Woodsman Kent Wild Camping

From £40 For 1 night, 2 adults 9.6 65 reviews
Forest floor in bloom (added by manager 20 Sep 2022)

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Forest floor in bloom (added by manager 20 sep 2022)
1/8
1/187
Favourite
Visitor image of tent pitch (added by manager 20 sep 2022)
Bluebell woods (added by manager 20 sep 2022)
All set! (added by visitor 18 jun 2018)

  • Rural stays for over-16s in 200 acres of ancient Kent woodland
  • Nine miles from the train station at Ashford and 1.9 from Pluckley
  • Campfires welcome, with wood sold on site
This Kent site is well named, for Woodsman Kent Wild Camping is indeed wild and surrounded by woods… 200 acres of ancient woodland in fact. This is a good place to head for if you're escaping from London, as it takes about 40 minutes to get to the site from St Pancras via the nearest Kent station at Ashford nine miles away; from there, take the train to Pluckley and it's about 40 minutes' hike to the site (or drive down from London in about an hour and a half). And it's all very simple on site too: this is proper wild-style camping with only minimal amenities – essentially it's just you, your tent (or tarp, or bivvy) and the forest floor (although there is a compost loo available). Water can be bought for an extra charge. Woodsman is on 200 acres of ancient oak, ash, birch, poplar, hazel, hawthorn and hornbeam forest. Wood for small cooking fires is sold on site – but please do keep fires small (no large heating fires) and please do not forage for wood from the forest floor, as this disturbs the ecosystem. The site asks that all guests respect the countryside code during their stay, operating on the main principle of leaving no trace (for ecological reasons, no foraging from the woodland, please).

Site type

Tent pitches 7
Rent a tent 1
Open all year
Please note
  • This site has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Guests under the age of 16 are not allowed on site.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • There are no bins onsite: all rubbish will need to be taken home with you.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating based on 65 reviews View breakdown

Wild camping

Voted 96% of visitors View breakdown

97%

would recommend this site to a friend

95%

would stay here again

  • 87%
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    8
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    7
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    6
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    5
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

It is a quiet secluded woods, and if you are seeking back…

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
Jason C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: It is a quiet secluded woods, and if you are seeking back to basics, this is it. No water on site, but available with wood and eggs to buy when we arrived, and very good they were too. Fire pits are provided and easy to cook on. Facilities are basic with just one composting toilet and one latrine, but basic is what we wanted. Close to Derring Woods, and Pluckley for those seeking Ghosts, but all we found was lots of owls and squirrels to keep us company at night. Michael is very friendly, and had everything we asked for waiting when we arrived. If you are looking for a wild camping experience, this fits the bill.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A nice getaway

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Peaceful secluded site, firewood for sale.

Recommend to friends Visit again

If you are used to wildcamping you will appreciate this ancient woodland…

Overall 10/10
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
Thomas B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: If you are used to wildcamping you will appreciate this ancient woodland setting

Disliked: Nothing at all

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful ancient woodland - friendly staff, reasonably priced.

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Beautiful ancient woodland. Would definitely recommend and visit again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Idilic forest retreat for a minimalist getaway.

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Everything! Exactly as described and expected. Beautiful pitches and site, properly private and off the beaten track. So obvious and refreshing that the natural habitat is prioritised over human convenience. Many thanks to Micheal for being a welcoming but unobtrusive host, and for the work he does maintaining the area. Don't forget your binoculars for bird watching as the sun comes up!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place to stay, we went at the wrong time of year…

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Great place to stay, we went at the wrong time of year for us as it was a little cold but will definitely be going back. Will be a great place to stay when it warms up. Great hospitality from Michael.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Was very expensive for what was provided.

Overall 8/10
Location 6
Value for money 4
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 6
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Birds, trees ,wildlife ,small fires.very knowledgeable of the land.

Disliked: Gate locked promptly. No access in an emergency and no signal. facilities were 500-600yds from our actual pitch.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: The gate is locked at night and is open any time on request for the safety and security of everyone on site Arrival time is between 12 pm and 6pm not at 930 at night without prior notice The meeting point where people park is 60mt to the compost toilets between these two points the is 4 pitches on the left and right of the track The is no way it is 500 or 600 yards you are totally wrong You are also not welcome here again. When you asked about collecting kindle wood for the fire I said no as it's very important for the ecology of forest and I gave you some but when you left I found lots of half burnt wood in your pitch I know the forest very well and I could see the area you collected it from You behavior is not acceptable for our forest 99.9% of people who come here understand that we are all guests in this unique place and have to treat this place with respect and care you however showed very little of either

Take a camp on the wild side!

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Woodlands, few people, limited facilities, open fires. Nice local pub and shop.

Disliked: Road in was very muddy and my car slid around and the bottom hit the track. Gate being locked at night. Limited arrival and leaving times.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent location to camp in beautiful quiet woodland.

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Beautiful woodland campsite. Host friendly and helpful. Quiet and peaceful location. Lots of wildlife sounds.

Disliked: Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great way to spend a relaxing weekend

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Brilliant weekend - thank you and I'd really recommend this location.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs allowed

Adults only

Campfires 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

Disabled facilities

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

Adults only

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

No dogs allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker

Forest

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

No drinkable water point

No hot water

No running water

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Public transport nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Location

Woodsman Kent Wild Camping

Pluckley

Egerton

Ashford

Kent

England

TN27

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.17224°N
0.72135°W

Nearest transport

Coach
11.1 km Park Street
14.2 km Tesco Crooksfoot
14.2 km Tesco Crooksfoot
Rail
2.5 km Pluckley Rail Station
6.3 km Charing (Kent) Rail Station
6.6 km Headcorn Rail Station
Ferry
29 km Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal
39.1 km Gravesend Pier
39.7 km Tilbury Ferry Terminal
Airport
28.5 km Lydd London Ashford Airport
44.2 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

You may well wish to spend much of your time contentedly wandering through the woodland or finding a serene spot to sit and read… but if you're up for exploring a bit more, there's quite a bit to do close by. Access the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from the ancient village of Westwell (10 minutes' drive) at Westwell Downs (where locals of yore erected beacons to signal the approach of the Spanish Armada). From the Downs, you can also stride along some of the nearby 119-mile Pilgrims Way, the route taken by the devout from Winchester to Canterbury and the shrine of Thomas Becket at the city cathedral. Heading towards the coast, it's a 40-minute drive from Woodsman to Whitstable, home of sandy and shingle beaches, an 18th-century castle, waters popular for yachting and waterskiing, and the tasty samples of the Whitstable Oyster Festival. Other Kent highlights are within easy day trip distance: try Leeds Castle (25 minutes), Port Lympne Reserve (30 minutes), Dover Castle (40 minutes) and more beaches at Folkestone and Rye (35 and 40 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Dymchurch 25.3 km Sea N/A Good Good Good
St Mary'S Bay (Kent) 25.6 km Sea Good N/A Good Good
Camber 27.1 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Good
Littlestone 27.7 km Sea N/A Good Good Good
Hythe 27.8 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Leeds Castle 10.6 km

Ashford Designer Outlet 11.2 km

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 11.6 km

Kent & East Sussex Railway 11.7 km

Great Dixter House and Gardens 21.3 km

National Trust

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 12.5 km

Stoneacre 13.4 km

Smallhythe Place 14.9 km

Sprivers Garden 21.5 km

Bodiam Castle 22.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

CHILSTON PARK 5.3 km

GODINTON PARK 8.2 km

LEEDS CASTLE 10.6 km

SISSINGHURST CASTLE 11.7 km

Hollingbourne 11.8 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 Kent?

  • Does Woodsman Kent Wild Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Woodsman Kent Wild Camping dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Woodsman Kent Wild Camping? You may well wish to spend much of your time contentedly wandering through the woodland or finding a serene spot to sit and read… but if you're up for exploring a bit … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Woodsman Kent Wild Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Woodsman Kent Wild Camping? From €46.70 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.