Swattesfield Camp

View prices & book 9.7 66 reviews
Aerial view of the site and surrounding farmland
New
Rental bikes available on site
Looking out over the pond from the glade camping field on the jetty
Peaceful camping area

  • Leafy family-friendly Suffolk site next to the Thornham Walks estate
  • Direct access to dog-friendly walks; Norwich 55 minutes’ drive
  • Shared kitchen and camping shop; 11th-century pub half an hour’s walk
Tucked into seven verdant acres of North Suffolk countryside and farmland, Swattesfield Camp maintains an intimate, peaceful vibe as the number of its (unmarked) grass pitches are limited – and yes, you can set up wherever you like, be it in the woods, in the glade, by the hedgerows or by the pond. If you’re looking to explore the Waveney Valley and the historic market town of Diss (20 minutes’ drive) from a thoroughly rural base, then this is the spot for you. Open fires are allowed in the site’s own firepits and the pizza oven is free for all to fire up. Otherwise, make good use of the shared kitchen, equipped with gas stoves, utensils, crockery and cutlery. There’s a large double sink outside the shower block – which has separate facilities for men and women – for pot washing too. And if you need to freeze ice packs, the team can sort this for you. If you hit a rainy day, handy amenities for kids include table football, a chalk board and board games. Left something vital behind? Never fear, the small but well-stocked on-site camping supplies shop has essentials from pegs to sleeping bags or tents. Anything you need in the groceries line, you can pick up from the village store in Gislingham, less than five minutes’ drive away. And by the way, the site is half an hour’s walk from a famed pub so old it’s mentioned in the Domesday Book.

Site type

Tent sites 20
RV sites 20
Rent a tent 2
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 3
Mobile homes for rent 1
Open now
Opens April 2
Please note

Occupancy

  • Group bookings of 2 or more units travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, Apr 2 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 83%
    10
  • 9%
    9
  • 3%
    8
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    7
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
8

97% would recommend this site to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

Loved by guests! Praised for friendly owners, beautiful setting, and great facilities (clean showers, communal kitchen). Spacious, quiet pitches, direct access to walks. Small shop's a bonus. A few note cleaning could be more frequent in peak times. Many want to come back!

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026-09-22

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Reviews page 1 of 7
Arrival date (latest first)

Excellent

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked I had the field to myself, a tap with drinking water and a sink near by, lovely woodland and quite, all the amenities close by lovely and clean.

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really enjoyed our stay here, the…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
6

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Really enjoyed our stay here, the pizza oven was lots of fun to use and make your own stone baked pizzas. Lots of space around pitches. Beautiful walks locally. The owner Jess is lovely and super helpful too. The onsite shop was well stocked. The use of the communal kitchen is really handy especially if it’s raining.

Disliked Having to go home

Recommend to friends Visit again

Charming and quiet campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Paul C. 7 reviews

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked The whole campsite was delightful. The grass for camping was flat and had a number of picnic tables dotted around to make use of. The camp kitchen with 2 gas hobs, electric plugs, and plenty of seating under cover is a great touch. The washrooms were clean and tidy, with good water pressure. Very much loved teh hobbit houses and the shepahrds hut, woudl be fun to stay in one of those.

Disliked N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

A great camp in a beauitful location x

Overall

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

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked We loved this campsite, one of the best we have stayed. Very helpful, love the small shop on site. Toilets and showers are very clean. The owner is on site, if anything is needed. We had a lovely walk around the site, great for kids, if u want them off the tablet lol. We borrow a couple bikes and rode out to Eye. Great for walks. Nice pub down the road. We are coming back next year for a few stays and bringing family.

Disliked There was nothing to dislike. We only suggest a few lights in places, when walking around at night & welcome board with info on hiring fire pits etc as didn't want to keep bothering the owner.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Facilities very goodPeacefulness lots of walks…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Facilities very goodPeacefulness lots of walks friendly owner

Recommend to friends Visit again

My husband and I stayed for…

Overall

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

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked My husband and I stayed for 3 nights. We had a lovely pitch with electric. The showers and toilets were very clean with hot water from the showers and sink taps. I loved the little touches like hand wash at each sink and at the kitchen sinks there was washing liquid, sponges and tea towels. We borrowed a fire pit and bought wood from the little shop and sat out in the evening with a cosy fire. Also there was a lovely walk from the campsite to Thornham Walks park which is also a must visit. Highly recommend this campsite for a peaceful few nights escape. Shout out to Jess who was very accommodating and helpful.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Relaxed site…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
9
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Relaxed site

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Lovely campsite, loads of space, good facilities and a perfect location.

Disliked Nothing really

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything! Clean facilities, showers and toilets…

Overall

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

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Everything! Clean facilities, showers and toilets were of a very high standard as were the shared washing up and cooking areas. The best thing was the nature and the walks, one stay was not enough so I plan to return soon.

Recommend to friends Visit again

such a wonderful place, the place…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked such a wonderful place, the place is so clean, and warm-
area, a lot of thing to do! enjoying the area

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Off licence Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

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

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Hikers’ paradise Leave the car at home Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Step-free access

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Swattesfield Camp

Gislingham Road

Thornham Magna

Eye

Suffolk

England

IP23 8HH

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

52.30423°N
1.06023°E

Route directions

Satnav co-ordinates 52.304, 1.0606 What3words///blushes.analogy.waggled

Nearest transport

Coach
8.4 km Bus Station
12.5 km Jacobs Close
12.6 km Jacobs Close
Rail
8.9 km Diss Rail Station
12.5 km Elmswell Rail Station
13.4 km Stowmarket Rail Station
Ferry
41.3 km Shotley Point Marina Ferry Landing
41.3 km Shotley Point Marina Ferry Landing
41.5 km Walberswick Ferry Landing
Airport
43.3 km Norwich International 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

Swattesfield Camp has direct access to dog-friendly Thornham Walks estate and its 12 miles of waymarked paths (ask the site owners for the map); you can stroll through ancient parkland and woodland, follow the sculpture trail and have a restorative pot of tea in the café. Historic Diss (20 minutes) is home to a lively Friday market held since the 13th century, waterside strolls around the Mere lake and a handsome blend of medieval, Georgian and Victorian architecture in its regenerated Heritage Triangle. If you get the urge to explore further afield, the prestigious colleges and excellent art museums of Cambridge are an hour and 10 minutes by car; Norwich, with its mighty castle and cathedral, is 55 minutes’ drive, and the timeless Suffolk Heritage Coast towns of Southwold, Walberswick and Aldeburgh, with their shingle beaches and arty shops, are all about an hour away.
(within 10 km)
Castle, Aquarium, Theme park and Zoo (within 16.1 km)

Food and drink

  • The Six Bells Inn 1.3 km
  • Four Horseshoes 2 km
  • White Horse Inn 2.7 km
  • Railway Tavern 3.2 km
  • The White Horse Inn 3.4 km
  • Cherry Tree 4.3 km
  • The Walnut Tree 4.6 km
  • Trowell and Hammer 4.8 km
  • The Black Horse 5.4 km
  • The Greyhound 5.7 km

Groceries

  • The Co-operative Food 5.8 km
  • Aldi 8.2 km
  • Tesco 8.3 km
  • Morrisons 8.3 km

Parks and play

  • Thornam Magna Playground 1.3 km
  • Roots Playground 7.6 km
  • Scole Pocket Park 9 km
  • Quaker Wood park 9.1 km

Family days out

  • Thornham Walks Visitor attraction 1.3 km
  • Eye Castle 6.4 km
  • Bressingham Steam & Gardens Visitor attraction 8.8 km
  • Suffolk Owl Sanctuary Zoo 13.9 km
  • Wingfield Castle 14.6 km
  • Banham Zoo 15.8 km

Public transport

  • Village Hall 1.2 km
  • Post Office 1.2 km
  • Four Horseshoes 2 km
  • The Street 2 km
  • Pumping Station 2 km
  • Pillar Box 2.6 km
  • White Horse 2.6 km
  • Yaxley Bull 2.9 km
  • Gislingham Road 3.1 km
  • Old Station 3.1 km

Other nearby

  • Hinderclay Lakes Fishing 7.1 km
  • Diss Golf Club Golf course 8.5 km
  • No 8 Marketplace Shopping centre 8.7 km

Local services

  • BP Fuel station 5.5 km
  • Hartismere Hospital 5.8 km
  • Botesdale Health Centre Doctors 5.8 km
  • Eye Health Centre Doctors 5.9 km
  • Mendlesham Health Centre Doctors 6 km
  • Charge Station Charging station 6.1 km
  • Eye Pharmacy 6.2 km
  • Lamberts Service Station Fuel station 6.2 km
  • Tap Electric Charging station 6.6 km
  • Gulf Fuel station 7.1 km

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Bressingham Steam and Gardens 8.9 km

Banham Zoo 15.9 km

Framlingham Castle 21.5 km

Christchurch Mansion 28.1 km

Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 29 km

National Trust

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds 24.5 km

Lavenham Guildhall 28.2 km

Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 29 km

Sutton Hoo 30.2 km

Melford Hall 33.8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Little Green - Botesdale 3.3 km

Eye 6.7 km

Occold 8 km

Lopham Fen 9.1 km

Hepworth 10.4 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.

Want to know more about camping in Suffolk?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Swattesfield Camp have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Swattesfield Camp dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Swattesfield Camp? Swattesfield Camp has direct access to dog-friendly Thornham Walks estate and its 12 miles of waymarked paths (ask the site owners for the map); you can stroll through ancient parkland and woodland, … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Swattesfield Camp?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Swattesfield Camp? From $37.55 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.