Hawthorne Trench Campsite

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 9.7 101 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
Opens
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

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.7

Overall rating from 101 Pitchup.com customers

  • 80%
    10
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    9
  • 7%
    8
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    1
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

This peaceful campground offers spacious, "choose your own" sites in a beautiful rural setting, a short walk to Elham village. Guests love the friendly owner, clean basic amenities, and free coffee/tea/fridge. Some found it pricey; facilities are basic but functional. The WW1 trench tour is a hit.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 9/29/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 11
Arrival date (latest first)

Absolutely stunning campsite. So peaceful…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Absolutely stunning campsite. So peaceful and well maintained. Richard is a really thoughtful host and couldn’t have been more helpful. There’s a little self-check-in cabin with a fridge, cups, kettle, tea and coffee, as well as lanterns to borrow if you need them. There are two mains-water toilets (not composting) and a simple but well-stocked shower. Everything is basic, but clean, cared for and exactly what you need for a proper camping experience.

We only stayed for one night and genuinely wished we could have stayed longer.

If you’re looking for luxury toilets and shower blocks, this probably isn’t the campsite for you. But if you want an authentic camping experience with peace and quiet, stunning countryside surroundings, and simple but very well looked-after amenities, then look no further.

An added bonus is the quite extraordinary reconstructed WWI trench system that Richard and his son have built. It's absolutely fascinating and definitely worth booking a tour while you're here.

Thank you Richard for a wonderful stay. We'll be back.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had a great weekend, testing…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Dionne P. 1 review

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked We had a great weekend, testing out our new tent. Perfect just what we needed, basic, beautiful view. Friendly host and always checking in on the site and people are ok. location was great lots of nearby places to visit. Typical bank holiday weather so we spent most of the saturday at the nearby railway museum and cafe for brunch. Sunday we went to Hythe for a stroll and the food festival. On the monday my husband and son both enjoyed the tour of the trenches and absolutely loved it while me and my daughter took a stroll to the nearby park and local shop.
We would most definitely recommend this site and look forward to returning next year. Great value for a simple site.

Disliked Canopy/shelter over the washing up facilities for bad weather.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site and well maintained. Clean & friendly with plenty of space

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Great self check-in campsite. Pick your own pitch. Was nice and close to the village, 10-15min walk. Basic facilities but provides washing up equipment and waste disposal area. Didn’t get to take advantage of the WW1 trench event. I’d use this site again.

Disliked This isn’t anything to do with the site itself.
There was a farm nearby that farms geese. These can be fairly noisy all day and night. Not sure if this is seasonal but pack earplugs if you are light sleeper.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very good campsite highly recommended and…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Very good campsite highly recommended and the trench experience was very good very realistic

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great little campsite, basic but everything…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 No rating
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Emma S. 1 review

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Great little campsite, basic but everything that’s needed

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great campsite Looked after well. Hut to…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Graham N. 1 review

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Great campsite
Looked after well. Hut to sign in on arival with fridge, electric to charge mobiles and a kettle for tea and coffee(also supplied) chap came round offering fire pits to hire too. Plenty of space too pictch

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic as always! Tranquil, beautiful, friendly.…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Fantastic as always! Tranquil, beautiful, friendly. All you need available including communal shower, toilets, fridge and device charging tower in the hut. Firepits available to hire for £15 including firewood and firelighters. The pitches are so far apart from eachother so you aren't packed in like sardines like other sites. View of horses to the right, sheep to the front left on the hill. Richards lovely, friendly dogs coming to say hello occasionally. We never want our "camping bubble" to burst when it's time to go home. Back next year for our summer tradition 😊

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything. Quiet, peaceful, clean. Beautiful area.…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Everything. Quiet, peaceful, clean. Beautiful area. We come every summer since 2021 and will definitely come again next year.

Disliked Having to leave.

Recommend to friends Visit again

ruimte. vriendelijke campingeigenaar…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked ruimte. vriendelijke campingeigenaar

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Perfect for tent campers! Richard is a lovely host

Disliked Leaving

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.
(within 6.2 mi)
Castle, Aquarium, Theme park, & Zoo (within 10 mi)

Food and drink

  • The Rose And Crown Pub 0.5 mi
  • The Kings Arms Pub 0.5 mi
  • China China Restaurant 1.7 mi
  • Coach and Horses Pub 1.8 mi
  • The George Inn Pub 2.2 mi
  • Rose and Crown Pub 2.6 mi
  • The Gatekeeper Inn Pub 2.6 mi
  • Black Horse Pub 3 mi
  • The Cat & Custard Pot Pub 3 mi
  • The Tiger Inn Pub 3.3 mi

Groceries

  • Lidl Supermarket 3.9 mi
  • Tesco Supermarket 4.5 mi
  • Sainsbury's Supermarket 4.9 mi
  • Morrisons Supermarket 5.4 mi
  • Sainsbury's Supermarket 5.7 mi
  • Waitrose Supermarket 5.7 mi
  • John Dory Wine Off-licence 5.8 mi
  • Aldi Supermarket 6 mi
  • Lidl Supermarket 6 mi
  • Asda Supermarket 6.1 mi

Parks and play

  • Court Lodge Green park 1.9 mi
  • Grebe Close Playground 3.7 mi
  • Winter Drive Play Area Playground 3.8 mi
  • Millfield Play Area Playground 3.8 mi
  • Frank and Betty's Field park 4.2 mi
  • Kidz Planet Playground 4.6 mi
  • Cheriton Recreation Ground park 4.7 mi
  • Morehall Recreation Ground park 4.9 mi
  • Brockhill Country Park 5.2 mi
  • Golden Valley Park 5.2 mi

Family days out

  • Hawthorne Trench WW1 reconstruction Visitor attraction 0.1 mi
  • Westenhanger Castle 4.9 mi
  • Saltwood Castle 4.9 mi
  • North Downs Way crossroads Visitor attraction 5.6 mi
  • Sandgate Castle 1539 5.9 mi
  • Sandgate Castle 5.9 mi
  • Sandgate Castle 1539 5.9 mi
  • Shepherdswell (EKMR) Visitor attraction 6.2 mi
  • Lympne Castle 6.5 mi
  • Port Lympne Reserve Zoo 6.7 mi
  • Dymchurch Redoubt Castle 7.7 mi
  • Howletts Wild Animal Park Zoo 8.3 mi
  • Canterbury Castle 8.6 mi
  • Citadel Battery Castle 8.7 mi
  • Chilham Castle 8.7 mi

Public transport

  • Old Road 0.4 mi
  • Collards Lane 0.4 mi
  • The Rose and Crown 0.5 mi
  • War Memorial 0.6 mi
  • Bereforstal Farm 0.7 mi
  • Ottinge Crossroads 0.9 mi
  • Parsonage Farm 0.9 mi
  • Bus Shelter 1.2 mi
  • Worldswonder Farm 1.4 mi
  • Sibton Park 1.4 mi

Beaches

  • Seabrook Beach 5.7 mi
  • Sandgate Beach 5.8 mi
  • Seabrook Beach 5.8 mi
  • Sandgate Beach 6 mi

Other nearby

  • Etchinghill Golf Club Golf course 2.3 mi
  • Valley Course Golf course 2.4 mi
  • Leas Course Golf course 2.4 mi
  • Par 3 Course Golf course 2.4 mi
  • Roundwood Hall Golf Club Golf course 2.6 mi
  • The Lakes at Beachborough Fishing 3.8 mi
  • Broome Park Golf Club Golf course 4.3 mi
  • Costcutter / Bargain Booze General shop 4.9 mi
  • Saltwood General Stores General shop 5.1 mi
  • Sene Valley Golf Club Golf course 5.2 mi

Local services

  • The Surgery Doctors 0.4 mi
  • Lyminge Surgery Doctors 1.7 mi
  • Lyminge Pharmacy 1.8 mi
  • New Lyminge Surgery Doctors 2 mi
  • Six Mile Garage Fuel station 2.1 mi
  • Hawkinge Fuel Express Fuel station 3.8 mi
  • Hawkinge Pharmacy 3.8 mi
  • Euroscan Charging Point Charging station 3.9 mi
  • Eurotunnel - Public charging station 4 mi
  • Folkestone - Eurotunnel Terminal Supercharger Charging station 4 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

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