The Star Inn Caravan Park

View prices & book 9.6 761 reviews
View of the site
Touring pitches
Grass pitches
View across the site

  • Peaceful adults-only site two miles from the River Blackwater
  • Dengie National Nature Reserve 15 minutes’ drive; Maldon 20 minutes
  • Attached to a traditional country pub that serves food and drinks
Surrounded by arable land and grazing fields dotted with sheep, The Star Inn Caravan Park on Essex’s Dengie Hundred Peninsula is a place with a truly peaceful vibe. The River Blackwater flows about two miles north of here, which makes the site popular with members of the Marconi and Stone sailing clubs (both about five minutes’ drive away). There are more sailing clubs on the River Crouch (15 minutes’ drive to the south) – so it's clearly something of a special area for watersports types. There are a few other big draws at this rural site. Firstly, it's set up for adults only. Secondly, it welcomes your canine buddy, so you don’t have to worry about booking boarding kennels before your holiday. Thirdly, for those who like their hikes on the long side, the 45-mile St Peter’s Way runs along the main road just outside. To add to all of that, it’s also just next to The Star Inn, a traditional country pub that serves food and drinks seven days a week and hosts events throughout the high season. Maldon, an ancient town with a riverside park and interesting attractions, including the Combined Military Services Museum, is a 20 minutes’ drive away. Well-maintained facilities on site include shared showers, toilets and a chemical disposal point.

Campground type

Camper sites 30
RV sites 30
Tent sites 30
Open all year
Opens

Tourist board rating

Please note
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • 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).
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The restaurant is open between 01/01 and 12/31.
  • Guests under the age of 18 are not allowed on site.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • The bar is open between 01/01 and 12/31.
  • The pub kitchen will be closed from Monday 15 September to Wednesday 01 October 2025. The pub will be open, however no food will be available.

Languages spoken

English

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Campsite types & availability

Reviews

  • 81%
    10
  • 4%
    9
  • 11%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 1%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
9
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
6
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
9

99% would recommend this campground to a friend

97% would stay here again

What customers say

Highly praised adult-only site for its exceptional cleanliness, level pitches with hook-ups, and modern facilities. The adjacent Star Inn pub is a major draw. Enjoy a peaceful, rural escape. While isolated, guests love it and plan to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 77
Arrival date (latest first)

Great site friendly relaxing…

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
10
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked Great site friendly relaxing

Recommend to friends Visit again

We have been coming to the site for 10 years. Excellent facilities,

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
10
Anonymous

Powered grass travel trailer campsite

Liked I like the spacious feeling of the caravan park. Plenty of room

Disliked People not putting the lock back on the gate

Recommend to friends Visit again

Adults only Walking distance to pub Lovely walk…

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
10
Anonymous

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked Adults only
Walking distance to pub
Lovely walk to River Blackwater
Very peaceful
Clean facilities
Well maintained pitches

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely flat field for pitching on,…

Overall

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

Powered grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Lovely flat field for pitching on, water, electricity, and waste drain for grey water. Nice pub for a quick drink or food.
The only drawback was as you drive onto the field, the bit of road directly in front of the gate is ridiculously high and you have to be careful not to hit your jockey wheel on it. Other than that it’s a lovely site

Recommend to friends Visit again

Small friendly site with great facilities…

Overall

6 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
10
Sam S.

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked Small friendly site with great facilities

Disliked Could do with a bin at the washing up area

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with clean facilities

Overall

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

Powered grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Very clean toilet and shower
Lovely location

Disliked Pub kitchen was closed

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would visit again but not at weekends or peak season.

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
6
Value for money
8
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
1
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Angela L.

Powered grass travel trailer campsite

Liked The pitches are served with your own water supply, waste water and electric.
We were on a grass pitch which was very nice, grass well kept and tidy. Pitches are nice and level.
The shower block is clean and modern.
Very peaceful when we visited as not many pitches were in use.

Disliked Would not like to be on this site when busy, I think there are about forty pitches, not counting tents.
There are only two shower and toilets, two for men, two for women and one disabled. Shower cubicles are tiny.
Food was not available in the pub during our visit as restaurant closed.
No shops nearby.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great place 2nd time here love it

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked The atmosphere and friendly environment

Disliked We had to go home

Recommend to friends Visit again

Adults only and showers and toilets…

Overall

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

Powered grass travel trailer campsite

Liked Adults only and showers and toilets excellent. Loads of room. Level pitches.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with water waste and…

Overall

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

Powered cement/asphalt travel trailer campsite

Liked Lovely site with water waste and electric on each pitch. Lovely old pub on site although the restaurant was closed for three days during the week.

Disliked Lovely new shower block but not enough showers for the whole campsite

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 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

Adults only 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 Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 32 inches) Level campground, no steep slopes

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Watersports nearby

Location

The Star Inn Caravan Park

The Street

Steeple

Southminster

Essex

England

CM0 7LF

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.69252°N
0.80173°E

Nearest transport

Bus
10.2 mi The George
10.2 mi The George
11.3 mi Westcliff Plough
Rail
2.6 mi Southminster Rail Station
3.7 mi Althorne Rail Station
4.1 mi Burnham-on-Crouch Rail Station
Ferry
4.8 mi Burnham on Crouch Ferry Landing
4.8 mi Wallasea Island Ferry Landing
12.1 mi Point Clear Ferry Landing
Airport
9.5 mi London Southend Airport
26.9 mi London Stansted 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

The area of tidal mudflats between the estuaries of the Blackwater and Crouch is home to Dengie National Nature Reserve (15 minutes’ drive). Birdwatchers flock to this Site of Special Scientific Interest to spot dunlins, oystercatchers and curlews, plus wintering populations of Brent geese. Established in 1916, the Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome (20 minutes) played a key defensive role during World War I. Today, it still has several original buildings from that tumultuous time, as well as a collection of WWI aircraft and a lively programme of reenactments. If history is your thing, it's likely you'll also appreciate Mangapps Railway & Museum (10 minutes) and St Peters Chapel (15 minutes), the oldest church in England. For a day surrounded by plants and blossoms, head to RHS Garden Hyde Hall (20 minutes), where themed areas present vegetation from different parts of the world, including Australasia. There's also an interesting Dry Garden planted with drought-tolerant plants and a bird hide overlooking a reservoir inhabited by herons and cormorants. Enrol in a tour or tasting at Crouch Ridge Vineyard (10 minutes) or the New Hall Wine Estate (15 minutes, and on cellar door days) too.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
West Mersea 7.7 mi Sea N/AGoodN/AN/A
Shoebury East 11.1 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southend Thorpe Bay 11.5 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southend Three Shells 11.7 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentGood
Shoeburyness 11.8 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Hyde Hall 9.9 mi

Colchester Zoo 11.9 mi

firstsite 14.3 mi

Colchester Castle Museum 14.3 mi

East Anglian Railway Museum 16.1 mi

National Trust

Coggeshall Grange Barn 13 mi

Paycocke's 13.4 mi

Bourne Mill 13.6 mi

Flatford: Bridge Cottage 20.6 mi

Thorington Hall 20.6 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Burnham-on-Crouch 4.3 mi

Battle of Maldon, 991 4.5 mi

Heybridge - Maldon - River Chelmer - River Blackwater 4.8 mi

Tollesbury - Thistly Road - Marshes - Shinglehead Point 5 mi

Bradwell-on-Sea - Roman Fort - St Peter's Way - Bradwell 6.2 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 The Star Inn Caravan Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Star Inn Caravan Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Star Inn Caravan Park? The area of tidal mudflats between the estuaries of the Blackwater and Crouch is home to Dengie National Nature Reserve (15 minutes’ drive). Birdwatchers flock to this Site of Special Scientific Interest … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Star Inn Caravan Park?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Star Inn Caravan Park? From $24.23 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.