Hawthorne Trench Campsite

View prices & book 9.6 72 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.

Site type

Tent pitches 12
Open now
Opens 3 July
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No hen/stag 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, 03 Jul to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating from 72 Pitchup.com customers

  • 77%
    10
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    8
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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 site to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

Lovely, spacious site with great views – ideal for a no-frills getaway. Richard's a gem, lots of space for kids. Basic but clean ablutions. Trench tour a hit. Many keen to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 2026/06/30

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 8
Arrival date (latest first)

You buy the space by accepting very simple but functional facilities

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
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Holger D. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked Remotely, endless space, friendly host, simple formalities, no reception- just sign in the book and choose your pitch, much space between pitches

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lots of space. Excellent views. Friendly, helpful owner Good…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Gordon C. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked Lots of space.
Excellent views.
Friendly, helpful owner
Good proximity to village

Recommend to friends Visit again

Back to basics camping with room to breathe

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Kaz S. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked Great campsite not overcrowded really clean and what camping is all about

Recommend to friends Visit again

Incredible site.…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 4
Wifi
 1
 Jonathan V. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked Incredible site.

Disliked Sanitary on the edge... But clean.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Location was perfect, the pitch was…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Sammy B. 2 reviews

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked Location was perfect, the pitch was perfect, the views were beautiful and the surrounding nature and walks were just great. The owners sister was friendly and helpful. Loved having their dogs on site and waking up to the horses. The shower area was slightly small if youre on the larger size like myself lol but overall the shower was fine nice and hot! Washing up area basic but you dont need much more. Fire pit is good if you dont already have youre own. We had a great stay and will return.

Recommend to friends Visit again

One of my favourite places to camp.

Overall

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

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked The large open space meant you can be far away from everyone. Therefore it was very quiet. Although the geese at a near by farm were heard throughout the night

Disliked Wasn't a lot of lighting around the facilities. The shower was lit, but where you got changed wasn't.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site with clean facilities

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Jodie C. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

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
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

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
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
 Emma S. 1 review

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

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

Everything, it is so peaceful. We…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 Marjorie R. 6 reviews

Non-electric grass and earth tent pitch

Liked Everything, it is so peaceful. We go every year since 2021 and will definitely return next summer.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs 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 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

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 No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

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

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Small (11-25 pitches)

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

Coach
8,6 km Swan Lane
8,6 km Swan Lane
8,7 km Holiday Extras
Rail
7,3 km Sandling Rail Station
7,7 km Westenhanger Rail Station
8,5 km Folkestone West Rail Station
Ferry
6,4 km Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal
15,6 km Dover Western Docks Ferry Terminal
16,2 km Dover Eastern Docks Ferry Terminal
Airport
24,9 km Lydd London Ashford Airport
28,1 km 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 9,2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Hythe 9,8 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Folkestone 10,1 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Dymchurch 15,9 km Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
St Mary'S Bay (Kent) 17,8 km Sea GoodN/AGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway 9,2 km

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park 10,8 km

Howletts Wild Animal Park 13,2 km

St Augustine's Abbey 13,9 km

Canterbury Tales 14 km

National Trust

The White Cliffs of Dover 16,9 km

South Foreland Lighthouse 19 km

Smallhythe Place 30,8 km

Lamb House 34,1 km

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 37 km

Cycle routes

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

Other

Cheriton Hill 6,3 km

BROOME PARK 6,8 km

SANDLING PARK 8 km

Hythe - Lympne - Royal Military Canal - Hythe 9,1 km

HATCH PARK 11 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.

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?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Hawthorne Trench Campsite? From R434,78 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.