The Racecourse Retreat

View prices & book 9.5 180 reviews
Pitches
Pitches
Views over derbyshire
Tent pitch
Top of the pitches
Scenic countryside
The meadow pitches
Views
Meadow area
1/246
Views over derbyshire
Tent pitch
Top of the pitches

  • Spacious family-friendly pop-up site in the 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
Planning on moseying on down to the Peak District for trails, historic estates and rural landscapes? From the Racecourse Retreat four miles from the edge of the national park, you’ll be in for a restful retreat with delicious views and green surroundings. This quiet, rural and family-friendly smallholding is just 15 minutes’ drive away from buzzy towns such as Matlock and 35 minutes from royal sites like Chatsworth House. It is a fairly simple setup here, with spacious pitches that have access to showers and toilets, plus firepit areas for a feelgood gathering, waste and recycling points, a dishwashing station and drinking water. This area is walking and biking trails galore, beginning with the High Peak Trail around five minutes’ drive away. At the same time, tourist hotspots such as Carsington Water, Cromford Mills and Matlock Bath are within 15 minutes’ drive of the site. Just above the town of Wirksworth and the small village of Cromford, there are shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways a short walk away so that guests can grab all the goods they desire for an easy off-grid stay. And in the opposite direction, Belper (15 minutes’ drive) and then Ashbourne (20 minutes’ drive) are some more lively calls with eateries and the likes – or there's a bigger city break to Derby 35 minutes’ drive away in case that’s your next plan of action.

Campground type

Rent a tent 1
Tent sites 50
Open now
Opens July 11
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).
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • 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, Jul 11 to

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCamper sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children
Other campsite types

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 180 Pitchup.com customers

  • 81%
    10
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    9
  • 13%
    8
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    7
  • 4%
    6
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 6
Spectacular scenery

94% would recommend this campground to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a spacious, family-friendly campsite with stunning views and exceptionally clean facilities. Staff are friendly and helpful. Downsides include potential queues for toilets/showers during busy periods and occasional issues with water pressure. Some visitors found the on-site bar music loud.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 18
Arrival date (latest first)

perfect

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
ALEXANDER R.

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Amazing, the best campsite ever. Great atmosphere, chilled but entertaining great food and beers, great for families to unwind.

Staff are A1, never seen a campsite as good as this one. Great toilets and showers too

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Campsite was lovely…

Overall

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

Bell tent

Liked Campsite was lovely

Disliked Shower worked ok for the first night, but second night water was cold😂
Had to take a cold shower and that was not fun😂

Recommend to friends Visit again

This campsite is one of the best we have been too. Loved…

Overall

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

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked This campsite is one of the best we have been too. Loved all the little details like body spray in the ladies etc. opportunities to buy food & cold beers which was very much needed as was so hot when we visited this weekend. Hot showers too! We came home today and booked another visit for next month already.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very good for the price

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Harvey N.

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked The space for activities, the size of the pitches and the bar.

Disliked Could do with seperate showers and toilets got female and male

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent campsite with friendly people.!

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Excellent communication and very well organised and friendly on arrival. Well signposted on the approach roads. Spacious pitch and lots of room available, even though it was on the August Bank Holiday. Toilets were clean, with hot water at wash basins with good lighting. Didn't try the showers but they looked popular. There was a food van and entertainment on but we didn't partake and therefore can't comment, but great to have the options. Views were exceptional, when no clouds. No WiFi, but very good 4G for those that might want/need it.

Disliked The approach roads were very narrow with limited passing places, especially from the south side. Definitely would be stressful with a larger vehicle and/or towing a caravan. There were often queues at the washing up stations and at the limited number of toilets and on our second day some had ran out of toilet paper.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site, would definitely recommend.

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Great site, loads of tents but still plenty of room to not be too close to other campers. Loads of room for ball games, football ect. too. Great reception area and friendly staff. Bar and food area with benches both inside and out. Toilets and showers very clean despite a lot of use. The views are fantastic from the pitch up area. Fire pits available with bricks to raise them off the ground. Only booked 1 night for me and my son but will definitely book a couple more next summer 👍🏼

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 2
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked The staff are so lovely and helpful, they also went out of their way to make everyone’s stay amazing.
The toilets and showers are nice and kept clean.

Disliked Could do with a few more toilets but we were there over a busy bank holiday weekend.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The site could have real potential as the views are stunning.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 4
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked I liked the location of the site it made visiting local sights assessable. It is a spacious site and the owners make you feel welcome. they provide entertainment such as move night for kids and adults. They provided a live band in one of the barns on site. Cleaning facilities are ok but very basic. A good toilet and shower block but again very basic. I believe the camp site is a new site possibly 3 years old?

Disliked The wind was terrible due to the nature of how high we were and how exposed the site is. The road accessing the site can be a single track road in areas and can be tricky. The electric hock up Kept tripping out but was never off for long.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with great views and staff, needs more toilets & showers

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent or RV campsite

Liked Staff, the amount of space, the shed with bar and music, the incredible view.

Disliked The amount of toilets and showers. The ones they have are lovely, but the need double the amount - a toilet and shower block for each field is desperately needed.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site beautiful views, friendly staff

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Donna J.

Powered grass tent or RV campsite

Liked The views, friendly staff, good facilities around nice site

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

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 Car parking by site/unit 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 Scouts 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

Budget/backpacker Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal fridge 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 Public transportation nearby

Type

Large (51-200 sites) Pop-up campground

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Racecourse Retreat

Hay Lane

Wirksworth

Derbyshire

England

DE4 4AF

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

53.07337°N
1.55707°W

Nearest transport

Bus
3.2 mi Fishpond Hotel
3.2 mi Fishpond Hotel
4.5 mi Railway Station
Rail
2.3 mi Whatstandwell Rail Station
2.8 mi Cromford Rail Station
3.3 mi Ambergate Rail Station
Airport
19.5 mi East Midlands Airport
23.4 mi Sheffield City 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

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 pick up a Bakewell pudding for the riverbank? The mills and canal at Cromford Mills (10 minutes)? Or onto the Tissington Trail (20 minutes) for the Derbyshire Dales, a limestone ravine and stepping stones? In Matlock (10 minutes), you’ll have the choice of spas and shopping and further out, the Matlock Farm Park (25 minutes) for an afternoon of full-on animal activities such as horse riding. There’s a farmyard with animals at Chatsworth House (35 minutes) too, but this grand place is packed full with much more to do, from playgrounds to house tours and pretty picnics in the gardens. The same kind of vibe goes at Haddon Hall (35 minutes), a medieval hall and park with tours. After some water-based action too? Carsington Water (15 minutes) is your guy, thanks to its watersports centre running rowing, canoeing, windsurfing and kayaking. And on dry land, there's cycling, walking and fishing to get your senses tingling.

Must see

Arkwright's Cromford Mills 2.5 mi

Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills 2.7 mi

Kedleston Hall 7.3 mi

Haddon Hall 9.5 mi

Chatsworth 10.4 mi

National Trust

Winster Market House 5.8 mi

Kedleston Hall 8 mi

Hardwick Hall 12.2 mi

Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 12.2 mi

The Old Manor 12.7 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Alport Heights - Kirk Ireton Circular 0.9 mi

Wirksworth - Bolehill - Middleton Top - Wirksworth 0.9 mi

Cromford (Black Rocks) - Middleton Top - Kirk Ireton - Black Rocks 1.8 mi

Lea Bridge - Whatstandwell - Alderwasley - Lea Bridge 2.2 mi

Derwent Valley Mills Buffer Zone 2.6 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.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Racecourse Retreat? From $26.79 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.