The Old Vicarage

View prices & book 8.2 205 reviews
Visitor image of the stream and site grounds
The 17th-century old vicarage
External view, bbq, bench and seating
Pitch

  • Riverside site in grounds of a 17th-century house in Nottinghamshire
  • Close to Sherwood Forest and 25 miles from Nottingham
  • Space for outdoor activities; rope swing and stepping stones
You'll sense the history all around you at The Old Vicarage, from the old house to the remains of the water mill in the river bed. Stays here are in the grounds of a 17th-century house in the village of Elkesley, six miles from Worksop and 25 miles from Nottingham. Its grounds run down to the banks of the Poulter river, and are lined with stands of acacia, sycamore, ash and oak trees which were originally donated to the first vicar by the Duke of Newcastle in the 1830s. There's plenty of space around the site for traditional outdoor activities, with a rope swing and stepping stones over the shallow river and a bridge that's perfect for playing Pooh Sticks. In the surrounding area there are animal parks and nature reserves to walk around, or to head back further in time, you could take one of the trails through ancient Sherwood Forest, around quarter of an hour's drive away. Every bank holiday, the site opens up their Cave Bar, a cool little space built into an exposure of 500-million-year-old sandstone, with a chillout room, TV room and games, plus an outdoor terrace for sipping drinks out in the sunshine. Other amenities include a washing-up area and bathrooms with plentiful hot showers, toilets and baby changing facilities. Barbecues are welcome on site, as long as you keep them two feet off the ground.

Site type

Motorhome pitches 5
Tent pitches 20
Touring caravan pitches 5
Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 1
Open now
Opens 27 February
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).
  • Group bookings of 10 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 15 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • The Cave Bar is only open 26 - 28 May and 25 - 27 August.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 27 Feb to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 43%
    10
  • 8%
    9
  • 21%
    8
  • 5%
    7
  • 9%
    6
  • 3%
    5
  • 3%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 2%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
8

85% would recommend this site to a friend

84% would stay here again

What customers say

Lovely spot praised for scenery & shallow river for kids. Families love play gear & chilled vibe. Toilets/showers basic, dated, need update/clean. But natural beauty & kid-friendly extras make guests want to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 14/7/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 21
Arrival date (latest first)

Overall great. We’ve booked to return later this summer.

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Stunningly beautiful place.
Perfect for families.
Staff seemed friendly and the kids loved the duck race.

Disliked Toilet/shower areas could do with being updated and cleaned more regularly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice campsite great with the…

Overall

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

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked Very nice campsite great with the river going through it

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really enjoyed it

Overall

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

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked I really enjoyed my stay and the old vicarage and there is loads to do for the kids. The owner was very nice and very welcoming we liked it that much and we booked to go again in September

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wont be returning due to unsanitary conditions

Overall

4 out of 10
Location
6
Value for money
5
Facilities / Activities
1
Customer service
2
Child friendliness
7
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
10
Jeni N. 1 review

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked The stream running through the camp was great for the kids as well as the rope swings and zip lines

Disliked The facilities unfortunately let this site down greatly. The toilets and showers blocks were not cleaned at all and were nothing short of disgusting and unsanitary. We did tell the owner but nothing changed. The shower holder just fell off the minute you moved it. Toilet roll all over the floor. Toilets covered in faeces. No space in either the toilets or showers.

On arrival the pitches aren't marked out so its a guessing game as to where to pitch your tent however if you have a short electric hook up you would be screwed as they arent placed next to your tent always.

The ground is also very uneven so expect your tent to be in a dip or on a mound.

The washing up shack only has 1 sink so you often had to queue to wash up. Then its pot luck if you get hot water.

To say this place is a wedding venue is shocking. Im not sure how anyone could be happy with the facilities for their guests!

Also the electric is only low voltage. Something you dont find out until you get here as there is no pre welcome email sent with check in details and FAQ.
The first night the electric went off on the whole campsite on a few occasions. When asking a staff member we were informed that it must be someone on sites fault for having a household appliance but surely the pitches electric hook up would trip not the whole campsite?! Not ideal when younare trying to cook and have people in your group that has a CPAP machine for sleeping therefore electric is essential!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful river…

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
5
Facilities / Activities
2
Customer service
5
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
1

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked Beautiful river

Disliked Showers toilets

Recommend to friends Visit again

Burners and wood available for rent £25 for the weekend.

Overall

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

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked Absolutely beautiful campsite. The host was ready and waiting with all the information.. Facilities were clean and looked after. Pitches sizes perfect. No issues with electric hookups. There's WiFi. Lidl a 15 min drive away. Some cute little Saturday bonuses for kids but I won't spoil the surprises. The little stream is perfect. Loved ever second of this stay. Tip. Arrive that bit earlier for a stream side pitch if that's what you're going for and take some inflatables 💕

Disliked Nothing from the site. Some really disrespectful kids though leaving rubbish in toilets. Blocking toilets with pebbles & toilet roll all over the toilet floors.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much, it is very kind of you x This is exactly the experience we wish evertyone had xx Sue

Despite the dislikes I would definitely come again

Overall

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

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked Fabulous friendly and fun
River on a hot day is perfect for children
Great that the ice cream van came on
Great bar showed football
Beautiful setting

Disliked Lots of older children still running around and making noise at almost midnight
Shower block needs updating and elsan drain was blocked on Sunday

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will definitely be going again

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Everything was beautiful excellent for kids had a really good time

Disliked Showers

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything about this site was brilliant…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
10

Electric grass tent pitch

Liked Everything about this site was brilliant

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely place My kids were all…

Overall

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Lovely place
My kids were all day in water enjoying swinging and playing.
I wish all the best for owner to run this place as there is not many beautiful places as this one
I will definitely back there!

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 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

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

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Communal freezer Communal fridge 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

Medium (26-50 pitches)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Old Vicarage

Twyford Lane

Elkesley

East Retford

Nottinghamshire

England

DN22 8AS

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

53.27251°N
0.96438°W

Route directions

Exit the A1 where signposted 'Elkesley village only'. The site entrance says 'Guests' and is at the end of the slip road.

Nearest transport

Coach
5.7 km Bus Station
11.4 km Hardy Street
14.4 km Hetts Lane
Rail
4.8 km Retford Low Level Rail Station
4.9 km Retford Rail Station
11.4 km Worksop Rail Station
Airport
23.4 km Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport
23.9 km Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport
31 km Sheffield 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

The surrounding countryside has great places for walks and wildlife-spotting, with trails around the lakes and wetlands of Idle Valley Nature Reserve (15 minutes' drive) and lakes for fishing too. Then there's Sherwood Forest, 25 minutes away: some 450 acres of wildlife among ancient oak trees, alongside a wealth of biking and walking trails to take you through them. Adventure seekers can see it all from the treetops on ropes and wires at Go Ape, and the kids can clamber about at Robin Hood’s Hideout, an acclaimed natural play area. For family antics out of the forest, Sundown Adventure Park (20 minutes) has rides and themed playgrounds for the under-10s and families can also make tracks for Ferry Farm Country Park (45 minutes), to feed lambs, meet pigs and zoom about on go-karts and the adventure playground. An hour away and a major hub since Robin Hood's days, Nottingham still draws the crowds. Tour the castle and the caves, stop for a snifter in Ye Trip To Jerusalem (oldest pub in England, perhaps...), skate on ice at Motorpoint Arena and see what law and order meant in the Sheriff’s days at the National Justice Museum. For further historical wanderings, Creswell Crags presents an array of prehistoric caves in a cracking limestone gorge and Newark's castle, Air Museum and National Civil War Centre sum up the centuries very entertainingly, all around half an hour away.

Must see

Sherwood Forest Country Park 10.2 km

Mansfield Museum 21.3 km

Bolsover Castle 22.4 km

Hardwick Hall 24.9 km

Hardwick Old Hall 25.7 km

National Trust

Clumber Park 6.8 km

Mr Straw's House 11 km

The Workhouse, Southwell 21.3 km

Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 25.7 km

Hardwick Hall 25.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Bothamsall - Robin Hood's Cave - Walesby - Bothamsall 3 km

BABWORTH HALL 5.5 km

Headon - Upton - Askham - Grove - Headon 5.9 km

CLUMBER PARK 6.1 km

Clumber and Surrounding Forests - Robin Hood Way 6.7 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.

Want to know more about camping in Nottinghamshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Old Vicarage have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Old Vicarage dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Old Vicarage? The surrounding countryside has great places for walks and wildlife-spotting, with trails around the lakes and wetlands of Idle Valley Nature Reserve (15 minutes' drive) and lakes for fishing too. Then there's … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Old Vicarage?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  14:00 –  19:00
    Depart by:  12:00
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  15:00 –  19:00
    Depart by:  10:00
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Old Vicarage? From €32.85 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.