The Wild Retreat

View prices & book 8.7 42 reviews
Bell tents
New
The on-site lake
Taking a yoga class from the stage
Yoga class at the woodland stage

  • Well-kept and family-friendly Hertfordshire site on the River Stort
  • London Stanstead Airport 20 minutes’ drive; Lea Valley Park 25 minutes
  • On-site archery lessons, inflatable assault course and dog walks
Overlooking the calm waters of the River Stort in Hertfordshire, The Wild Retreat is a well‑kept, family‑friendly hideaway with more than its fair share of shaded woodland trails – ideal for exercising your four-legged pals – and paddleboarding expeditions along the river. And the ‘get back to nature’ vibe doesn’t end there, as you also have the option of wild swimming in the lake or the inflatable assault course… And always remember to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife whichever adventure you choose. When you’re ready for further action, choose from guided yoga sessions on the lake or at the woodland stage, join in archery lessons and play classic children’s games. Music lover? There are occasional festivals and weekend concerts during the summer months too. The camping field is neatly mown and sheltered by trees; picnic tables are scattered around the pitches so you can eat alfresco in comfort – spark up a barbecue or bring in a takeaway from Sawbridgeworth (10 minutes’ drive). Modern facilities – including a toilet block and heated outdoor showers – make staying this close to nature effortless for one and all, and thanks to quick links to London (40 minutes by train from Sawbridgeworth) and London Stansted Airport (20 minutes’ drive), this spot makes a handy overnight stopover as part of your longer journey.

Site type

Tent sites 20
Motorhome sites 3
Rent a tent 13
Open now
Opens 13 June
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Guests must bring their own duvets, pillows, sheets and towels when staying in rental accommodation. You will not be allowed to stay if you do not bring these items.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 13 Jun to

No availability here for your search criteria

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 45%
    10
  • 30%
    9
  • 11%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 4%
    5
  • 2%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
7

88% would recommend this site to a friend

86% would stay here again

What customers say

Fun, quirky campsite with a lovely swimming lake. Staff are great, chill-out areas, hammocks and fire shows are a hit. Road access is tricky for big vehicles, and some found loos weren't spotless. Factory noise, waste disposal, no hot water in spots and a noisy party were downsides.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 5
Arrival date (latest first)

Much improved site, owners, and set-up…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
10
Accommodation
7
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Daniel C.

Bell tent (six person)

Liked Much improved site, owners, and set-up

Disliked Nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely loved it! I adore everything about…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Jeffrey F.

Power optional grass and earth motorhome site

Liked Absolutely loved it!
I adore everything about this place—the vibe, the people, the location. It’s just far enough from home to feel like a real escape, without the need to drive 100+ miles. Most of that magic comes from the laid-back, chilled atmosphere that hits you the moment you arrive.

This is truly back-to-nature camping with a wonderful, small-festival feel. If you’re into music, laughter, and waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care (bucket hat optional!), you’ll feel right at home. And when the night winds down, you can wake up to yoga and wellbeing sessions in the morning—perfect balance.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

EPIC weekend at the Wild Retreat

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
1
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
1
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Aiveen E.

Unpowered grass and earth tent or trailer tent site

Liked We're just back from an EPIC weekend at the Wild Retreat. It was an impromptu end of summer camping trip, our first with our 4 year old daughter. She had the time of her life and kept referring to her 'big friends', the staff. The vibe was chilled, relaxed and fun. The staff make it so special, and she didn't want to leave the dance floor. Thanks for going the extra mile!

Disliked We loved it all, and will be back!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Gorgeous location. Friendly And informative staff.…

Overall

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

Bell tent (six person)

Liked Gorgeous location. Friendly And informative staff. Really clean. Loved it!

Recommend to friends Visit again

It was good for what we wanted - a close-to-home simple setup

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
5
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
3
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Unpowered grass and earth tent or trailer tent site

Liked The simple setup and location (30mins from home) were a big draw for us to have two pitches for 2 adults & 3 kids.

Friendly (if a bit too laid back) staff

Disliked Lack of waste mgmt is a real issue - both from a campers POV and from the mgmt team in general. To have to take our bagged up rubbish back home with us was frustrating, given a full car from camping. The site felt ramshackle and messy.

The site felt quite tired overall and there could’ve been even small simple touches to help it feel cleaner and cared for. Shame the small shop/cafe isn’t far from practical e.g. could sell milk / firelighters / camping stove small gas canisters.

The trampoline should be removed or have the zip entrance fixed as that is an accident waiting to happen.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The lake is really close and…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass and earth tent or trailer tent site

Liked The lake is really close and great fun for the kids.

Staff there are extremely welcoming and friendly

Disliked Nothing! Will definitely be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great spot, lovely team, lots to do

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
8
Vicky O.

Power optional grass and earth motorhome site

Liked Funky vibe, lots of shade, access to the lake

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant for everyone, any age....

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
10
Chris S.

Unpowered grass and earth tent or trailer tent site

Liked Loved the lake, archery, bar & DJ.

Great team on site, very helpful.

Disliked Nothing, thought it was all great !!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place. Fun and friendly. Super…

Overall

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

Unpowered grass and earth tent or trailer tent site

Liked Great place. Fun and friendly. Super chilled vibe.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful beautiful place

Overall

10 out of 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
Alice B.

Power optional grass and earth motorhome site

Liked EVERYTHING. This site is gorgeous, particularly if you enjoy festivals but can't be arsed to go anymore. Or you have young kids. We don't have young kids anymore, but we really enjoyed seeing the ones onsite enjoy the lake so much. We got lucky with the weather and we had the most idyllic weekend. We'll definitely be back.

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 Wild swimming

Amenities 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 Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Bush Peaceful Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No hot water Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Fishing nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

The Wild Retreat

Redricks Lane

Redricks Lakes

Sawbridgeworth

Hertfordshire

England

CM21 0RL

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.79183°N
0.11707°E

Nearest transport

Coach
2.8 km Bus Station
9 km Interchange
12.3 km South Road
Rail
1.1 km Harlow Mill Rail Station
1.9 km Harlow Town Rail Station
3.9 km Sawbridgeworth Rail Station
Ferry
32.7 km East India Pier
32.9 km Woolwich Ferry North Pier
33.1 km North Greenwich Pier
Airport
14.8 km London Stansted Airport
32.3 km London City Airport
35.4 km London Luton 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

Local attractions and activities include: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - The Gibberd Garden (sculpture trail and follies): 10 minutes - TeamSport Go Karting Harlow: 10 minutes - Henry Moore Studios & Gardens: 20 minutes - Lea Valley Park (riverside walks): 25 minutes - Audley End Miniature Railway: 40 minutes - London: 40 minutes by train - Cambridge: 45 minutes’ drive.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Leigh Bell Wharf 46.4 km Estuary GoodN/APoorN/A
Southend Chalkwell 47.6 km Estuary N/AGoodN/AGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lee Valley Regional Park 14.1 km

Hatfield House 22.7 km

Knebworth House 24.5 km

Audley End House and Gardens 26.4 km

Discover 29.2 km

National Trust

Shaw's Corner 26.9 km

Eastbury Manor House 28.7 km

Sutton House 29.5 km

Rainham Hall 30.9 km

2 Willow Road 32.8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

PISHIOBURY 2.2 km

THE HOUSE, MARSH LANE 2.4 km

STANSTEAD BURY 5.8 km

DOWN HALL 6 km

RYE MEADS (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 19/12/2001) 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.

Want to know more about camping in Hertfordshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Wild Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Wild Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Wild Retreat? Local attractions and activities include: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - The Gibberd Garden (sculpture trail and follies): 10 minutes - TeamSport Go Karting Harlow: 10 minutes - Henry Moore Studios … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Wild Retreat?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Wild Retreat? From $79.39 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.