Ilex Farm Camping

View prices & book 9.3 43 reviews
Tent pitch
Motorhome pitches
Spacious pitches
Grass pitches

  • Peaceful Derbyshire site a mile and a half from Clay Cross
  • Peak District National Park 15 minutes' drive; 25 mins to Chatsworth
  • Spacious dog-friendly pitches with lovely views; pub under a mile away
Prefer peace, space and scenery over lively places with loads of facilities? You'll be among like-minded folk when you stay at Ilex Farm Camping – not that many of them though, because this Derbyshire site always keeps guest numbers on the lower side to ensure everyone has a nice restful break with plenty of space to relax. These simple but spacious tree-lined grass pitches are spread across three level terraces, giving all of them privacy, shade and great views across the valley. There are plenty of easy and interesting walks to follow from the farm (with your dog by your side if you like), along with some longer cycling routes. Handily, the nearest pub is just under a mile away for a good meal or a refreshing pint at the end of your walk or ride. If you fancy more walks or bike rides, it's useful to know that the Peak District National Park is about 15 minutes' drive away. Golf, swimming, tennis and sailing are all nearby too for a change of activity, and you'll be well placed for outings to attractions like Chatsworth House, Hardwick Hall and the Heights of Abraham. The site is close to a bus route with services to Chesterfield and Matlock, also passing through nearby Clay Cross (five minutes' drive), which has a decent selection of pubs, cafés, takeaways and supermarkets. Simple facilities on site include ice pack freezing, toilets, showers and a chemical disposal point.

Campground type

Tent sites 9
RV sites 3
Open now
Opens May 1
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • There are no garbage cans onsite: all garbage will need to be taken home with you.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • Single-sex bookings of 4 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • A cable measuring at least 25 metres is needed for the electric hook-ups.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, May 1 to

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Campsite types & availability

Reviews

  • 62%
    10
  • 20%
    9
  • 11%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 2%
    5
  • 2%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
5

95% would recommend this campground to a friend

93% would stay here again

What customers say

This peaceful campground offers a lovely countryside retreat with beautiful views and friendly, helpful owners. Guests praised the clean, modern shower and toilet facilities, with many noting the good privacy afforded by the site's layout and strategic planting. While the site is generally well-regarded, some minor suggestions were made regarding kitchen facilities and an initial issue with the new toilet block that has since been resolved. The presence of horses on-site was a popular feature.

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

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 5
Arrival date (latest first)

This is a very relaxing site…

Overall

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

Power optional grass tent campsite

Liked This is a very relaxing site … well maintained … owners very friendly… showers and toilets really modern and very very clean and well kept … I will be returning frequently as it’s only 10 miles from my home but I felt like I had been miles and miles away on a little holiday. Would definitely recommend x

Recommend to friends Visit again

Clean, friendly owner, everything you need…

Overall

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

Power optional grass tent campsite

Liked Clean, friendly owner, everything you need and explained where is what. Horses around.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great, can recommend.

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great layout, three separate pitch areas separated by trees, cosy, close to little town and local attractions, clean, modern showers/toilets. Friendly and helpful owner/management. Would benefit from upgradet kitchen facilities (two sinks with running water outside, drinking water outlet available, but would be nice to have a room with a bin and a fridge for example. This is camping site though so... jus a suggestion

Recommend to friends Visit again

Well laid out, nice bit of…

Overall

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

Power optional grass RV campsite

Liked Well laid out, nice bit of privicy afforded from the strategic planting. Flat areas for pitching up on. Nice clean shower W/C block.

Disliked Shower W/C block could do with increasing numbers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly staff…

Overall

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

Power optional grass tent campsite

Liked Friendly staff

Disliked Nothing to dislike

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great little stopover

Overall

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

Power optional grass RV campsite

Liked Great welcome, lovely site :)
5 stars ;)

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Was a lovely area, the owner…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
7
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Naomi H. 1 review

Power optional grass tent campsite

Liked Was a lovely area, the owner was very welcoming.. I would recommend it's quite and peaceful

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

A quiet and relaxing stay

Overall

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

Power optional grass RV campsite

Liked Plenty of space. Friendly owners. Great individual showers with hot water (but bring a shower cap if you want to keep your hair dry). Lovely scenery. Cables were provided to allow electric hook-up as it's a long distance.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Очень приятные и гостеприимны хозяева. Тихое…

Overall

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

Power optional grass RV campsite

Liked Очень приятные и гостеприимны хозяева. Тихое спокойное место для отдыха. На территории есть туалеты и душевые кабины в очень чистом состоянии. Приятно было провести время здесь.

Recommend to friends Visit again

we would definitely stay here again, lovely hosts and nice scenery

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
9
Value for money
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
max j. 2 reviews

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked we loved the scenery. there was also a really nice porsche there in the evening!
we were well spaced from other campers. on our row of 10 there there was only us an one other group and they were opposite end to us. really easy to find and get settled in.
bonus there was drinking water as we forgot ours!

our little red fox lab loved it too!

Owners said we could stay as long as we liked the next day as our pitch was not booked again so it was nice to have the option but we were planning on getting up early and cracking on!

Disliked campers below us were rather noisy at 4AM but not a lot can be done about that.

a nice extra feature would be some
toilet facilities:)

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

Themes

Peaceful

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Restaurant nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Ilex Farm Camping

Ilex Farm

Handley

Clay Cross

Chesterfield

Derbyshire

England

S45 9AT

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

53.15362°N
1.43827°W

Route directions

As the road starts to steepen, look for a stone farmhouse with tarmac drive and wooden gate on the right, signposted as Ilex Farm Camping. Do not believe sat nav telling you the site is on the left. Any problems please call for directions.

Nearest transport

Bus
5.1 mi Railway Station
5.6 mi Coach Station
5.7 mi Fishpond Hotel
Rail
4.7 mi Alfreton Rail Station
5.1 mi Matlock Rail Station
5.4 mi Matlock Bath Rail Station
Airport
16.9 mi Sheffield City Airport
23 mi East Midlands Airport
28.7 mi Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield 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

Attractions and activities nearby include: - Ogston Reservoir (sailing): five minutes' drive - Clay Cross Active leisure centre (swimming and tennis): five minutes - Hardwick Hall: 15 minutes - Heights of Abraham: 20 minutes - Haddon Hall: 20 minutes - Bolsover Castle: 20 minutes - Chatsworth House: 25 minutes - Bakewell: 25 minutes - Alton Towers: 55 minutes.

Must see

Hardwick Old Hall 5.5 mi

Arkwright's Cromford Mills 5.7 mi

Hardwick Hall 5.9 mi

Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills 5.9 mi

Bolsover Castle 8 mi

National Trust

Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 5.5 mi

Hardwick Hall 5.5 mi

Winster Market House 8.5 mi

Kedleston Hall 14.1 mi

Clumber Park 17.3 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Woolley Moor - Handley - Ashover - Ravensnest - Woolley 0.6 mi

Woolley Moor (Ogston Reservoir) - Brackenfield - Mathersgrave - Ogston Reservoir 0.6 mi

Woolley - Highoredish - Ashover - Ashoverhay - Woolley 1 mi

Highoredish - Ravensnest - Ashover - Ashoverhay Loop 2.1 mi

Eddlestow - Uppertown - Spitewinter - Kelstedge 3.4 mi

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 Ilex Farm Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Ilex Farm Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Ilex Farm Camping? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Ogston Reservoir (sailing): five minutes' drive - Clay Cross Active leisure centre (swimming and tennis): five minutes - Hardwick Hall: 15 minutes - Heights of Abraham: … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Ilex Farm Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  9:30 a.m. –  7:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  12:30 p.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Ilex Farm Camping? From $30.83 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.