Brightlingsea Touring Park

View prices & book 8.9 638 reviews
Visitor image of the campers and sunset
Visitor image of the campers and sunset
Aerial view of site
Visitor image of the view to the boating lake
Around the site
Clean tidy boating lake
Great walks.
Canine guests welcome
Kids playing on a trampoline
1/435
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.

Campground type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 20
Camper sites 49
RV sites 49
Tent sites 49
Open now
Opens March 1
Please note
  • Group bookings of 5 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, RV or accommodation hire) traveling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The 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, Mar 1 to

This campground is a member of Countrywide Park Homes group.

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Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

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

Reviews

8.9

Overall rating from 638 Pitchup.com customers

  • 60%
    10
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    8
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    7
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Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Peaceful

90% would recommend this campground to a friend

89% would stay here again

What customers say

Great location near beach, town & lake views. Spacious, well-kept pitches w/ hookups. Friendly staff, clean but dated facilities. Some noise complaints & security concerns noted.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 64
Arrival date (latest first)

Disappointed with customer communication

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
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Value for money
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Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
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David R.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite

Liked Did not get there

Disliked Sorry to say we had to cancel our visit due to the car tow electrics not working. We tried to contact Brightlingsea touring park and explain.No one answered the landline or the mobile number supplied. We did get through to the booking agent from the number on the arrival information and explained what had happened. I emailed the person Lyn Stibthorpe who had sent me the information and tried several times to reach her by phone and considering the mobile number was for out of hours emergency it was not answered . I left messages on both. I consider this to be really bad practice as sometimes these things happen beyond our control . No one has yet contacted me Not good customer service.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The clearly labelled pitches, with clean…

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
 No rating
Irma S.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite

Liked The clearly labelled pitches, with clean grasses pitches.
All of the facilities were clean and well signposted.
The introduction email with the explanation of how it all works and information needed was so reassuring.

Disliked I stayed for one night and had a lovely experience.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely friendly site will return

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite (lake view)

Liked We loved our pitch 27

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site but please improve the facilities

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 2
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 5
Wifi
 No rating
Emma R.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite (lake view)

Liked Nice area spacious pitches. Close to shops, cafe and pubs. Nice area for walk

Disliked Facilities need an upgrade. Ladies shower/loo block very tired. Tap tops missing shower settings back to front. Hot was cold and vice versa. We had stayed earlier this year and the block hadn’t improved

Recommend to friends Visit again

We loved the location next to…

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
Elaine R.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite (lake view)

Liked We loved the location next to the lake (pitch 20) and the short walk to the pub.

Disliked Nothing to dislike.

Recommend to friends Visit again

In summary, we had a thoroughly enjoyable 5 nights away.

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite (lake view)

Liked Brightlingsea is lovely, and the campsite is located perfectly between the town and the sea front. The site itself has lovely views across the boating lake, and my 14 month old loved seeing the ducks and swans paddling and walking around.

Disliked We didn’t receive the welcome email, which didn’t seem to be unusual, having spoken to other campers on site. On arrival there was nobody to greet us and show us where our pitch was (we did arrive on a Sunday) so it was a little frustrating trying to contact somebody before we could get set up.
The pitches are very close together and the toilet/shower facilities are in desperate need of an update, although they were kept reasonably clean throughout our stay.
The site is also adjacent to the main road leading to the sea front, and seems to attract various boy racers of an evening.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nothing because we couldn't stay…

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite

Liked Nothing because we couldn't stay

Disliked Couldn't make it due to family bereavement. Tried to contact owner day before to cancel. She said id had to contact putch up. Because I didnt have an account through pitch up i couldn't cancel it. I was fine about losing deposit but to lose the whole amount was a little unfair. This site would have been handy for us when visiting family in Brightlingsea but in future we will go elsewhere

Recommend to friends Visit again

Site very neglected, facilities block needs condemning.

Overall

1 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 1
Accommodation
 1
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 1
Child friendliness
 1
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite (lake view)

Liked Position

Disliked Everything else. Way too expensive. No grey water disposal point

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant

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
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite

Liked Everything lovely site well placed

Disliked Only the showers as hot and cold but won’t stop us going again . It’s all part of the fun lol

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site will return. Mick the site manager was really helpful

Overall

9 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
Rebecca S.

Powered cement/asphalt and grass campsite

Liked As ever the location was lovely and the town itself has lots going on and plenty of places to eat and drink. We even timed it right as the fair was in town.
Arrived and realised on a pitch not suitable for our awning , the site staff couldn't have been better at addressing our issues and getting us swapped on to a suitable one. Really grateful for them.

Disliked The showers are woeful they were last time too either freezing or boiling no in between and occasionally no water pressure but they were clean so didn't ruin our enjoyment.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs 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 Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

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

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 Public transportation 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

Bus
2.4 mi Brightlingsea Road
2.4 mi Brightlingsea Road
2.4 mi Oaklands
Rail
3.3 mi Alresford (Essex) Rail Station
3.6 mi Great Bentley Rail Station
4.3 mi Wivenhoe Rail Station
Ferry
0.3 mi Brightlingsea Ferry Landing
0.4 mi Point Clear Ferry Landing
13.9 mi Harwich International Ferry Terminal
Airport
21.4 mi 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 0.4 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
West Mersea 4.6 mi Sea N/AGoodN/AN/A
Jaywick 4.7 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Clacton Beach Martello Tower 5.5 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Clacton 6.6 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

firstsite 7.5 mi

Colchester Castle Museum 7.6 mi

Colchester Zoo 8.7 mi

East Anglian Railway Museum 13.8 mi

Christchurch Mansion 18.4 mi

National Trust

Bourne Mill 6.6 mi

Flatford: Bridge Cottage 10.4 mi

Thorington Hall 12.5 mi

Coggeshall Grange Barn 14.9 mi

Paycocke's 15.1 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Brightlingsea 0.1 mi

Cudmore Country Park - East and West Mersea - Cudmore 1.2 mi

Brightlingsea - Colne Estuary - Crab and Winkle Path 1.4 mi

ST OSYTH'S PRIORY 2.3 mi

Hollybush Hill - Brightlingsea - River Colne - Hollybush 2.4 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 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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    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 $33.69 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.