Hill Farm Camping

View prices & book 10 45 reviews
Wide pitches with lovely views (added by manager 03 Jul 2024)
New
Meet the animals
Campsite views
Around the site

  • Well-equipped Essex farm site with excellent accessible facilities
  • A 25-minute drive to Audley End; Colchester Zoo 40 minutes
  • Archery, frisbee golf and trailer rides on site, plus animals to meet
Getting around a campsite can sometimes be tricky for guests with restricted mobility – but not so at Hill Farm Camping in the Essex countryside, a mile from the village of Great Bardfield. The team at this 18-acre site have made every effort to make sure their place is fully accessible to all guests, with wheelchair-friendly paths all around and facilities including disabled toilets, a mobility wet room with shower, an electric height-adjustable changing table and a power outlet for a personal hoist. Other handy facilities include a playground, picnic tables, a shared fridge and freezer and a wifi service. This friendly and welcoming place isn’t just a campsite – it’s also an activity centre, where guests can have a go at frisbee golf and archery, play a round on the 9-hole pitch-and-putt, take a walk around the wildlife lake or hire bikes to see some of the surroundings. Exploring isn’t off limits for less-mobile guests either, as there are rides available on specially designed trailers that are wheelchair friendly and also great for kids. And of course this is a farm, so there are animals to meet – including some you might not expect to find in Essex. Chickens, sheep, goats and horses live here alongside alpacas, emus and kangaroos. They’re a friendly bunch, and everything has been designed so that everyone can get up close and meet them. When you're not busy with the activities here, you may like to get a campfire going, wander up to the village for a drink in one of the pubs, or head out for day trips to places like Audley End or Colchester Zoo.

Site type

Tent pitches 15
Touring caravan pitches 4
Motorhome pitches 4
Rent a tent 3
Open now
Opens 1 May
Please note
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Wed, 01 May to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

100%

would recommend this site to a friend

100%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Wonderful relaxing site

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
Jane W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked: Alan was very welcoming and friendly, the site views were beautiful and the animals were gorgeous. You won’t be disappointed

Recommend to friends Visit again

Alan is very friendly and welcomed us warmly. His hospitality and openess…

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
Wojciech U. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked: Alan is very friendly and welcomed us warmly. His hospitality and openess really made our stay memorable. We stayed on top of the hill with beautiful view and open space. The animals walk around the field, lots of activities and is fun not only for kids but adult too! Toilets and farm itself if very clean with everything you might need. Alan also allowed us to borrow his quad bike and we were allowed to go for a trip around the farm. Thank you, we will be back :)

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Attractive site with a lovely view and lots of space, good facilities,…

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
Richard C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Attractive site with a lovely view and lots of space, good facilities, nice people and nice animals. Easy walking distance to village with pubs and a shop.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Outstanding in every way.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Jake R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Everything. We were greeted by Alan who extremely welcoming. His hospitality really did make the stay something like nothing we've experienced before and the family friendliness really did make such a difference when compared to other places we have stayed. The Farm is in a beautiful & peaceful location with plenty of space around. It has a beautiful river located at the bottom of the field and the area is filled with wildlife. It has immaculate Shower & toilet facilities, washing up area and fridge freezer. The grounds are beautifully maintained with a natural pond that at the edge of the field. Our children, Aged 2 & 5 had an amazing time, with so much thought in to making this a family friendly retreat, from the Play area & sand pit, to Zip-line & outdoor activities, not fogetting the friendly animals that meet and greet you. The farm is a short walk tp the local village, with local shops, butchers and pub & just a 10 minute drive to Finchingfield where you can enjoy more of the areas beauty. Hill Top Farm really is a beautiful and family friendly spot and the hospitality of the owners really did add to our already perfect stay.

Disliked: Nothing to dislike.

Recommend to friends Visit again

One of the best sites we have visited so far. Alan and…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked: One of the best sites we have visited so far. Alan and Ruth made us feel so welcome and couldn’t do enough for us. My little boy made use of the games and slide/swing/sandpit set. My husband and I braved the zipline which was great fun! Alan gave us a tour of the site on the trailer. Lovely stream at the bottom of the site and also a wildlife pond. Pitched with a great view of the sun setting. We all enjoyed the animals- sally the dog, cats, chickens, wallabies, alpacas and Emi the Emu. We will definately be returning!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing and friendly staff , clean facilities, beautiful views

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Lucy M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked: I can’t fault Ruth and Alan one bit they go above and beyond for every single guest ,the camp site and toilets are always clean and tidy , honestly I don’t think now I’ve found this campsite that we will go anywhere else we absolutely love it there , Ruth and Alan are such amazing hosts who make you feel right at home we can’t wait to book for next summer

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely quiet campsite, great views. Lots of games for the kids to…

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Lovely quiet campsite, great views. Lots of games for the kids to play. Lovely friendly animals. Alan and Ruth were great managers of the site.

Disliked: Only downside was the wind as it’s an exposed site on a hill.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site and great staff will definitely be staying here 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
Carl S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Electric hardstanding and grass touring pitch

Liked: Alan and Ruth were great, very friendly and great with the kids. Great site loved having the animals roam about was great for the kids to get up close to them . Amenities were always clean and good standard. Activities were plentiful and kept the kids entertained.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The site is spacious and very well kept, room to spread out…

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
Anna P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The site is spacious and very well kept, room to spread out and certainly not overcrowded. The loos and washing facilities are immaculate, there’s outdoor games and things for the younger children to play. The farm has animals which we liked a lot, all very friendly and a lovely addition to camp life. Rides on the quad trailer around the land were very well received by the children, in fact it was certainly a highlight for them. We had a lovely stay and would recommend.

Disliked: Nothing to dislike, it is exactly as described on pitch up and was just what we wanted.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic family site

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: As a mum travelling with her daughter for her first camping trip I was blown away by the safety of the site, the friendliness of the owners and how much there was for her to do. The facilities were modern and clean, hot water was never short and there were plenty of drinking water outlets. The site is large so there was no overcrowding and a breathtaking view - especially with the sunset! Only given 1 star for WiFi as we were having a digital free break so didn't look into WiFi options.

Disliked: Nothing at all!

Recommend to friends Visit again


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

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit 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 Tents for hire Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent pitches

Themes

Peaceful Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Communal freezer Communal fridge Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Shop nearby

Type

Small (11-25 pitches)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at pitch Bathroom: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 30 inches/75cm) Dedicated quiet space Disabled facilities Level site, no steep slopes Pitch close to accessible bathrooms Step-free or level access Well-lit path

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Tourer storage facilities

Location

Hill Farm Camping

Mill Road

Great Bardfield

Braintree

Essex

England

CM7 4QQ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.94878°N
0.45766°W

Nearest transport

Coach
11.4 km Tesco Store
14.9 km Coach Station
14.9 km Coach Station
Rail
10.6 km Braintree Rail Station
11.7 km Braintree Freeport Rail Station
13.6 km Cressing Rail Station
Ferry
42.1 km Point Clear Ferry Landing
42.1 km Brightlingsea Ferry Landing
43.1 km Wallasea Island Ferry Landing
Airport
15 km London Stansted Airport
34.9 km Cambridge Airport
45.5 km London Southend 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

Attractions and activities nearby include: - Little Monsters House of Fun: 15 minutes' drive - Great Notley Country Park: 15 minutes - Saffron Walden (for the museum and Bridge End Garden): 25 minutes - Audley End House and Gardens (with miniature railway and fairy walk): 25 minutes - Mountfitchet Castle & Norman Village: 25 minutes - Gainsborough's House: half an hour - National Trust - Melford Hall: 35 minutes - East Anglian Railway Museum: 35 minutes - Colchester Zoo: 40 minutes - IWM Duxford (air museum): 45 minutes.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
West Mersea 38 km Sea N/A Good N/A N/A
Brightlingsea 41.1 km Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Leigh Bell Wharf 47.5 km Estuary Good N/A Poor N/A
Southend Chalkwell 48.1 km Estuary N/A Good N/A Good

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Audley End House and Gardens 18.1 km

East Anglian Railway Museum 20.6 km

Colchester Zoo 27.6 km

Imperial War Museum Duxford 27.8 km

Colchester Castle Museum 31.1 km

National Trust

Paycocke's 17.6 km

Coggeshall Grange Barn 18.1 km

Melford Hall 23.4 km

Lavenham Guildhall 29.2 km

Bourne Mill 32.1 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Finchingfield - Howe Woods - Little London - Howe Street 2.2 km

SPAINS HALL 3.2 km

SALING HALL 4.9 km

SALING GROVE 5.6 km

Thaxted - Great Easton - Tilty - River Chelmer - Thaxted 7.7 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 Essex?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Hill Farm Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Hill Farm Camping dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Hill Farm Camping? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Little Monsters House of Fun: 15 minutes' drive - Great Notley Country Park: 15 minutes - Saffron Walden (for the museum and Bridge End Garden): 25 … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Hill Farm Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  noon –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hill Farm Camping? From R928.87 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.