Aldersroot

Liked: Private pitches and relaxing atmosphere. Host was nice and made us feel welcome.

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Liked: A beautiful piece of land which has clearly had lots of love and care put into it. Mark, the owner was kind, knowledgeable and inspiring with his work restoring the site through permaculture. It was filled with thoughtful touches and evidence of craftsmanship, like the sauna and cabin on the lake. The pitch for our campervan was spacious and felt private from others

There are lots of things to do nearby too, would particularly recommend ethos brothers cafe and the mind-blowing 'secret nuclear bunker' attraction

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Liked: The lake was beautiful! The whole place was very peaceful and made for a relaxing break. I was actually travelling for work but feel like I’ve had a holiday as well.

Mark, the owner is very friendly and welcoming and he has clearly put a lot of love into designing Aldersroot.

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Liked: Absolutely loved everything! Will be come a regular!

Disliked: Nothing!

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Liked: We loved our stay at Aldersroot. It is a haven for folks like ourselves who wish to learn more about Permaculture and live a more sustainable lifestyle whilst enjoying the simple pleasures of birdsong and sheep grazing around your tent. Facilities are basic and made from recycled materials wherever possible. Do not expect a neat and tidy ‘seaside resort type site’. Camp between the trees and bracken, be woken up by a song thrush and watch out for animal burrows. You are a visitor in their home. As a mature Botanist I was impressed by the owner’s understanding of how to create an environment that promotes biodiversity and a legacy for future generations.

Disliked: We liked everything about the site. Be aware that you may need to carry your kit/water to the camping pitches, although help was at hand. Facilities are basic but clean.

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Liked: Nice spot with good local produce and friendly owner. Very good off grid camp site with some luxury options. Love the sauna.

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Liked: Absolutely loved staying at Aldersroot. Very close to London and still has an incredibly secluded feeling. Great variety of woods/lake rather than the usual golf lawn style campsite. This is an ideal place to just chill out, cook, have a fire and watch nature - we made friends with the sheep/alpacas while there as well.

Chris was hosting and made sure we had everything we needed during our stay, we'll definitely be back.

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Liked: Almost wild camping. Beautiful surroundings, running water and compost toilet and apparently there will soon be a sauna you could book! Folks who run it were super friendly and chilled and seeing the lama and sheep added to the fun! A 5-15 min drive to some pubs and a good farm shop.

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Liked: Really easy to get to from London via public transport but don’t follow Google maps as it suggested a bus that didn’t exist! The owner can advise on this. Really beautiful space with lots of secluded spots and some very friendly lambs. The staff were really welcoming and I’d go back again!

Disliked: The road nearby meant it wasn’t completely silent but this didn’t bother me.

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Liked: Mark the host was great, he's done loads of camping himself and he made sure I was set up as soon as I got there then just left me to it.
The location is great, just outside the M25 in ancient farming and woodland. There is a nice pub and shop in the village which you can walk to easily though the fields.
Kelvedon Hatch bunker is just a few steps away, I didn't go to it this time but it really couldn't be nearer if you plan on seeing it.
I had an espresso pot which I left behind, Mark contacted me and he arranged for me to easily pick it up (I live pretty nearby) so that was great.
Plenty of space to set up a tent and a tarp.
The bus stops right at the properties entrance (the stop sign is smashed up but you can see it, and they stopped for me - buses every hour into Brentwood) so a great stop over when backpacking!
The alpacas and sheep are cute!
The giant radio tower in the village is creepy!
Lots of nature and a very quiet site!

Disliked: more an FYI - I got lost walking for a bit and got to the village shop just after six pm and it looked long shut, so make sure you have all you need before then.
Also, if you look at maps of public rights of way there is supposed to be a footpath adjacent to the copse to the north, leading to a public bridleway into the village. It seems this all got fenced off to control deer. This deer proof fencing sounds like it restricts access but I didnt double check. However the footpath Mark pointed out, through the fields along the road was a very simple, pleasant walk, and doesn't sound like it has any issues with right of way / is well worn & doesn't intrude into crops etc (all but the roadside edge of these fields has the deer proof fencing on its eastern boundaries so its the only viable walk to the village afaik)
Oh, there is no signage on the road for the farm - there really should be something to identify it from the road outside, so you know you've arrived?

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