Stuarts Wood

View prices & book 9.8 19 reviews
Pitches
Pitches
Newest pitch by oak and pond
View from newest pitch
Tent pitches
Tent pitches
Tent pitches
Forest
Site
1/66
Newest pitch by oak and pond
View from newest pitch
Tent pitches

  • Nearly wild site in an oak woodland on a working country farm
  • Five-minute drive to Stock and 10 minutes to Hanningfield’s bird hide
  • Campfires allowed; 35 minutes from Southend-on-Sea beaches
Flock to the forest for a secluded stay amid the towering oak trees at Stuarts Wood. This pretty much wild site is set on the 800-acre Apps Estate, a working arable farm, and is a top place for a wildlife-watching weekend away as it’s a 10-minute drive from the bird hide at Hanningfield Nature Reserve. The park is also peaceful – guests drop cars 200m away from the pitches, carrying their belongings to and fro in the provided wheelbarrows so vehicle noise doesn’t disturb the ambience. Continuing the laidback vibes, campfires are permitted on base and, when not building blazes, visitors can wander around the woodland trails or on the historical Pilgrims Way route in the surrounding countryside. The coast is also close enough for a day trip – check out the beaches around Southend-on-Sea 35 minutes away. If you’d like to have food prepared by others, walk towards one of the pubs near the park – there are a few within a half an hour’s amble. Alternatively, fill a bag up with local produce at the farm shop in Stock (five minutes’ drive) and cook it alfresco at your pitch. As you’ve probably already realised, Stuarts Wood is a simple sort of site, so expect long-drop loos in the woods and not much else but a warm welcome and running water. The park operates a ‘love the farm, leave no trace policy’, so please take what you bring with you back home at the end of your stay.

Campground type

Tent sites 10
Open now
Opens April 18
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No cars/motorcycles at the site. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • There is no reception building on-site: on arrival please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
  • The car park is located about 200m from the pitches. You will be provided with wheelbarrows to transfer your gear to your pitch.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Apr 18 to

Reviews

9.8

Overall rating from 19 Pitchup.com customers

  • 89%
    10
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    9
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    8
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Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Wild campingPeacefulForest

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

This "almost wild" woodland site boasts beautiful nature, spacious, private spots, and a peaceful vibe. Guests loved friendly host Bryony & clean facilities. Ideal for a back-to-basics escape with campfires. No showers were a charming detail. Some noise during busy times.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 2
Arrival date (latest first)

Great place to sample wild camping!

Overall

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

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked The vibe was great, the plots were really cool, the owner couldn’t do enough for you. Lovely part of the world, will definitely be returning. The communal fire was lovely, Shawn we couldn’t have fires at the individual plots but that was down to the weather.

Disliked Only slight, tiny grumble would be there was some other campers playing music till later on, there’s a 10pm be quiet rule but some kids go to bed before then.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely peaceful campsite. Fresh water, firewood and grocery essentials available. Bryony was…

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
Mark B.

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked Lovely peaceful campsite. Fresh water, firewood and grocery essentials available.
Bryony was really helpful and welcoming. Will definitely be back

Recommend to friends Visit again

The Perfect Almost Wild Campsite!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Anonymous

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked The location is beautiful, the facilities are exactly what you want for an Almost Wild Camp. The camp itself is surrounded by towering trees, fileds and lush greenery making it perfect for a very chilled escape into nature. I saw lot's of Red KItes circling over head and watched countless Dragon Flies bobbing around.

Bryony is a wonderful host and was super friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back and would recommend to anyone looking for a little peace and nature.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Byrony was welcoming and helpful. Great site for tranquility.

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
 No rating
Peter M.

Berry Boutique bell tent

Liked Location, peace and quiet, walks, friendly staff.

Disliked None.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A beautiful, well-run spot. Not always quiet though.

Overall

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

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked The wood itself is beautiful. The pitches are large, flat, and well-spaced out. The admin is super-helpful and friendly. The composting toilets were clean. The water and washing up station were clean and very useful. The location is lovely. Good access and parking.

Disliked The 'vibe' on this occasion was more family-oriented - due to the groups that had booked in - so it was less peaceful than maybe I was expecting. It's great that kids can stay in the woods, but just not what I was looking for personally on this occasion. Apparently it was the busiest weekend they had had all season, so maybe just bad timing on my part!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely stay here again!

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
Brad G.

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked Great atmosphere, Bryony was lovely and helpful. Site has amazing views and is a brilliant way to spend a night or more.

Disliked Nothing. A bit of a shower facility would be good but the site is purposely back to basics so isn’t essential.

Recommend to friends Visit again

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
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked Stuart's woods is pure magic. Camping fire people who want to get back to basics, respect the woods and give the kids some freedom. Even with so many people in the woods it is remarkably peaceful

Disliked That it isn't open more days off the year

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site, will visit again…

Overall

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

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked Lovely site, will visit again

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic 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
 No rating
Adam H.

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked Everything. Great site and well looked after by the host. Was just what I needed and the pictures don't do it justice. Will be back for sure.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful, peaceful place to stay. Lovely pitch options amongst trees.

Overall

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

Primitive forest floor tent campsite

Liked Arriving by public transport is very doable if you don’t mind a walk, but do research paths beforehand.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs allowed

Pop-up campground

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 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 No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Themes

Forest Peaceful Remote location Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No hot water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby

Location

Stuarts Wood

Great Preston Lane

Stock

Essex

England

CM4 9RN

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.65913°N
0.4762°E

Route directions

What3words: prance.summit.player.

Nearest transport

Bus
1.4 mi War Memorial
1.4 mi War Memorial
3.3 mi The Chequers
Rail
3.2 mi Billericay Rail Station
3.6 mi Wickford Rail Station
4 mi Ingatestone Rail Station
Ferry
13.9 mi Wallasea Island Ferry Landing
14.9 mi Burnham on Crouch Ferry Landing
15.2 mi Tilbury Ferry Terminal
Airport
11.6 mi London Southend Airport
18.5 mi London Stansted Airport
21.3 mi London 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

Check out Chelmsford (15 minutes’ drive) from this park – the city’s a historical haven with hotspots including the 18th-century Hylands House’s multiple acres of parkland and the medieval Chelmsford Cathedral. The Essex Regiment Museum, showcasing military bits and bobs including weapons, uniform and medals, is also nearby (15 minutes) to excite folk who find poking around in the past the most satisfying way to spend some time. A little out of the city is the RHS Garden Hyde Hall (20 minutes), just the place for glimpsing views from the hilltop setting or to rove around the rose-filled green areas. For a wilder landscape, head to Hanningfield Nature Reserve (10 minutes), an 870-acre reservoir edging old woodland that’s covered in bluebells during springtime. And for a change of scenery? Set off for the busy beachside resort of Southend-on-Sea for bucket and spade sessions or hours at the machines in the amusement arcades.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Leigh Bell Wharf 11.2 mi Estuary GoodN/APoorN/A
Southend Chalkwell 11.9 mi Estuary N/AGoodN/AGood
Southend Westcliff Bay 12.4 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Southend Three Shells 13.4 mi Estuary N/AExcellentExcellentGood
Southend Jubilee 14 mi Estuary N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

RHS Garden Hyde Hall 4.2 mi

Dickens World 18 mi

The Historic Dockyard Chatham 18.5 mi

Rochester Castle 18.6 mi

Rochester Cathedral 18.7 mi

National Trust

Rainham Hall 15.7 mi

Coggeshall Grange Barn 16.8 mi

Paycocke's 17 mi

Eastbury Manor House 18.3 mi

Owletts 18.8 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

HYLANDS PARK 4 mi

DANBURY PARK 5.2 mi

RIFFHAMS 5.9 mi

Danbury - Great Graces - Little Baddow Hall - Danbury 5.9 mi

South Woodham Ferrers Circular Walk 6.2 mi

Local events

  • All Points East (Friday, August 22, 2025 – Friday, August 22, 2025)

    London, England 23.9 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 Essex?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Stuarts Wood have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Stuarts Wood dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Stuarts Wood? Check out Chelmsford (15 minutes’ drive) from this park – the city’s a historical haven with hotspots including the 18th-century Hylands House’s multiple acres of parkland and the medieval Chelmsford Cathedral. The … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Stuarts Wood?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Stuarts Wood? From $40.05 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.