Camping in Dedham Vale AONB

Discover English countryside at its most Romantic in Dedham Vale AONB, a 90-square-kilometre (35-square-mile) haven of waterways, working farms, and dense woodland.

97% (660 reviews)

United Kingdom
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England
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Dedham Vale AONB

97% (660 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Dedham Vale AONB

Community favorites in and near Dedham Vale AONB

Available this weekend

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Knowler Farm Wild Camping

15 units · Motorhomes, Tents10 acres · England

We are a family friendly site and have something for everyone! Offering Wild Camping and bespoke and unique Glamping stays! On site Cafe, serving hot and cold food, fresh coffee and delicious homemade cakes. open 7 days a week! Friendly Farm animals including miniture shetland ponies who you can book to spend time with and even take for a walk! Our very own Double Decker bus, hosting bookable weekend toddlers play and craft workshops. On-site Gym- fully kitted out with all the equiptment required for a full holiday workout! Classes and Personal training sessions also available! Bush-Craft, Archery and Forrest School weekend workshops including Den building, woodland crafts and more, delivered by our qualified and friendly staff. Friday night Wood-fired Pizza (available to Pre-Order) Throughout the Summer, we host a variety of events such as Family Festivals, Wellness and Well-being retreats, gig nights and workshops. Check out our socails to see what's coming up next!

96%

(12)

Frittenden Orchard

40 units · Motorhomes, Tents12 acres · Cranbrook, England

Frittenden Orchard offers a unique camping experience nestled among fruit trees on a Kent farm near Staplehurst. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect: Accommodation: Grass pitches for tents, touring caravans, and motorhomes are available within the orchards. Off-grid camping provides a back-to-nature experience. Wildlife and Nature: Guests can explore the 11-acre woodland wildlife haven surrounding the camping fields, offering opportunities to spot foxes, badgers, and deer. Activities: Start your day with morning tai chi classes, suitable for beginners. Diane your host can suggest local walks and sightseeing activities. Food: Free-range eggs from the farm's hens and freshly picked strawberries are available. Guests can also bring grills for barbecues or visit the nearby village pub for meals. Facilities: While there's no electricity on-site, amenities include wifi, ice-pack freezing, and charging facilities for devices. Local Area: Frittenden village, just five minutes' drive away, Sisinghurst village ha offers a convenient store for locally sourced produce. Additionally the local pub is within walking distance with locally sourced ingredients. Sisinghurst castle - walking distance or 5 mins drive Restrictions and Regulations: The site does not have shower facilities. Certain dog breeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act are not accepted

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Cosy Camping Suffolk

25 units · Glamping, Tents4 acres · Bucklesham, England

Glamping in the Suffolk countryside, not far from seaside Felixstowe

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(83)

The Secret Campsite

21 units · Glamping, Tents8 acres · Lewes, East Sussex, South East England

A not so secret campsite in East Sussex with camping and glamping – and campfires encouraged

Weston Caravan and Campsite

31 units · Motorhomes, Tents2 acres · England

A small family run site in Weston-on-the Green village located with a local pub 5 minutes walk away and on site cafe. The site also has newly refurbished toilet and shower facilities. Amazing location to access Oxford city and easy access to M40 (Junction 9). Good things await for those who grab a berth at Weston Caravan and Campsite, in the Oxfordshire village of Weston-on-the-Green. For starters, space seekers should be pleased to see that there’s plenty of breathing room around this former dairy farm – excellent news for kids or dogs that need a bit of haring-about time after being cooped up in the car. Depending on where you’ve plonked down you may find that your nearest neighbours are the resident beef cattle, sheep or horses; it’s worth keeping your eyes open for sightings of the hedgehogs that often scuttle about the place too. Perhaps most crucially for those whose stomachs dictate a site’s success is the presence of a café that serves up a tempting range of freshly cooked goodies: breakfasts (no rush – they’re served all day), salads, cakes and coffees, plus cheeses, pies and the like to take away. And the crème de la crème – literally: homemade ice cream in up to 16 (yes, a lipsmacking 16) different flavours. Evening appetites can be sated with a barbecue out on the field, or trotting off to the local pub five minutes’ walk away. The site added a new toilet and shower block in 2018. And how to get to this little slice of rural loveliness? The village is just a few minutes’ drive from the A34 and Junction 9 of the M40, making it both a useful stopover on cross-country voyages and a handy spot for Oxfordshire breaks (perhaps taking in Oxford, Blenheim Palace or bagging bargains in Bicester).

Dog-friendly getaways

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Arthur's Retreat Suffolk

5 units · Motorhomes5 acres · Diss, England

A year-round lakeside site for motorhomes and caravans in Suffolk

92%

(52)

The Nut Plat Retreat

3 units · Glamping1 acre · Kent, South East England

Antique living wagons on the banks of the River Bourne, with a charming orchard setting, a pub down the lane and a history unlike anywhere else

98%

(63)

The Old Vicarage Campsite

20 units · Glamping, Tents2 acres · Norwich, Norfolk, East Anglia

Laid back, free-range camping with campfires

100%

(104)

Wardley Hill Campsite

24 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents12 acres · Norfolk, East Anglia

A relaxed, back-to-basics campsite on the Norfolk Suffolk border

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(79)

Housedean Farm Campsite

7 units · Motorhomes, Tents1 acre · Lewes, East Sussex, South East England

Epic views of the South Downs, and a walker’s paradise, hidden sweetly on the South Downs Way

12 top campsites in Dedham Vale AONB

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Chalky Downs

36 units · Motorhomes, Tents12 acres · Brighton, East Sussex, South East England

Traditional tent camping in a stunningly-located South Downs farm, just down the road from buzzing Brighton

93%

(67)

Holistic Woods Campsite WILD

47 units · Motorhomes, Tents20 acres · Woodbridge, England

We are a WILD campsite with character and history. Our most popular pitch is our beautiful SSSI woodland. There are only 25 pitches available. We have a mid wild pitch on the outskirts of the woods, lovely grassed area between trees. Our top field is perfect for motorhomes & caravans. Plenty of space to breath and relax. Located on the stunning heathlands of the Sutton Heath. We are surrounded by beautiful woodland walks, including the Sandlings walk and just 10 minutes from the river Deben. We have a bus stop at the top of the track and Melton train station is a 20 minute walk or 5 minute drive. There are access points onto public footpaths, leading to Rendlesham Forest. A famous site for UFOs! Sutton Hoo is a stone's throw away. Bring your bikes and explore the area on wheels. There is water access and portaloos. We do not have showers yet. Blue/grey waste must be taken away. LEAVE NO TRACE

89%

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Penn Meadow Farm

50 units · Motorhomes, Tents145 acres · Beaconsfield, England

Penn Meadow Farm is a beautiful 145 acre, family owned farm, nestled perfectly into the chiltern hills area of outstanding natural beauty. We’re just a 5 minute walk across our grassy fields to the oldest free-house pub in England (The Royal Standard of England) Say hello to our resident alpacas, sheep, pigs, pigmy goats, flock of 250 sheep and of course our lovely boarder collies. We aim to be a very relaxed spot to be able to rest for a few nights and maybe enjoying a nice camp fire in the evening.

97%

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The Barn KT9

22 units · Glamping, Tents3 acres · Greater London, South East England

A unique rural campsite in Surrey, a stone's throw from London's Zone 6

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(246)

Four Winds Camping and Canoeing

13 units · Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia

A small, friendly riverside campsite in Cambridgeshire – with campfires allowed

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Painters Farm Campsite

46 units · Motorhomes, Tents3 acres · Whitstable, England

Nestled beside the village of Painters Forstal, Faversham, Kent. Our two acre orchard site with grass pitches. The campsite lies within seventeen acres on the slope of The Kent Downs, a designated area of natural beauty. The Alma ale house at the edge of the farm serves Shepherds Neame and hot meals all year round. Two acre quiet cherry orchard site based around a Tudor Manor house 1547 that gives its name to our village. Surrounded by orchards and open countryside but within easy reach of Faversham, Whitstable and Canterbury. Pitches for tents, campervans, motorhomes and touring caravans with or without electric hook up on a level grassy site. Pets are welcome and a crew member is always around the reception or farm to help out. The Campsite is open from 1st march until 31st October. The local area is awash with things to do. Faversham once the busiest port in 17th century England for its wool trade has the longest complete medieval street in the country. A wealth of little shops, cafes and pubs as well as the country’s oldest family owned brewery Shepherd Neame. Whitstable sitting just along the coast, famed for its Oysters and Sunsets is a fun beachside community bustling in the summer months and hauntingly bleak in the winter ones. The World Heritage sites of Canterbury are just a fifteen minute trip away with all its well documented history and plentiful shops and eateries.

89%

(14)

Dogwood Cottage Campsite

8 units · Motorhomes, Tents3 acres · Rye, England

Come and meet the chickens and ducks, friendly pygmy goats and miniature shetland pony Dino at Dogwood Camping, a gem in the heart of the East Sussex countryside. We are a small, family-run campsite set in the High Weald area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a perfect base from which to explore the beaches, castles, ancient woodlands and towns like Rye, Battle and Hastings. Dogwood is in the small village of Brede, and is walking distance from two fine country pubs. We are surrounded by stunning countryside where you can take your dog for a short stroll across the fields or go for a long romp through the fields and valleys. Or just sit and relax, listen to the birds and soak up the peace and quiet. We are fortunate to be in a dark skies area, perfect for long, relaxing summer nights around the campfie, sipping hot chocolate, toasting marshmallows and spotting shooting stars! During the summer our site is a popular spot for families and campers visiting nearby Camber Sands sandy beach and year round we welcome all differnt types of campervan, motorhome and caravan. We look forward to welcome you to our little slice of paradise. Wet weather and winter – please note in the off-season, and if very wet, the camping field is closed to vehicles, replaced instead by semi-hardstanding areas or our summer car-park area. Facilities are open but please be prepared for the vagaries of the weather, leaves, puddles and mud. To change pitch please let us know asap so that we can try if possible to find you another. Apart from the car-park, pitches can get very muddy in prolonged, heavy rain. If you are not prepared for these eventualities please do not book.

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Tomkins Farm

42 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents15 acres · North Chailey, England

Relaxed camping beside a lake on an East Sussex farm, with alpacas, llamas, and camels

100%

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Ditchling Boutique Camping

101 units · Tents6 acres · Ditchling, East Sussex, South East England

Hunker down in a historic village, surrounded by vineyards, hilly countryside and some rather spectacular views. With Ditchling Camping as your base, you’ll be on track for rural bike rides or visiting Brighton and its busy coast 25 minutes’ drive away. That’s because this dog-friendly site is in Ditchling – a village in the splendid South Downs National Park and a rather excellent location for all sorts of days out. Good news if the whole family is tagging along: there’s plenty to play with around the site, including an adventure trail through the woodlands, a swing tree and places for kids to fashion their own little dens. The site is only a five-minute drive (or a 30-minute walk) from the traditional Jack and Jill windmills and the neighbouring family-run pub, which serves both grub and good ales. A vineyard is 15 minutes’ walk away from the site if you'd like to include a wine-tasting tour on your break. Otherwise, simply pedal along country lanes on the surrounding cycling routes (it’s easy enough to hire a bike locally). On your route, you might want to stop by in characterful Ditchling, home to local craftspeople and winemakers. There’s a nice selection of independent shops here, plus cosy cafés and pubs that will serve you a good spread of Sussex food, all within a 5-minute walk. Back on site, end the day with a cosy evening beside the fire-pits. The site facilities are nicely straightforward otherwise and include warm showers and a separate dishwashing area and of course our newly installed Composting Toilets.

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Snettisham Meadows

40 units · Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Snettisham, England

****WINTER OPENING - We are open from November - March however please be aware there is no showers open*** Set on a traditional family-run farm in rural Norfolk, Snettisham Meadows is on the outskirts of the pretty village of Snettisham and short drive away from North Norfolk's beautiful white sandy beaches. Animal-mad campers, form an orderly queue please, as this 329-acre farm has several attractions up its sleeve for you, including meet-and-greets with pigs and ponies, lamb feeding in spring and deer safaris. There’s also a dog paddock for rent so four-legged companions can have a frisk around, and an area on the camping field is reserved for guests with dogs. Campfires and barbecues are permitted and you can borrow firepits from the site owners. Logs are also available to buy. The site is only 10 minutes’ walk from a village pub if you fancy a change of scenery. After a fun-filled day exploring this lovely part of Norfolk, come back to your pitch and keep your fingers crossed for clear skies and some serious stargazing. Facilities include washing-up sinks, a small shop at reception for essential supplies and tourist information, USB phone charging and a freezer for ice packs.

98%

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Hill Farm Secluded Camping

5 units · Motorhomes, Tents4 acres · Darsham, England

Fancy some secluded downtime exploring rural coastal Suffolk? The tree-shaded pitches at Hill Farm are in a peaceful setting near the market towns of Saxmundham and Halesworth, and handily accessible from the A12, as well as to the coast and pretty villages, historical hamlets, and popular seaside towns, such as Southwold and Aldeburgh. This is a site that welcomes families and groups of friends, and it's dog-friendly too (there’s a 4-acre woodland to the north of the site that's great for dog walking). The site has good TV reception for relaxing indoors on damp or chilly days. The popular village of Westleton (10 minutes’ drive) has a village store, a farm shop, a garage and 2 pubs; and if you fancy a change from cooking, there is also a nice pub and a tearoom, in the Darsham village area (only 5 minutes drive or a 30 minute walk away through some lovely fields). Back on site, there are a toilet cabins with hot running water, plus other facilities including 4 showers, a portaloo, and a washing machine, grey waste and chemical toilet disposal and recycling points. Wi-fi is nearly all over the site too. The shared facilities at the top of the site also has a fridge and a washing up area, with a warm water tap, a nearby kettle and a plug socket for charging mobiles. Lighting and wifi is also provided. Please not that dogs must be kept on a lead at all times, and sorry, no campfires are allowed at the moment.

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Cattlestone Farm

36 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents60 acres · West Sussex, South East England

Friendly camping and glamping on a Sussex farm, with animals to meet, a pond to swim in, and the South Downs nearby.

Under £50

97%

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Hatters Meadows Cambridgeshire

20 units · Glamping, Tents12 acres · Ely, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia

Cosy year-round glamping and seasonal camping in a fenland meadow with views of Ely cathedral

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(28)

Fire and Feast Suffolk

10 units · Glamping, Tents3 acres · Suffolk, East Anglia

Camping in the beautiful country of Suffolk, with a rustic dining experience like no other

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Dernwood Farm Wild Camping

17 units · Glamping, Tents70 acres · East Sussex, South East England

Camping and glamping in Sussex meadows and woodlands

95%

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Otter Channel Campsite

18 units · Tents3 acres · East Sussex, South East England

Spacious, nature-friendly camping with campfires on the banks of the River Rother

Laleham Camping Club

100 units · Motorhomes, Tents7 acres · England

Our 100 pitch campsite is located in the protected Green Belt area to the west of London. With the River Thames on one side and Laleham Park on all others, the beautiful surroundings are hard to beat given the proximity to the capital. The campsite is run voluntarily by its members, with day-to-day matters being handled by an elected committee and wardens.

Star Hosts in Dedham Vale AONB

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Hook Farm Campsite

18 units · Tents10 acres · West Sussex, South East England

Blissfully back-to-basics camping in the heart of the West Sussex High Weald

96%

(62)

Pigs in Blankets

26 units · Glamping, Tents8 acres · Southwold, Suffolk, East Anglia

A campfire-friendly country campsite on a farm in walking distance of seaside Southwold

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Coxhill Camping

45 units · Motorhomes, Tents7 acres · Dover, England

Relaxed camping in a field close to Dover and Canterbury

97%

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Beech Estate Campsite

55 units · Glamping, Tents25 acres · Battle, England

Tent pitch camping and wild glamping in a Sussex woodland hideaway

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The Meadow @ Waples Mill

12 units · Tents8 acres · Dunmow, England

Spacious grass pitches in the green Essex countryside A 15-minute drive to Chelmsford; 40 minutes to Audley End Tractor rides on site; firepits provided for campfires. Rural walks, How about proper farm activities like tractor rides (ask site staff for details)? The place to find all this is The Meadow at Waples Mill, an Essex farm site between Chelmsford and Dunmow (and about 15 minutes’ drive from both). This family-friendly site is handy for walks on the Essex Way and other local footpaths, and tractor and trailer rides around the farm are organised on alternate days to give guests a glimpse into agricultural life. Activities complete for the day, it's time to chill out, and that should be easy here – all pitches have access to toilets and hot showers in a trailer close by, and firepits are provided so you can have a safe campfire (with wood available to buy on site and a great farm shop 10 minutes’ drive away for fireside snacks). Pitches themselves are large, well kept and well spaced within a meadow that backs onto the River Roding. Dogs are welcome, and there are plenty of places to take them for a walk nearby. London folk looking for a quick escape to the countryside, this is a place to bear in mind – it’s only about an hour and quarter by road from the city.

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Camping in Dedham Vale AONB guide

Overview

Deep in the Stour Valley, this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty encompasses forests, farmland, villages, and waterways, making it a Great British favourite among ramblers, riders, boaters, and anglers alike. Nicknamed Constable Country for its links to Romantic artist John Constable, the region boasts a vast network of footpaths and cycleways, which reveal striking seasonal landscapes to outdoor adventurers at any time of year. Touring parks, riverside pitches, and no-frills field sites are the camping mainstays of the region.

Where to go

Dedham

The village that gives the valley its name, Dedham is a popular destination for outdoor adventurers right on the River Stour. From here, several walking and cycling routes take adventurers deep into Constable Country, via landmarks such as the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Castle House, Fern Bridge, and Flatford Mill. Private farmland provides plenty of camping options, while Ardleigh to the south boasts its own caravan site.

Nayland & Wissington

These two villages in the west of Dedham Vale AONB remain off the region’s beaten track, despite their riverside locations and Norman landmarks. Strolling along the Stour’s banks and wildlife-watching from the water are both popular pastimes here, with canoe rental available at area campsites.

Bures & Sudbury

These well-connected towns just west of Dedham Vale offer easy access to both Essex and Suffolk, as well as the Area of Natural Beauty itself, and can be reached in just over an hour from London Liverpool Street. Bikers can explore the rolling cyclepath that connects the two rural towns, while walkers can wander the area’s reserves, woodland, and water meadows. Camping options include wild-style experiences or caravanning at one of the region’s touring parks.

Cattawade, Manningtree & the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB

The spot where the River Stour splits is a favourite among outdoor enthusiasts, thanks to its striking views, nature reserves, and waterside campsites. Plus, just a stone’s throw away is the beginning of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB, which stretches up the coastline all the way to Lowestoft. Coastal caravan parks and campgrounds make it easy to tick both AONBs off in one tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some popular pastimes in Dedham Vale AONB?

Strolling along the Stour’s banks and wildlife-watching from the water are both popular pastimes in Dedham Vale AONB. Canoe rental is available at area campsites for those interested in exploring the water. You can also explore different options for camping near Dedham Vale AONB on Hipcamp.