Hawthorne Trench Campsite

View prices & book 9.7 87 reviews
Visitor image of the campsite
Visitor image of the campsite
Summer at hawthorne
A summer day at hawthorne
Pitches under the hedge
Young horses on the farm
Plenty of space for pitches
Hawthorne sheep
20 acres to pitch up in
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Summer at hawthorne
A summer day at hawthorne
Pitches under the hedge

  • Pick-your-own pitches at a spacious farm site half a mile from Elham
  • Canterbury, Hythe beach and two animal parks within a half-hour drive
  • Simple facilities; tours available of World War I trenches on site
When it comes to rural bases in south-east England, Hawthorne Trench Campsite is a prime pick. Plenty of space and Kent Down views pair up nicely with a handy location half a mile from the village of Elham, where there's a café, playground, village store and a total of three pubs. This is a peaceful site where you can pick your own pitch from the heaps of space around the 20-acre grass field, and with simple facilities stretching just to toilets, showers and a washing-up area. Families and groups of friends are welcome, but dogs aren’t allowed because of the resident sheep and horses. You may well be able to spot wild bats, badgers and owls popping by as well… Intrigued by the site name? That's a reference to the 250-metre World War I trench system, with a British section and a German section separated by a no man’s land in between. Guests can book tours on arrival to take a closer look at this little patch of history. There are plenty of opportunities to get out and about in the countryside here, as public footpaths run right from the site out to local woods and forest. After some quiet time, it's also easy to get out to various day trips and attractions like Leeds Castle, Howletts Wild Animal Park and Canterbury. Some of these are accessible by buses that stop in the village centre.

Campground type

Tent sites 12
Open now
Opens July 3
Please note

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

General

  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Occupancy

  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Vehicles

  • 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, Jul 3 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.7

Overall rating from 87 Pitchup.com customers

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Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Peaceful

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

Tranquil rural site with spacious spots and great views. Owner Richard is praised for friendliness and helpfulness. Complimentary tea, coffee, and fridge are appreciated. Clean, well-kept, back-to-basics feel. Priced at £20/night, some found it pricey, but most saw good value. WWI trench tour a hit. Toilets/showers adequate, clean but basic.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/4/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 9
Arrival date (latest first)

Excellent price for what you get in a beautiful slice of countryside!

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Easy site to find with sauna. Spacious distances between pitches, beautiful surroundings, excellent price point. Very friendly owner.
Was welcomed to the site by a dog (a very good dog called Willow).
Small fridge on sight and a point to charge small electricals.

Disliked Was a nearby duck farm that was partying most the night. Not a problem just I wasn't invited.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Its a very nice, peacefully spot.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
saskia v. 2 reviews

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Its a very nice, peacefully spot. We've been here only for 2 nights but there is so much more to do in the neighbourhood....
Very friendly owner. Toilets & shower are upgraded dixy pods & work perfectly!
We only went to canterbury & to the shuttle in folkstone wich are both really close by car.

And very good value for money!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Magnifique…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Pascal B. 14 reviews

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Magnifique

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautifully simple, so much space and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 No rating
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Nicola L. 1 review

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Beautifully simple, so much space and the man who runs the camp site was so helpful and chatty. We will definitely be back :)

Recommend to friends Visit again

L endroit. L attitude bienveillante et…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Pascal B. 14 reviews

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked L endroit. L attitude bienveillante et communicante du propriétaire

Recommend to friends Visit again

Best place for taking the ferry the next day

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked We liked the landlord. Very funny and interesting person

Disliked Other guest arguing all night long with her wife

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good campsite

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Mostofa S. 3 reviews

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked The campsite was good and well maintained. Richard was friendly and helpful throughout our stay, making us feel welcome. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and I would happily stay here again.

Disliked One couple was arguing in the middle of night

Recommend to friends Visit again

Always a great stay. Loads of…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Always a great stay. Loads of space and very welcoming host. Kids loved it. Will be back!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Magic place! We did one night…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Augustin R. 2 reviews

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Magic place! We did one night stop there along our way of the Elham Valley trip.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Yes. Beautifull spot! Awesome!…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 5
 Augustin R. 2 reviews

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Yes. Beautifull spot! Awesome!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No 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 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 No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

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 Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Cycling nearby Golf nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Hawthorne Trench Campsite

Roundhill Farm

Cullens Hill

Elham

Kent

England

CT4 6UJ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.15251°N
1.09954°E

Route directions

The satnav will bring you to within half a mile of Kennel Cottages. Carry on for another half a mile until you reach the sign for Roundhill Farm/Hawthorne Trench. Alternatively, the Google Maps location will bring you to the door. What3words: buzzing.camps.reactions.

Nearest transport

Bus
5.3 mi Swan Lane
5.3 mi Swan Lane
5.4 mi Holiday Extras
Rail
4.5 mi Sandling Rail Station
4.8 mi Westenhanger Rail Station
5.3 mi Folkestone West Rail Station
Ferry
3.9 mi Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal
9.7 mi Dover Western Docks Ferry Terminal
10.1 mi Dover Eastern Docks Ferry Terminal
Airport
15.5 mi Lydd London Ashford Airport
17.5 mi Kent International 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

You're never too far from sand or shingle days here: Hythe beach (20 minutes' drive) and Folkestone's harbour (20 minutes) are popular spots for pottering about by the coast, plus there's easy access to Dover (25 minutes) with its cross-channel ferries and impressive castle. If you're interested in some of modern history that took place around the area's well-known White Cliffs, the Battle of Britain Museum (10 minutes) is also worth a stop. Animal action is available here too, with family-friendly attractions like Howletts Wild Animal Park (20 minutes) and Port Lympne Safari Park (20 minutes) for younger ones who are keen on exotic creatures. The excellent Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway (35 minutes) is another kid-pleasing option that you might want to keep up your sleeve to ensure extra-good behaviour. If grand architecture's your thing, then Canterbury (25 minutes) is pretty sure to satisfy – the gorgeous cathedral is the focal point of the town, but there's also a museum showcasing its Roman heritage and all medieval jollity of the Canterbury Tales exhibit.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Sandgate 5.7 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hythe 6.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Folkestone 6.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Dymchurch 9.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Mary'S Bay (Kent) 11 mi Sea GoodN/AGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway 5.7 mi

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park 6.7 mi

Howletts Wild Animal Park 8.2 mi

St Augustine's Abbey 8.7 mi

Canterbury Tales 8.7 mi

National Trust

The White Cliffs of Dover 10.5 mi

South Foreland Lighthouse 11.8 mi

Smallhythe Place 19.1 mi

Lamb House 21.2 mi

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 23 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Cheriton Hill 3.9 mi

BROOME PARK 4.2 mi

SANDLING PARK 5 mi

Hythe - Lympne - Royal Military Canal - Hythe 5.7 mi

HATCH PARK 6.9 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.

Want to know more about camping in Kent?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Hawthorne Trench Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Hawthorne Trench Campsite dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Hawthorne Trench Campsite? You're never too far from sand or shingle days here: Hythe beach (20 minutes' drive) and Folkestone's harbour (20 minutes) are popular spots for pottering about by the coast, plus there's easy … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hawthorne Trench Campsite?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hawthorne Trench Campsite? From $27.02 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.