The Meadow at Waples Mill

View prices & book 8.3 50 reviews
Stunning lake full of big carp
Stunning lake full of big carp
Visitor image of the spacious pitches
Meadow view
Large open pitches
Lots of open space
Grass pitches
Pitches in a grass field
Fishing moat
1/51
Visitor image of the spacious pitches
Meadow view
Large open pitches

  • Spacious grass pitches in the green Essex countryside
  • A 15-minute drive to Chelmsford; 40 minutes to Audley End
  • Tractor rides on site; firepits provided for campfires
What do you fancy putting on the schedule for your countryside break? Rural walks, for sure… and maybe an evening by the campfire? How about proper farm activities like tractor rides (ask site staff for details)? The place to find all this is The Meadow at Waples Mill, an Essex farm site between Chelmsford and Dunmow (and about 15 minutes’ drive from both). This family-friendly site is handy for walks on the Essex Way and other local footpaths, and tractor and trailer rides around the farm are organised on alternate days to give guests a glimpse into agricultural life. Activities complete for the day, it's time to chill out, and that should be easy here – all pitches have access to toilets and hot showers in a long trailer close by, and firepits are provided so you can have a safe campfire (with wood available to buy on site and a great farm shop 10 minutes’ drive away for fireside snacks). Pitches themselves are large, well kept and well spaced within a meadow that backs onto the River Roding. Dogs are welcome, and there are plenty of places to take them for a walk nearby. London folk looking for a quick escape to the countryside, this is a place to bear in mind – it’s only about an hour and quarter by road from the city.

Site type

Tent pitches 15
Motorhome pitches 3
Open now
Opens 17 April
Please note
  • 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 that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • There is no reception on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, 17 Apr to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other options

Reviews

8.3

Overall rating from 50 Pitchup.com customers

  • 48%
    10
  • 8%
    9
  • 16%
    8
  • 4%
    7
  • 14%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 4%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 4%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 4
Peaceful

84% would recommend this site to a friend

80% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite offers spacious, level pitches in a tranquil, rural setting with beautiful country views. Reviewers praised the peaceful atmosphere, generous spacing between pitches, and the provision of fire pits with free logs. The location is noted as ideal for walks and escaping the city. Facilities are described as basic and in need of updating by many, with some mentioning issues with cleanliness and functionality. Despite this, the friendly owners and overall value for money are highlighted by several visitors, with many expressing a desire to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 5
Arrival date (latest first)

Great stay .. happy

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 5
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Beautiful peaceful campsite, everyone was silent by 10pm (apart from the badgers 😉).
I traveled with my sister as two single females in our 30s, we were dropped off and left with no car. We both felt very safe throughout our stay. There is plenty of fields and footpaths to walk and a shed with 2 showers and 2 toilets only.

The owner of the land/campsite was lovely, he came and had a friendly chat when we arrived, to make sure we were happy, he lent us some wooden chairs as we forgot to pack ours and kept us in wood all evening for our fire pit. The firepit was beautiful and burnt gently (remember you're own kinderling and firelighters to get it going)

Will come again

Disliked A small essentials farm shop on site would be a lovely touch as the closest convenience store was an 8 mile walk away (not a problem if you drive)

Toilets were abit grubby but not awful, bring you're own loo roll

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely, quiet site. Great to have…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Emma T.

Non-electric grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Lovely, quiet site. Great to have fire pits for all spaces. Easy access to Chelmsford and Hylands Park.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet and lovely place :-)…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Denisa B.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Quiet and lovely place :-)

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely peaceful place to relax and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Leonie H.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Lovely peaceful place to relax and owner was very welcoming, friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. Definitely recommend!

Recommend to friends Visit again

We liked the situation, large pitches,…

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 3
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked We liked the situation, large pitches, walking from the site, provision of raised fires.

Disliked Drinking water was not mains fed and was just from a tank which was open to the elements and you could only fill from toilet basin tap.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly people, welcoming, clean facilities.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Madara G.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Beautiful and quiet rural area not far from Chelmsford.plenty of space for tents and more. Great for Sunset watchers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Perfect for tranquility and back to nature

Overall

6 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 4
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 8
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 3
Wifi
 No rating
Kelly W.

Non-electric grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Tranquil location and perfect for a night and for our needs. The fire pit and free logs was a nice touch.

Disliked Very basic facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

an amazing place however wasn’t prepared for the rain, we left early

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 7
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 7
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 4
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked The atmosphere, location and price

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful surroundings and great view.so much…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 No rating
Jason W.

Non-electric grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Beautiful surroundings and great view.so much room to pitch and even when busy the pitches are huge. Very peaceful stay. Very friendly owner who is welcoming and offered tips for our onward journey.

Disliked Toilet and shower facilities were basic (which we are good with) but could also do with an upgrade and a little better servicing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The location was perfect. We initially…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked The location was perfect. We initially went to the wrong place which was close to too much but when we found the site and all you could hear was the wind and the birds, plus seeing no bars on the mobile, I knew I'd picked the right place to book.
Plenty of walks in the area and river to dip your toes into.
The pitch was lovely size, the site was quiet despite having many campers.
My reason for full stars for Facilities / Activities is because there were no activities. This is a do it yourself site which is want we needed. And Wifi, well there was none and that's what is advertised.
As others have mentioned, the facilities is a little rough on the edges but it is in a field and not at home. If everyone respects the space, then it's adequate.

Disliked My wife would say the 'adequate' shower/toilet facilities but otherwise for us both, there was nothing to complain about.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campsite

Dogs 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 Car parking by pitch/unit 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

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Pop-up campsite Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby

Location

The Meadow at Waples Mill

Ongar Road

Margaret Roding

Dunmow

Essex

England

CM6 1QS

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.77736°N
0.3172°E

Route directions

Please use the postcode CM6 1QS for navigation purposes.

Nearest transport

Coach
7 mi Bus Station
8.1 mi Coach Station
8.1 mi Coach Station
Rail
7.1 mi Chelmsford Rail Station
7.2 mi Sawbridgeworth Rail Station
8 mi Harlow Mill Rail Station
Ferry
22.2 mi Woolwich Arsenal Pier
22.3 mi Woolwich Ferry North Pier
22.4 mi Woolwich Ferry South Pier
Airport
8.2 mi London Stansted Airport
22 mi London Southend Airport
22.1 mi London City 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

These rural surroundings have plenty of natural landscapes to explore, and plenty of paths to follow to see some of them. The 82-mile Essex Way is the area’s major route, but there are lots of shorter trails around too if that sounds like too much. Or for a much more relaxing day out you could try a ride on the Epping Ongar Railway (15 minutes’ drive away). Scattered around the area are also several lovely houses and gardens to visit, including Audley End (40 minutes), RHS Garden Hyde Hall (40 minutes) and the Gardens of Easton Lodge (25 minutes). If you time your trip well you could also book ahead for a tour of ‘Britain’s Most Extraordinary Home’ Talliston House & Gardens (15 minutes). It’s worth making a trip into Chelmsford (15 minutes) too – it's home to the gorgeous gardens of Hylands Park, a cathedral with Gothic remnants, and a couple of top-notch museums including the Essex Police Museum. Kids need to let off a bit of energy? Try Jump Street trampoline park, just outside the city (25 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Leigh Bell Wharf 21.9 mi Estuary GoodN/APoorN/A
Southend Chalkwell 22.5 mi Estuary N/AGoodN/AGood
Southend Westcliff Bay 23 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southend Three Shells 23.9 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentGood
Southend Jubilee 24.5 mi Estuary N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Hyde Hall 13.4 mi

Lee Valley Regional Park 14.8 mi

Audley End House and Gardens 17.3 mi

East Anglian Railway Museum 21.3 mi

Discover 21.3 mi

National Trust

Paycocke's 16.8 mi

Coggeshall Grange Barn 16.8 mi

Rainham Hall 18.8 mi

Eastbury Manor House 19.2 mi

Sutton House 22.4 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Hatfield Broad Oak - Hatfield Forest 4.7 mi

DOWN HALL 5 mi

BLAKE HALL 5.3 mi

Ford End - Hartford End - Leez Priory - Ford End 5.9 mi

LANGLEYS 6.4 mi

Local events

  • All Points East (Friday 22 August 2025 – Friday 22 August 2025)

    London, Greater London 22.8 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 Essex?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Meadow at Waples Mill have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Meadow at Waples Mill dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Meadow at Waples Mill? These rural surroundings have plenty of natural landscapes to explore, and plenty of paths to follow to see some of them. The 82-mile Essex Way is the area’s major route, but there … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Meadow at Waples Mill?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  10:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Meadow at Waples Mill? From £24 (for 1 night, 6 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.