and ability to hire canoes, paddle boards for the day.
- Accessible via public transport with a bus stop to Colchester Station about 1.5 miles away in the village Nayland.
- Nearby Nayland has a cafe and pub you can visit.

Disliked - Disregard from children and their parents for water safety during the compulsory briefing and generally during the day. We found it dangerous (for us and them) having so many children unsupervised on paddleboards etc.
- Car really is the priority here. People driving in and out of campsite private road showed little respect to pedestrians. We also had a car camp close and over our tent line as they parked up for their stay.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really Nice Clean Site Great Location

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Barbara E. 4 reviews

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked We absolutely loved staying at Rushbank Farm. We were there for our friends 60th Birthday. George and the rest of the staff couldn't have been more helpful.
We hired some Canoes went to the pub. Enjoyed having a sing song round the camp fire. Toilets were nice and clean which was nice.
Just Great

Disliked Probably the could do with a few more showers and not have to keep pushing the button on them.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very well maintained and peaceful place.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Very well maintained and peaceful place. Will definitely go again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Avoid unless your a nonce

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 1
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 2
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 3
Wifi
 1
 Jake G. 1 review

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked The river

Disliked More kids then adults was a absolute nightmare. Constant ball games played near our tent an hit our car multiple times. Parents was to drunk and oblivious to tell there children to play elsewhere. Quite expensive for what it is. Should of camped in a layby instead

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Hi Jake,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're pleased you enjoyed our beautiful riverside setting on the River Stour.

Rushbanks is a family campsite, particularly at weekends and during the school holidays, so you'll often see children enjoying the outdoors. We also want every guest to have a relaxing and enjoyable stay, and we encourage everyone to be considerate of those camping nearby.

If there's ever anything that could make your stay more comfortable, whether it's noise, ball games close to pitches or anything else, please let a member of our team know straight away. We're on site throughout the day and evening and are always happy to speak with neighbouring campers so everyone can enjoy their time at Rushbanks.

Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope to welcome you back in the future.

9

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
David J. 1 review

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked being right by the riverside. Loos kept clean, washing up area good. Nice and quiet.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely weekend stay of camping and paddle boarding.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 No rating
Sarah 1 review

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked Loved the location and how easy it was to use our paddle boards on the river. The camp fire that we purchased and was dropped off was a lovely addition to the evening.

Disliked People taking up some much room that we couldn't camp by the river.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing site, staff on hand 24/7 to help if needed

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Tiazah R. 1 review

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked The views, and all the amenities

Disliked Disliked nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Campfires allowed

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 Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. 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

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Lake and/or mountain Leave the car at home Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise 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 Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Tourer storage facilities

Location

Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site

Bures Road

Wissington

Sudbury

Suffolk

England

CO6 4NA

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.96781°N
0.8381°E

Route directions

The farm is on the Suffolk side of the River Stour, between Bures and Nayland on Bures Road. After turning into the site, adhere to the 10mph speed limit, and follow the farm track down to the waterside.

Nearest transport

Coach
6.2 mi Stanwell Street
7.7 mi Valley Road
7.8 mi Valley Road
Rail
3 mi Bures Rail Station
4.5 mi Chappel & Wakes Colne Rail Station
5.2 mi Colchester Rail Station
Ferry
13.8 mi Brightlingsea Ferry Landing
13.8 mi Point Clear Ferry Landing
17.8 mi Harwich International Ferry Terminal
Airport
25.3 mi London Stansted Airport
28.2 mi London Southend 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

Water, land, town, countryside and even coast (the Essex shoreline is less than 20 miles away) are all eminently suitable options for activities and days out from this site – and if you should tire of all that, Colchester is just six miles away for trips to its castle and zoo. Stay local at first with an afternoon or evening at nearby Nayland, roaming around the lauded 15th-century buildings of its Tudor and Stuart streets. There are a couple of old churches worth wandering to in the area: the Norman church at neighbouring village Wissington/Wiston, and the village church of Nayland, where a Constable painting hangs. If you've come to the area to follow Constable's trail, you'll also probably want to get to Flatford Mill and the hamlet of Flatford, depicted by Constable in his painting The Hay Wain (which was painted in London – naughty). The mill's now managed by the National Trust, which has added a Constable exhibition in Bridge Cottage nearby, and exhibitions of paintings by contemporary artists in the Boat House Gallery. More history can be discovered at Lavenham, the medieval village that also styles itself 'the food capital of Suffolk', and at Kentwell Hall in Long Melford, where those interested in Tudor times can take themselves along to the acclaimed re-enactments held for three weeks a year in June and July.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Brightlingsea 13.4 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Mersea 14.2 mi Sea N/AGoodN/AN/A
Jaywick 17.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Clacton Beach Martello Tower 18.3 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Clacton 18.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

East Anglian Railway Museum 4.6 mi

Colchester Castle Museum 6 mi

firstsite 6.1 mi

Colchester Zoo 7.2 mi

Christchurch Mansion 15.1 mi

National Trust

Thorington Hall 4 mi

Bourne Mill 7 mi

Flatford: Bridge Cottage 7.8 mi

Melford Hall 9.3 mi

Paycocke's 9.5 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Manningtree - Nayland - Wormingford - Bures: Part 2 1.6 mi

Bures Hamlet - Stour Valley Way - Wiston - Bures Hamlet 2.6 mi

Stoke-by-Nayland - Thorington Street and Hall - Tendring Hall Park and Farm - Temple - Stoke-by-Nayland 2.7 mi

Stoke by Nayland - Withermarsh Green - Polstead - Stoke by Nayland 2.7 mi

TENDRING HALL PARK 2.9 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.

Offers

Tent pitchTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome or campervan pitch
Non-electric grass pitch

  • 1 night free

    –
    Min. stay 7 nights

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Want to know more about camping in Suffolk?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site? Water, land, town, countryside and even coast (the Essex shoreline is less than 20 miles away) are all eminently suitable options for activities and days out from this site – and if … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  Anytime
    Depart by:  12 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Rushbanks Farm Caravan and Camping Site? From £36 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.