The Wild Retreat

View prices & book 9.1 14 reviews
Bell tents
New
The on-site lake
Taking a yoga class from the stage
Yoga class at the woodland stage

  • Well-kept and family-friendly Hertfordshire site on the River Stort
  • London Stanstead Airport 20 minutes’ drive; Lea Valley Park 25 minutes
  • On-site archery lessons, inflatable assault course and dog walks
Overlooking the calm waters of the River Stort in Hertfordshire, The Wild Retreat is a well‑kept, family‑friendly hideaway with more than its fair share of shaded woodland trails – ideal for exercising your four-legged pals – and paddleboarding expeditions along the river. And the ‘get back to nature’ vibe doesn’t end there, as you also have the option of wild swimming in the lake or the inflatable assault course… And always remember to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife whichever adventure you choose. When you’re ready for further action, choose from guided yoga sessions on the lake or at the woodland stage, join in archery lessons and play classic children’s games. Music lover? There are occasional festivals and weekend concerts during the summer months too. The camping field is neatly mown and sheltered by trees; picnic tables are scattered around the pitches so you can eat alfresco in comfort – spark up a barbecue or bring in a takeaway from Sawbridgeworth (10 minutes’ drive). Modern facilities – including a toilet block and heated outdoor showers – make staying this close to nature effortless for one and all, and thanks to quick links to London (40 minutes by train from Sawbridgeworth) and London Stansted Airport (20 minutes’ drive), this spot makes a handy overnight stopover as part of your longer journey.

Site type

Tent pitches 20
Motorhome pitches 3
Rent a tent 13
Open now
Opens 13 June
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Guests must bring their own duvets, pillows, sheets and towels when staying in rental accommodation. You will not be allowed to stay if you do not bring these items.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 13 Jun to

Pitch types & availability

Other pitch types

Reviews

  • 50%
    10
  • 35%
    9
  • 7%
    8
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    5
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    1
Location
9
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
9

93% would recommend this site to a friend

86% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 2
Arrival date (latest first)

Luxury prices but budget facilities

Overall 5/10

Location
5
Value for money
2
Accommodation
1
Facilities / Activities
4
Customer service
4
Child friendliness
5
Cleanliness
1
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Electric optional grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked The lake was great for the kids.

Disliked Only 2 women's toilets working for the whole site and 1 handwashing sink with no hot water or soap.
1 open air washing up station with no hot water.
Outdoor showers were a nice idea but no locks on doors. Also hot water ran out after a minute.
Extra charges like £5 a night for a firepit and £10a night for a dog felt a bit steep.
Lots of the electric hook ups didn't work.
Visitors were told to put dogs on leads while live in workers didn't appear to follow this rule. 1 had a very reactive dog.
Taking rubbish home wouldn't be too much of a problem if the camping field wasn't crawling with ants. By the end of our stay, so was our van.

Love this place. So booked again for 2 weeks time

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
samantha m.

Electric optional grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Wild swimming
Chill out areas
Hammocks everywhere!!
Lively people

Loved the lake and the chill out area…

Overall 8/10

Location
6
Value for money
5
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
Val G.

Electric optional grass and earth motorhome pitch

Liked Loved the lake and the chill out area

Disliked £10 charge for our tiny dog

We'll definitely go back again!

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Annalisa m.

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The private lake, the clean facilities, the open showers, the zen Moroccan tent area, the hammocks, and the quirky seating scattered around, everything was perfect. The vibe and atmosphere were amazing, especially the DJ at night and the fire show. All the members of staff were lovely!

Disliked One thing I didn’t love was having to take your rubbish with you. I completely understand it, it fits with the camping philosophy, but it could be inconvenient for people who are continuing their travels afterward.

Great experience. Loved it! Water is perfect for swimming

Overall 10/10

Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Ionut M.

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The lake is excellent for swimming, staff very friendly and accomodating. Great surroundings.

Liked…

Overall 9/10

Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
7
Boguslaw B.

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Liked

Friendly staff and very nice setting. Additional activities❤️

Overall 10/10

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

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely staff, place and atmposphere. We were delighted with this place- first time camping with our 6y son! Great experience!

Disliked N/a

Loved the site and will return!

Overall 9/10

Location
8
Value for money
10
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
8
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lived the lake location location and festival vibe. Nice mini bar and and lovely tippe tent near the lake to provide shade. Also next to the woods.
Nice showers

Disliked Long walk to the toilets, and no bins provided. You also had to take your rubbish with you😪

perfect little gem , close to London yet feels so relaxing and remote

Overall 9/10

Location
9
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
No rating
kaska k.

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lake, chill zone, relaxed atmosphere, great music

It was amazing to have the swimming lake so nearby. The staff…

Overall 10/10

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

Non-electric grass and earth tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked It was amazing to have the swimming lake so nearby. The staff were lovely and the kids really enjoyed the activities that were put on, like the disco. The showers were excellent.

Disliked Nothing.


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent pitches

Themes

Forest Peaceful Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No hot water Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Fishing nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Water hook-up points for tourers

Location

The Wild Retreat

Redricks Lane

Redricks Lakes

Sawbridgeworth

Hertfordshire

England

CM21 0RL

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.79183°N
0.11707°E

Nearest transport

Coach
2.8 km Bus Station
9 km Interchange
12.3 km South Road
Rail
1.1 km Harlow Mill Rail Station
1.9 km Harlow Town Rail Station
3.9 km Sawbridgeworth Rail Station
Ferry
32.7 km East India Pier
32.9 km Woolwich Ferry North Pier
33.1 km North Greenwich Pier
Airport
14.8 km London Stansted Airport
32.3 km London City Airport
35.4 km London Luton 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

Local attractions and activities include: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - The Gibberd Garden (sculpture trail and follies): 10 minutes - TeamSport Go Karting Harlow: 10 minutes - Henry Moore Studios & Gardens: 20 minutes - Lea Valley Park (riverside walks): 25 minutes - Audley End Miniature Railway: 40 minutes - London: 40 minutes by train - Cambridge: 45 minutes’ drive.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Leigh Bell Wharf 46.4 km Estuary GoodN/APoorN/A
Southend Chalkwell 47.6 km Estuary N/AGoodN/AGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lee Valley Regional Park 14.1 km

Hatfield House 22.7 km

Knebworth House 24.5 km

Audley End House and Gardens 26.4 km

Discover 29.2 km

National Trust

Shaw's Corner 26.9 km

Eastbury Manor House 28.7 km

Sutton House 29.5 km

Rainham Hall 30.9 km

2 Willow Road 32.8 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

PISHIOBURY 2.2 km

THE HOUSE, MARSH LANE 2.4 km

STANSTEAD BURY 5.8 km

DOWN HALL 6 km

RYE MEADS (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 19/12/2001) 7.7 km

Local events

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

    London, England 30.8 km

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 sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Hertfordshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Wild Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Wild Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Wild Retreat? Local attractions and activities include: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - The Gibberd Garden (sculpture trail and follies): 10 minutes - TeamSport Go Karting Harlow: 10 minutes - Henry Moore Studios … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Wild Retreat?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Wild Retreat? From R834,61 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.