Woodsman Kent Wild Camping

View prices & book 9.8 72 reviews
Forest floor in bloom (added by manager 20 Sep 2022)
Forest floor in bloom
Visitor image of tent pitch
Bluebell woods
All set!
Bluebells in the woods
Spacious woodland for wild camping
Towering trees in the woods
The woodland
1/206
Favourite
Visitor image of tent pitch
Bluebell woods
All set!

  • Stays for over-16s in 200 acres of ancient Kent woodland
  • A 20-minute drive to Ashford train station; five minutes from Pluckley
  • Campfires welcome and firewood sold on site
This Kent site is well named, for Woodsman Kent Wild Camping is indeed wild and surrounded by woods… 200 acres of ancient woodland in fact. This is a good place to head for if you're escaping from London, as it takes about 40 minutes to get to the site from St Pancras via the nearest Kent station at Ashford nine miles away; from there, take the train to Pluckley and it's about 40 minutes' hike to the site (or drive down from London in about an hour and a half). And it's all very simple on site too: this is proper wild-style camping with only minimal amenities – essentially it's just you, your tent (or tarp, or bivvy) and the forest floor (although there is a compost loo available). Water can be bought for an extra charge. Woodsman is on 200 acres of ancient oak, ash, birch, poplar, hazel, hawthorn and hornbeam forest. Wood for small cooking fires is sold on site – but please do keep fires small (no large heating fires) and please do not forage for wood from the forest floor, as this disturbs the ecosystem. The site asks that all guests respect the countryside code during their stay, operating on the main principle of leaving no trace (for ecological reasons, no foraging from the woodland, please).

Site type

Tent pitches 7
Rent a tent 1
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Guests under the age of 16 are not allowed on site.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • There are no garbage cans onsite: all garbage will need to be taken home with you.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

9.8

Overall rating based on 72 reviews View breakdown

Wild camping

Voted 93% of visitors View breakdown

100%

would recommend this site to a friend

99%

would stay here again

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    8
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Great site for those who are happy to (almost) camp in the wild.

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Quiet small site Friendly and welcoming owner Campfires allowed Simple site without complications

Disliked: Not the easiest to find

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice site, clean, good facilities and friendly staff

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 4
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Felt secluded Nice campsites Super nice guy who runs it, opened the gates early for us.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing woodland site Really enjoyed my stay at the site, pitch was great…

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Amazing woodland site Really enjoyed my stay at the site, pitch was great and the site was peaceful and quiet. Owner was great and explained what wildlife lived in and around the woods. The composting toilet was really good and was very clean. I will 100% be back to stay here again!

Recommend to friends Visit again

A lovely woodland site, a real get away from it all

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Being in the middle of beautiful woods, back to nature, simplicity.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We liked being in the middle of the forest ,nice quiet .perfect…

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: We liked being in the middle of the forest ,nice quiet .perfect place to decompress from a busy work life .Will be back soon again . Really loved it my wife now has the camping bug and can't wait to go again

Disliked: None at all

Recommend to friends Visit again

For a real camping experience

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Ali H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Loved it, wild camping in Kent woodland. It was like camping should be, in a beautiful natural woodland setting that felt private. There was a nice pub about a 15 min walk away.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Woodland camping at its best

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Isolated pitch in woodland clearing. Compost toilet, water butt and campfire wood - what more do you actually need.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant wild camping

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 6
Wifi 2
Alistair E. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Amazing wild camping in a great private wood that looks after nature. A compost toilet, firewood is supplied and all that’s needed to forget your worries and immerse yourself in camping in a forest. A knowledgeable and friendly host

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful peace and quiet. Handy compost toilet. Michael was very helpful and…

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Wonderful peace and quiet. Handy compost toilet. Michael was very helpful and friendly. Pitch was very level for the vans. No Wi-Fi or phone reception so a good retreat

Recommend to friends Visit again

Quiet and immersed in nature

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

Non-electric forest floor tent or campervan pitch

Liked: Tent pitches immersed in the trees. Quiet and serene. Beautiful bird song to wake up to.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs allowed

Adults only

Campfires allowed

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 Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

Adults only Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Location

Woodsman Kent Wild Camping

Pluckley

Egerton

Ashford

Kent

England

TN27

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

51.17224°N
0.72135°W

Nearest transport

Coach
11.1 km Park Street
14.2 km Tesco Crooksfoot
14.2 km Tesco Crooksfoot
Rail
2.5 km Pluckley Rail Station
6.3 km Charing (Kent) Rail Station
6.6 km Headcorn Rail Station
Ferry
29 km Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal
39.1 km Gravesend Pier
39.7 km Tilbury Ferry Terminal
Airport
28.5 km Lydd London Ashford Airport
44.2 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

You may well wish to spend much of your time contentedly wandering through the woodland or finding a serene spot to sit and read… but if you're up for exploring a bit more, there's quite a bit to do close by. Access the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from the ancient village of Westwell (10 minutes' drive) at Westwell Downs (where locals of yore erected beacons to signal the approach of the Spanish Armada). From the Downs, you can also stride along some of the nearby 119-mile Pilgrims Way, the route taken by the devout from Winchester to Canterbury and the shrine of Thomas Becket at the city cathedral. Heading towards the coast, it's a 40-minute drive from Woodsman to Whitstable, home of sandy and shingle beaches, an 18th-century castle, waters popular for yachting and waterskiing, and the tasty samples of the Whitstable Oyster Festival. Other Kent highlights are within easy day trip distance: try Leeds Castle (25 minutes), Port Lympne Reserve (30 minutes), Dover Castle (40 minutes) and more beaches at Folkestone and Rye (35 and 40 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Dymchurch 25.3 km Sea N/A Good Good Good
St Mary'S Bay (Kent) 25.6 km Sea Good N/A Good Good
Camber 27.1 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Good
Littlestone 27.7 km Sea N/A Good Good Good
Hythe 27.8 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Leeds Castle 10.6 km

Ashford Designer Outlet 11.2 km

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 11.6 km

Kent & East Sussex Railway 11.7 km

Great Dixter House and Gardens 21.3 km

National Trust

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 12.5 km

Stoneacre 13.4 km

Smallhythe Place 14.9 km

Sprivers Garden 21.5 km

Bodiam Castle 22.7 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

CHILSTON PARK 5.3 km

GODINTON PARK 8.2 km

LEEDS CASTLE 10.6 km

SISSINGHURST CASTLE 11.7 km

Hollingbourne 11.8 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 Kent?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Woodsman Kent Wild Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Woodsman Kent Wild Camping dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Woodsman Kent Wild Camping? You may well wish to spend much of your time contentedly wandering through the woodland or finding a serene spot to sit and read… but if you're up for exploring a bit … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Woodsman Kent Wild Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  noon –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Woodsman Kent Wild Camping? From R930.82 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.