Aldersroot

View prices & book 9.8 9 reviews
Visitor image of the view of the lake (added by manager 04 Jul 2024)
New
Lazing in summer (added by manager 28 mar 2024)
Pitches among the trees (added by manager 04 jul 2024)
Camping field (added by manager 04 jul 2024)

  • Wild camping on private Essex parkland 10 minutes’ drive from Ongar
  • Epping Forest District Museum and Gibberd Garden half an hour’s drive
  • Adults-only off-grid pitches, communal firepit and watersports lake
Fancy a wild camping adventure on the very fringes of London? Then it’s time to discover tree-shrouded Aldersroot, set on five acres of leafy land between Ongar and Brentwood, half an hour by car and 40 minutes by public transport from the centre of the city. The campsite is completely off grid and its eco-credentials are pretty high; it’s solar powered for a low impact on the planet, and careful permaculture design techniques have been used to create the pond and young forest gardens. All profit from the campsite is lovingly ploughed (almost literally) back into the land. This wild corner of suburbia offers a space to relax and simply exist, or you can get together with fellow campers around the communal fire, try kayaking and paddleboarding (bring your own board) or go wild swimming. The number of tents on site is strictly limited and you can pick your preferred spot. Pitch right next to pals or find a secluded spot and disappear among the trees. There are a few rules to aid the smooth running of the place: while it’s a resounding yes to music and fun on site, Aldersroot is drug and alcohol free. And as it’s a functioning farm with livestock, kids and dogs are not allowed to stay.

Campground type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 1
Tent sites 10
Caravan sites 5
RV & Motorhome sites 5
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Guests under the age of 18 are not allowed on site.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

100%

would recommend this campground to a friend

100%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Gorgeous site for off grid explorers in a quiet rural setting.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
James D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass caravan site

Liked: The lake was beautiful! The whole place was very peaceful and made for a relaxing break. I was actually travelling for work but feel like I’ve had a holiday as well. Mark, the owner is very friendly and welcoming and he has clearly put a lot of love into designing Aldersroot.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything was sustainable and eco friendly. It was spotless

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Danielle F. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Absolutely loved everything! Will be come a regular!

Disliked: Nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Staff committed and very helpful creating a relaxed atmosphere.

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

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: We loved our stay at Aldersroot. It is a haven for folks like ourselves who wish to learn more about Permaculture and live a more sustainable lifestyle whilst enjoying the simple pleasures of birdsong and sheep grazing around your tent. Facilities are basic and made from recycled materials wherever possible. Do not expect a neat and tidy ‘seaside resort type site’. Camp between the trees and bracken, be woken up by a song thrush and watch out for animal burrows. You are a visitor in their home. As a mature Botanist I was impressed by the owner’s understanding of how to create an environment that promotes biodiversity and a legacy for future generations.

Disliked: We liked everything about the site. Be aware that you may need to carry your kit/water to the camping pitches, although help was at hand. Facilities are basic but clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Green all around

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
Mark O. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass caravan site

Liked: Nice spot with good local produce and friendly owner. Very good off grid camp site with some luxury options. Love the sauna.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely loved staying at Aldersroot. Very close to London and still has…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Absolutely loved staying at Aldersroot. Very close to London and still has an incredibly secluded feeling. Great variety of woods/lake rather than the usual golf lawn style campsite. This is an ideal place to just chill out, cook, have a fire and watch nature - we made friends with the sheep/alpacas while there as well. Chris was hosting and made sure we had everything we needed during our stay, we'll definitely be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Almost wild camping. Beautiful surroundings, running water and compost toilet and apparently…

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

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Almost wild camping. Beautiful surroundings, running water and compost toilet and apparently there will soon be a sauna you could book! Folks who run it were super friendly and chilled and seeing the lama and sheep added to the fun! A 5-15 min drive to some pubs and a good farm shop.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really easy to get to from London via public transport but don’t…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
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

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Really easy to get to from London via public transport but don’t follow Google maps as it suggested a bus that didn’t exist! The owner can advise on this. Really beautiful space with lots of secluded spots and some very friendly lambs. The staff were really welcoming and I’d go back again!

Disliked: The road nearby meant it wasn’t completely silent but this didn’t bother me.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A lovely site. Pretty much just nature, a tap, and some logs!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
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

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Mark the host was great, he's done loads of camping himself and he made sure I was set up as soon as I got there then just left me to it. The location is great, just outside the M25 in ancient farming and woodland. There is a nice pub and shop in the village which you can walk to easily though the fields. Kelvedon Hatch bunker is just a few steps away, I didn't go to it this time but it really couldn't be nearer if you plan on seeing it. I had an espresso pot which I left behind, Mark contacted me and he arranged for me to easily pick it up (I live pretty nearby) so that was great. Plenty of space to set up a tent and a tarp. The bus stops right at the properties entrance (the stop sign is smashed up but you can see it, and they stopped for me - buses every hour into Brentwood) so a great stop over when backpacking! The alpacas and sheep are cute! The giant radio tower in the village is creepy! Lots of nature and a very quiet site!

Disliked: more an FYI - I got lost walking for a bit and got to the village shop just after six pm and it looked long shut, so make sure you have all you need before then. Also, if you look at maps of public rights of way there is supposed to be a footpath adjacent to the copse to the north, leading to a public bridleway into the village. It seems this all got fenced off to control deer. This deer proof fencing sounds like it restricts access but I didnt double check. However the footpath Mark pointed out, through the fields along the road was a very simple, pleasant walk, and doesn't sound like it has any issues with right of way / is well worn & doesn't intrude into crops etc (all but the roadside edge of these fields has the deer proof fencing on its eastern boundaries so its the only viable walk to the village afaik) Oh, there is no signage on the road for the farm - there really should be something to identify it from the road outside, so you know you've arrived?

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely camping space up on a hill overlooking the lake. Surrounded by…

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

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: Lovely camping space up on a hill overlooking the lake. Surrounded by nature with a visit from some particularly cute lambs and the friendly farm dog ‘Digger’. Perfect location just outside of London super convenient for a weekend away without having to drive very far! Took us 35 mins to drive from east London! Would also recommend the additional fire pit! No signal on the campsite but not an issue as you don’t tend to go camping to be on your phone!

Disliked: Not much!

Recommend to friends Visit again

A large spacious site with beautiful views of the pond and trees.…

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

Unpowered grass tent or trailer tent site

Liked: A large spacious site with beautiful views of the pond and trees. Great hospitality and made to feel very welcome. The friendly alpacas are a bonus.

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 Sauna TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry 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

Adults only Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Themes

Walkers' paradise

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby

Location

Aldersroot

Priory Ponds Farm

Ongar Road

Kelvedon Hatch

Ongar

Essex

England

CM15 0LA

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.67386°N
0.26426°W

Route directions

Please follow the Google Maps directions (for Priory Ponds Farm), which will bring you directly to the gate. Please do not use the postcode for directions as it ends at a different address.

Nearest transport

Coach
6.5 km High Street
6.5 km High Street
11.8 km Romford Market
Rail
6.6 km Shenfield Rail Station
7.1 km Brentwood Rail Station
8.3 km Ingatestone Rail Station
Ferry
24 km Woolwich Arsenal Pier
24.1 km Woolwich Ferry North Pier
24.3 km Woolwich Ferry South Pier
Airport
24 km London City Airport
24.1 km London Stansted Airport
32.5 km 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

There’s a fair amount of history to digest in this leafy corner of Essex. You can learn about all things industrial at The Museum of Power (40 minutes’ drive), housed in an up-cycled 18th-century water-pumping station, or witness life in Cold War bunkers at Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker (five minutes’ drive). Have a nose around the 17th-century pottery finds and Victorian landscape paintings at Epping Forest District Museum (half an hour), and check the haphazard opening hours at Valence House Museum (35 minutes) before visiting – it’s well worth the trip to see the moated manor house, period rooms and gardens full of wildflowers. Keeping up the cultural theme, visit The Gibberd Garden (half an hour), where avenues of trees lead to an eccentric sculpture trail featuring the best of British artists – and when it’s just a peaceful country walk you’re after, try the trails through Bobbingworth Nature Reserve (10 minutes), built on a former landfill site.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Leigh Bell Wharf 30.7 km Estuary Good N/A Poor N/A
Southend Chalkwell 32 km Estuary N/A Good N/A Good
Southend Westcliff Bay 33 km Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Southend Three Shells 34.7 km Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Good
Southend Jubilee 35.6 km Estuary N/A Good Good Good

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lee Valley Regional Park 17.9 km

RHS Garden Hyde Hall 21.4 km

Discover 23.6 km

Greenwich Heritage Centre 23.9 km

Firepower - The Royal Artillery Museum 25.2 km

National Trust

Rainham Hall 18.2 km

Eastbury Manor House 19.3 km

Sutton House 25.9 km

Red House 26 km

St John's Jerusalem 29.6 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

WEALD PARK 5.3 km

BLAKE HALL 5.9 km

HILL HALL 7.7 km

WARLEY PLACE 8.9 km

COOPERSALE HOUSE 9.5 km

Local events

  • All Points East (Saturday 17 August 2024 – Saturday 17 August 2024)

    London, England 26.3 km

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Essex?

  • Does Aldersroot have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Aldersroot dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Aldersroot? There’s a fair amount of history to digest in this leafy corner of Essex. You can learn about all things industrial at The Museum of Power (40 minutes’ drive), housed in an … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Aldersroot?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1:30 p.m. –  8:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Aldersroot? From $48.74 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.