Brightlingsea Touring Park

View prices & book 8.8 695 reviews
Visitor image of the campers and sunset
Aerial view of site
Visitor image of the view to the boating lake
Around the site

  • Well-maintained site in Brightlingsea, on the Essex Sunshine Coast
  • Howlands Marsh 25 minutes’ drive; Colchester Castle half an hour
  • Electric and water hookups and launderette; well-behaved dogs welcome
The family-oriented attractions of the Essex Sunshine Coast are easily within your grasp at Brightlingsea Touring Park, a well-maintained lakeside site on the outskirts of the town of the same name. At this dog-friendly site, spacious hardstanding pitches come with electric and water hookups, and guests also benefit from a toilet/shower block and a launderette. Brightlingsea’s high street, with its traditional pubs and global restaurants, is a five-minute walk from the site, as are the colourful huts of sandy Brightlingsea beach, overlooked by the late 19th-century Batemans Tower. Here you can have a swim and try out all sorts of watersports, from canoeing to jet-skiing. If you’d rather stay dry, you might want to take a leisurely stroll along the promenade and join the nature trail that follows the River Colne all the way to Alresford Creek. A 10-minute walk in the opposite direction leads to Brightlingsea Harbour, where you can board a barge for a sailing tour among the moored pleasure boats and around Cindery Island. Don’t forget your binoculars: this area is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Those who want to explore more of the local landscape (and delve deeper into the local birdlife) can head to Howlands Marsh (25 minutes’ drive), an area of wetlands inhabited by geese, skylarks and curlews – not to mention the occasional raptor. Faced with a day of inclement weather and the kids getting restless? No problem: the Brightlingsea Museum, in town, has lots of interactive exhibits and kids' activities.

Site type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 20
Caravan sites 49
Motorhome sites 49
Tent sites 49
Open now
Opens 1 March
Please note
  • Group bookings of 5 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The campground/park caters for families (immediate members) and couples only - bookings from all other forms of groups are not accepted.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Sat, 1 Mar to

Open from Sun, 1 Mar to

This site is a member of Countrywide Park Homes group.

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Pitch types & availability

Reviews

  • 58%
    10
  • 4%
    9
  • 24%
    8
  • 2%
    7
  • 6%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 1%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 1%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
7

89% would recommend this site to a friend

88% would stay here again

What customers say

Great spot near the beach and town, peaceful with lovely lake views. Toilets and showers clean but dated. Manager Nicki praised. Some noise/security issues noted during busy times.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 70
Arrival date (latest first)

We will stay again but would like another pitch next time.

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked The peice we liked the peice and quite and the lake very polite staff and being pet friendly

Disliked Being opposite the toilet as light is on and it's quite busy at night.the thing that got to us was the noise of load motorcycles riding up and down the street but this is not their fault also but it would it would be great if this could be mentioned to the local authoritys. we don't like being under the tree as loads of bird poop over the car and tent.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We’ve stayed here many times. Friendly…

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked We’ve stayed here many times.
Friendly welcome at check in.
Good sized pitches.
Ladies toilets are clean and ok. I didn’t use the showers - they are in need of a revamp which we were told was being done for 2026.
Easy walk into centre.
Lovely fish n chips at harbour.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site, toilet shower block could…

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked Great site, toilet shower block could do with an upgrade but useable.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic location, quiet welcoming and great places to eat.

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site (lake view)

Liked Local area and village

Disliked Site could do with a little updating and a service pull up for the motorhomes

Recommend to friends Visit again

Yes enjoyed are staying here as…

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked Yes enjoyed are staying here as usual lovely campsite with great views of the lake and wildlife. And a nice town and pubs and shops.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Decent site in a quiet area.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
6
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
3
Anonymous

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked Flat pitch, good location with clean facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a really nice relaxing weekend

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Andy H.

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked Self contained level hard standing pitch.
Staff very friendly and helpful. Perfect location for all amenities.

Disliked Showers and toilets clean but need a little updating

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice

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
jackie R.

Powered concrete and grass site (lake view)

Liked Very nice. Lovely and clean toilets, showers, washing machine and dryers. Lovely lake
Very enjoyable weekend.

Disliked Dogs barking because of being left alone for a long time. Not the sites fault but very annoying.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet, located near to harbour and…

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site

Liked Quiet, located near to harbour and town. Toilets, showers and washing up facilities were fine. Helpful site manager.

Disliked nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Area very nice and level pitched…

Overall

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

Powered concrete and grass site (lake view)

Liked Area very nice and level pitched

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 Car parking by site/unit 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 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

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites)

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

Brightlingsea Touring Park

Promenade Way

Brightlingsea

Colchester

Essex

England

CO7 0LW

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.80848°N
1.01934°E

Nearest transport

Coach
3.8 km Brightlingsea Road
3.8 km Brightlingsea Road
3.9 km Oaklands
Rail
5.3 km Alresford (Essex) Rail Station
5.8 km Great Bentley Rail Station
6.9 km Wivenhoe Rail Station
Ferry
0.5 km Brightlingsea Ferry Landing
0.7 km Point Clear Ferry Landing
22.4 km Harwich International Ferry Terminal
Airport
34.5 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

Created in the 1960s, Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens (15 minutes’ drive) is based on a simple but oft-ignored principle: right plant, right place. One of the highlights here is the Gravel Garden, famously never watered and home to drought-tolerant plants and shrubs. In contrast, the Water Garden spreads around a series of ponds and is dotted with colourful flowers. Reward your offspring for following you patiently around the gardens with a trip to Hasty’s Adventure Farm (20 minutes). In addition to a giant sandpit for younger children, there are oversized Lego constructions, an adventure course and grass slides. Not forgetting resident animals like Pipsqueak the pygmy goat and Mac the alpaca… Built in the 11th century over the ruins of an ancient Roman temple, the Norman Colchester Castle (half an hour) now houses a modern museum displaying items unearthed locally, such as the Fenwick Hoard, a collection of delicate jewellery and coins, and a vase decorated with images of fighting gladiators.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Brightlingsea 0.7 km Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Mersea 7.5 km Sea N/AGoodN/AN/A
Jaywick 7.6 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Clacton Beach Martello Tower 8.9 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Clacton 10.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

firstsite 12 km

Colchester Castle Museum 12.2 km

Colchester Zoo 14.1 km

East Anglian Railway Museum 22.2 km

Christchurch Mansion 29.5 km

National Trust

Bourne Mill 10.6 km

Flatford: Bridge Cottage 16.7 km

Thorington Hall 20.1 km

Coggeshall Grange Barn 23.9 km

Paycocke's 24.3 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Brightlingsea 0.2 km

Cudmore Country Park - East and West Mersea - Cudmore 1.9 km

Brightlingsea - Colne Estuary - Crab and Winkle Path 2.2 km

ST OSYTH'S PRIORY 3.7 km

Hollybush Hill - Brightlingsea - River Colne - Hollybush 3.8 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 Essex?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Brightlingsea Touring Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Brightlingsea Touring Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Brightlingsea Touring Park? Created in the 1960s, Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens (15 minutes’ drive) is based on a simple but oft-ignored principle: right plant, right place. One of the highlights here is the Gravel … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Brightlingsea Touring Park?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Brightlingsea Touring Park? From $57.76 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.