Hill Farm Camping

View prices & book 9.9 94 reviews
Wide pitches with lovely views
Meet the animals
Campsite views
Around the site

  • Well-equipped Essex farm site with excellent accessible facilities
  • A 25-minute drive to Audley End; Colchester Zoo 40 minutes
  • Archery, frisbee golf and trailer rides on site, plus animals to meet
Getting around a campsite can sometimes be tricky for guests with restricted mobility – but not so at Hill Farm Camping in the Essex countryside, a mile from the village of Great Bardfield. The team at this 18-acre site have ensured that their place is accessible to all guests, with wheelchair-friendly paths and facilities including disabled toilets, a wet room with shower, a height-adjustable changing table and a power outlet for a personal hoist. Other handy amenities include a playground, picnic tables and a shared fridge and freezer. This welcoming spot isn’t just a campsite – it’s also an activity centre, where guests can play disc golf and have a go at archery or off-road skateboarding, walk around the wildlife lake or hire bikes to see some of the surroundings. Exploring isn’t off limits for less-mobile guests either, as there are rides available on wheelchair-friendly trailers that are also great fun for kids. And of course this is a farm, so there are chickens, sheep, goats and horses to meet as well as alpacas, emus and kangaroos. When you’re not busy talking to the animals, you may like to get a campfire going, wander up to the village for a drink in one of the pubs, or take day trips to places like Audley End or Colchester Zoo.

Site type

Tent sites 25
Travel trailer sites 6
RV sites 6
Open now
Opens May 1
Please note
  • Single-sex bookings of 5 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, May 1 to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 90%
    10
  • 8%
    9
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Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
9

100% would recommend this site to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

This campsite gets fantastic reviews for its stunning location, friendly owners, and loads of activities for everyone. Guests rave about the clean facilities, the animals (especially alpacas!), and the welcoming vibe. It's spacious, well-kept, and perfect for family trips. Most guests want to come back! Minor points were about toilet distance or wind.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 10
Arrival date (latest first)

Amazing campsite, Alan and Ruth are incredible!

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Everything, the location, the animals and the hosts are incredible.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely welcome to a lovely site. The Emu had taken a shine…

Overall

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

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Lovely welcome to a lovely site. The Emu had taken a shine to our caravan and was trying to escape! Ruth and Alan are great. There was a pool set up for the kids as well as badminton, archery and so many animals. The two alpacas roam free which we enjoyed. Alan kept bringing out something new for the kids to ride on and they had a wonderful time. Beautiful views and lots of space. We were only there two nights but felt a bit sad to leave. Gem of a place and we will be back. Thank you.

Disliked Nowhere to empty our caravan loo which was not a big problem as only there two nights.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Even more amazing than last year. Alan and Ruth (the owners/organisers) are…

Overall

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

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Even more amazing than last year. Alan and Ruth (the owners/organisers) are amazing as well.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lots of pitches too choose from. Friendly hosts. Parks for children dotted…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Lots of pitches too choose from.
Friendly hosts.
Parks for children dotted around site.
Animals, Games, Pool.
Trailer rides.
Clean facilities (bath room)
Everything you need on site co op 5 mins drive away.
River and pond with lots of wildlife.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A fantastic site - the perfect set up for families.

Overall

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

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Everything! This is the perfect camp site for a family, with so much for the kids to do. From swings and slides, archery to swing ball, a volley ball net to a swimming pool, a dirt track for bikes to a zip line. As well as all these activities, there are the friendly animals to see too, including wallabies, alpacas, an emu and chickens. Plenty of entertainment for hours! The facilities are brilliant and extremely clean, with everything you could need for a baby/child. There is endless space to camp, and at times it felt like we were the only ones there. You could stay under the trees by the stream or camp on top of the hill in the sun. Ruth and Alan were very accommodating, they really have thought of everything to make it a comfortable and enjoyable stay. We will certainly be returning with a group of friends and their little ones - thank you!

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely fantastic campsite. Toilets/showers were spotless. The camp was quiet and surrounded…

Overall

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

Power optional grass campsite

Liked Absolutely fantastic campsite. Toilets/showers were spotless. The camp was quiet and surrounded by a beautiful landscape. The grounds are spotless and there are lots of activities and walks to do. We really enjoyed being shown around on the quad bike! But most of all we loved the animals. We will certainly be staying again next year.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing campsite with immaculate facilities.

Overall

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

Power optional grass campsite

Liked What an amazing campsite and hosts. The site was beautiful, plenty to do, the showers and toilets were immaculate. We were a group of dads with kids (both young snd teenagers). We camp ever year and wish we had found this sooner, will definitely be back next year! Plenty of space with enough privacy between other campers. Thank you Alan and Ruth for a great stay and your hospitality.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful location on top of a hill with amazing sunset views with…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Beautiful location on top of a hill with amazing sunset views with lots of space to find your own pitch. Facilities were really clean and there were a great range of activities. There's even full 4G signal everywhere. Ruth and Alan were super friendly as were the lovely alpacas and other animals!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with a lovely host,clean facilities & beautiful scenery

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked This was an amazing trip. We stayed for 1 night and we had a great time. We were welcomed by Alan who was so helpful and accommodating and made us feel so welcomed. There were lots of areas for the children to play and everything was really well laid out. The toilets and facilities were really clean and it was such a lovely experience for us all. We will definetely be coming back

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing place, great for families, kids were really happy

Overall

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

Primitive grass campsite

Liked Absolutely everything about it, lovely couple that run this please, animals, the games
/toys/equipment on site to keep kids occupied and the site itself, Absolutely amazing spot and definitely place to come back to.

Disliked We loved evrrything

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

Baby-changing facilities Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Tents for hire Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge 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

Type

Farm Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 32 inches) Dedicated quiet space Site close to accessible bathrooms Step-free or level access

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Hill Farm Camping

Mill Road

Great Bardfield

Braintree

Essex

England

CM7 4QQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.94878°N
0.45766°E

Nearest transport

Coach
11.4 km Tesco Store
14.9 km Coach Station
14.9 km Coach Station
Rail
10.6 km Braintree Rail Station
11.7 km Braintree Freeport Rail Station
13.6 km Cressing Rail Station
Ferry
42.1 km Point Clear Ferry Landing
42.1 km Brightlingsea Ferry Landing
43.1 km Wallasea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
15 km London Stansted Airport
34.9 km Cambridge Airport
45.5 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

Anyone who hasn’t had their fill of wildlife on site can meet rhinos and tigers at Colchester Zoo (40 minutes’ drive). Your younger offspring will likely enjoy an hour clambering around the soft-play centre at Little Monsters House of Fun (15 minutes), and most kids will also love the miniature railway ride and fairy-themed walk at Audley End House and Gardens (25 minutes). There’s more family-friendly entertainment to be had at Mountfitchet Castle and Norman Village (half an hour), where kids can dress up as knights in a recreated medieval hamlet. Great Notley Country Park (15 minutes) is another handy spot for you all to let off steam, with facilities for horse riding and cycling. Any grown-ups keen to grab some cultural time can have a nose around the fabulous art collection at Gainsborough’s House (half an hour), or tour rooms filled with antique treasures at the National Trust-owned Melford Hall (35 minutes), a Tudor mansion that started life as a Benedictine monastery. Followers of aviation history can also check out the Spitfires and Vulcan fighters at IWM Duxford (45 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
West Mersea 38 km Sea N/AGoodN/AN/A
Brightlingsea 41.1 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Leigh Bell Wharf 47.5 km Estuary GoodN/APoorN/A
Southend Chalkwell 48.1 km Estuary N/AGoodN/AGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Audley End House and Gardens 18.1 km

East Anglian Railway Museum 20.6 km

Colchester Zoo 27.6 km

Imperial War Museum Duxford 27.8 km

Colchester Castle Museum 31.1 km

National Trust

Paycocke's 17.6 km

Coggeshall Grange Barn 18.1 km

Melford Hall 23.4 km

Lavenham Guildhall 29.2 km

Bourne Mill 32.1 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Finchingfield - Howe Woods - Little London - Howe Street 2.2 km

SPAINS HALL 3.2 km

SALING HALL 4.9 km

SALING GROVE 5.6 km

Thaxted - Great Easton - Tilty - River Chelmer - Thaxted 7.7 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 sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Essex?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Hill Farm Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Hill Farm Camping dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Hill Farm Camping? Anyone who hasn’t had their fill of wildlife on site can meet rhinos and tigers at Colchester Zoo (40 minutes’ drive). Your younger offspring will likely enjoy an hour clambering around the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hill Farm Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  7:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  10 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  Anytime
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hill Farm Camping? From $93.03 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.