Hawthorne Trench Campsite

View prices & book 9.6 100 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 June 27
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • 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.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jun 27 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating from 100 Pitchup.com customers

  • 80%
    10
  • 5%
    9
  • 14%
    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

99% would stay here again

What customers say

This peaceful campsite boasts incredibly spacious, well-kept sites in beautiful surroundings, perfect for a nature escape. Guests rave about the friendly, helpful owner, Richard, and the clean, basic facilities (shower, fridge). Nearby village pubs and scenic walks are highlights. The informative WWI trench tour is highly recommended. Ideal for those seeking quiet and ample space.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 10
Arrival date (latest first)

Great site with clean 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
 No rating
Jodie C.

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Very hospitable, the grounds were neatly cut to show pitches available, the facilities of 2 toilets and a shower were clean and kept clean on a regular basis. We stayed for 2 nights and it was very reasonably priced. There were horses and sheep in the neighbouring field

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice place, quiet, the owners are very nice and helpful, we back

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
 1
Anonymous

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Very nice place, quiet, the owners are very nice and helpful, we will definitely come back there

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with added bonuses!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Emma S.

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Everything! The calm and peacefulness. I loved how even when the site is fully booked there is soooo much space still. The pitches are really spread out wide. The kids could run and run in the open space with no worries about cars or danger. Richard is a fabulous host. He provides tea, coffee, a plug to charge your devices, hot shower, and a fridge, all included in the price. At an additional cost we hired a fire pit which was £15 for our entire stay, included enough firewood for a couple of nights and also firelighters. Also at an additional cost of only £10, Richard and family do a fantastic tour of the replica ww1 trench. Both my partner and uncle did the tour and said it was brilliant! And was just under 2 hours long. For the price you pay to stay and any additional extras, it is a fantastic campsite. We all loved it! We will definitely be back next year!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Spacious, quiet and very much back…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Spacious, quiet and very much back to basics.

Recommend to friends Visit again

beautiful setting, fantastic and warm welcome…

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
Justine J.

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked beautiful setting, fantastic and warm welcome - so accommodating

Disliked Nothing - it was lovely

Recommend to friends Visit again

Had a wonderful stay here Beautiful…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Had a wonderful stay here
Beautiful area and the host was such a lovely man will definitely stay again

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent campsite. Huge pitches with beautiful…

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
Helen V.

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Excellent campsite. Huge pitches with beautiful scenery. Toilets, showers and tea/coffee hut are great along with socket to charge phone. We also did the WW1 trench tour with owner Richard who was amazing and very knowledgeable. Can't wait to stay again!

Recommend to friends Visit again

We would definitely stay again.

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Scenery, Peacefulness. Relaxed environment and choice of pitch. Not crammed in with others.The farmer (despite being a very busy man) popped round often to make sure everything was ok.

Disliked Porta loos and shower.
They are very clean and sufficient just not in keeping with the beautiful site.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very spacious, very nice views and…

Overall

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

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Very spacious, very nice views and a very nice owner who welcomed us on the campsite. There is 1 hot shower and 2 toilets, and a little sink to to the dishes. Also: there is a fridge you can use, and a kettle to make tea / coffee!
The trenches are right there on the edge of the field and pretty cool to check out as well. We stayed here just one night on our way to the tunnel, which is only 15 - 20 minutes away by car. Recommended!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Welcoming, big pitch, view…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass and earth tent campsite

Liked Welcoming, big pitch, view

Disliked Noise by other campers

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.