The Racecourse Retreat
View prices & book











/-1.5570684149323877,53.07337104717692,12,0,0/376x277@2x)
- Spacious, family‑run site set in scenic Derbyshire countryside
- Four miles from the Peak District; a 15-minute drive from Matlock
- Back to basics pitches with firepits; close to walks and bike routes
Site type
- Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
- The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dog Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
- Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
- Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
- Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
Languages spoken
English
Open from Fri, 17 Jul to
Pitch types & availability
9

Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site
6 people maximum
Ground type: Grass
Pitch size: Unlimited
Arrival daysFrom £25 (£25)
View prices & book4

Powered grass tent or motorhome site
6 people maximum
Ground type: Grass
Pitch size: Unlimited
Arrival daysFrom £35 (£35)
View prices & book5

Bell tent
2 people maximum
No dogs allowed
Dimensions: 16.4ft width × 14.1ft length
Arrival daysFrom £200 (£200)
View prices & book
Reviews
95% would recommend this site to a friend
94% would stay here again
What customers say
Stunning views, spacious sites, and great staff. Bar/food popular. Toilets/showers mostly clean, but busy times can be a squeeze. Manager's on to water pressure issues. Loads of room for kids to run around.
Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews.
Last updated 28/07/2026
Filter by topic
Highly recommend and we will be back!
Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Wonderful hosts, gorgeous views, super clean and lovely toilets (especially the ladies which we made a bee line for!), the bar - yes a bar onsite (not open every day).
Disliked The high winds - not normal though, and no fault of the site.
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Kay
Thank you for your review.
We are glad to hear you had a lovely stay with us and especially appreciated our toilets. We like to add these little extras in the ladies toilets :)
We hope to see you back with us soon.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Nice friendly site with big pitches but toilets & showers let it down
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Family friendly
Large pitches
Nice staff on welcoming
Lovely views
Disliked Toilets and showers
Shower had no water pressure and was just trickling down the shower a guy who went in shower after me said it had been like that for a few days
Not many toilets available
There were only 6 toilets
The males have a urinals which is very handy but out of the 6 toilets 3 were showers so were taken up most the time with ppl showering and 1 was female only
Visited few times from 6:30am and 9pm and there wasn’t a time there wasn’t a queue
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Oilver
Thank you for your review.
We are sorry to hear you disliked our toilet and shower facilities.
Im afraid we are limited as to the quantity we can have on site due to being a 'pop up site'.
We unfortunately have to go around the site turning the taps off several times a day as they are left on, this massively effects our water pressure on site however we are looking at ways to relieve this.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Would come again and recommend to everyone
Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Check-in is immaculate, very friendly, shop is nice, people are lovely. Site is well kept and has lovely views, has it's own bar and pizzas for sale on weekends. Lovely rural location. Toilets were extremely well cleaned.
Disliked Only 2 shower rooms however the ones they have are exceptional quality
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Pete
Thank you for your review.
What fantastic photos you took!!
We are really pleased you enjoyed your stay with us
Our shop has had a facelift for this season so we decided to stock it will all essentials, the toy shopping was especially fun deciding what to stock
We hope to see you back with us soon.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Relaxing
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked The views are stunning. The kids can run around in the big open field
Disliked Slow water flow from the showers when it’s weekend and everybody’s using it
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Gerlie
Thank you for your review of our campsite.
We hope to see you back with us again.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Fantastic campsite! Friendly staff, stunning views,…
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Fantastic campsite! Friendly staff, stunning views, and clean bathrooms with hot water! Will definitely be back!
Recommend to friends Visit again
The views were amazing. Spacious pitches…
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked The views were amazing. Spacious pitches and great toilets, showers and washing up facilities. We went Monday - Friday and it was lovely and quiet. Lots of space to play games (cricket, rounders, badmington etc)
Disliked Nothing
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Andrea
Thank you for your lovely review.
We love nothing more than to see people enjoying all the space the campsite provides :)
We hope to see you back with again soon.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Absolutely brilliant site Facilities are to…
Unpowered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Absolutely brilliant site
Facilities are to top standards
Fair price
Good location
Spectacular views
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Matthew
Thank you for your review.
We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay with us:)
We hope to see you back again soon.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Great family site. Bar, food.
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked We thoroughly enjoyed our stay so much so we rebooked for 2 weeks time.
Perfect for 1 or 2 nights.
Good food
Clean site
Clean showers
Clean toilets
Fantastic views
Family run and lovely people.
Disliked Some nets on the goals would be an advantage for the children
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Danny
Thank you for your lovely review :)
We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us and have decided to come back so soon!
Yes we do have a net for the goal posts and you will be happy to see it ready for your return :):)
See you in a couple of weeks.
Thanks
The Racecourse retreat team
Amazing place.
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Everything from start to finish.
Location,owners,staff,pitches,bar on site,life music evening.
Disliked Showers:)
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Agne
Thank you for your review.
Our live music nights seem to be a great hit :)
We hope to see you back again.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Lovely easy place.
Powered grass tent or motorhome site
Liked Lovely area. Lovely people running the place. Nice quiet place to pitch up for a few days. The view is spectacular! If I’m ever in the area again I would definitely return. Would love to see some of the additions they are making in the future.
Recommend to friends Visit again
From the manager: Hi Helena
Thank you for your review.
We agree the view definitely is a sight to behold!
Hope to see you back again.
Thanks
The Racecourse Retreat Team
Features
Pop-up campground
Dogs allowed
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 WatersportsAmenities on site
Bath available 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 WifiGroups welcome
D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcomeRules
Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all yearThemes
Budget/backpacker Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradiseUtilities
Charging facilities Communal fridge Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energyNearby amenities
Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearbyType
Farm Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campgroundNearby leisure
Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearbyLocation
The Racecourse Retreat
Hay Lane
Wirksworth
Derbyshire
England
DE4 4AF
Timezone
Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)
GPS
53.07337°N
1.55707°W
Nearest transport
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
Must see
Arkwright's Cromford Mills 4.1 km
Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills 4.4 km
Kedleston Hall 11.8 km
Haddon Hall 15.3 km
Chatsworth 16.7 km
National Trust
Winster Market House 9.4 km
Kedleston Hall 12.9 km
Hardwick Hall 19.6 km
Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 19.6 km
The Old Manor 20.5 km
Cycle routes
Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.
Other
Alport Heights - Kirk Ireton Circular 1.4 km
Wirksworth - Bolehill - Middleton Top - Wirksworth 1.5 km
Cromford (Black Rocks) - Middleton Top - Kirk Ireton - Black Rocks 2.8 km
Lea Bridge - Whatstandwell - Alderwasley - Lea Bridge 3.6 km
Derwent Valley Mills Buffer Zone 4.2 km
Local events
- Bloodstock Open Air (Thursday, 6 August 2026 – Thursday, 6 August 2026)
Swadlincote, England 38.8 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 Derbyshire?
Frequently asked questions
- Does The Racecourse Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
- Is The Racecourse Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
- What attractions are near The Racecourse Retreat? Where to wander first? A climb to the Black Rocks (five minutes’ drive) for views over the countryside? A little stroll around Bakewell (half an hour), over its medieval bridge, perhaps to … Read more
- When can I check in and check out of The Racecourse Retreat?
Read moreCamping and caravan Arrive: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Depart by: 11 a.m. On-site accommodation Arrive: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Depart by: 11 a.m. - How much does it cost to stay at The Racecourse Retreat? From $57.64 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.


