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Chigborough Farm

90%

· Heybridge, Essex, England

130 acres hosted by Samantha T.

7 glamping pitches · 14 motorhome/tent pitches

Best in East Anglia: Finalist

Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2024.

Boating, biking and bell tent glamping on a farm near the Blackwater Estuary, where good food and walkable pubs are also on the menu.

A few hundred metres from the sailing-boat-dotted salt waters of the Blackwater Estuary in Essex there’s a farm that can do no wrong. It’s home to some of the best fly-fishing in England, has a Michelin-recommended restaurant and an award-winning fine salmon smokehouse – plus a tea room and deli in an old barn space that will charm your socks off. The latest addition to this prime waterside spot? A camping and glamping site, of course.

Set among Chigborough Farm’s 130 acres, the campsite is actually divided into a collection of different areas. There’s a small tent and caravan meadow, a trio of beautiful pre-pitched bell tents and an individual safari tent in a clearing, reached (with a wheelbarrow full of your belongings) on foot. Separately, there’s also a floating cabin, out on one of the farm’s many sparkling lakes (accessed by row boat) and, for all guests, the likes of a games room, a playground and a dining and kitchen space to use.

Nudging the camping meadow, the pre-pitched bell tents have access to all the same facilities – including modern, wet-room-style showers – and are furnished inside with a proper double bed, soft furnishing and all the bedding and towels you need. In summer you can roll straight from your mattress, peel back the creamy canvas of the tent and step out onto the farm, sheltered by hedges on three sites, with views of open farmland and The Essex Wildlife Trust Reserve to the north.

It’s an easy wander to the seaside – part river, part coast really, but very much with a nautical feel – where maritime images adorn the local pub, 400 metres down the road. Walk along the sea wall to find other watering holes or drive the five minutes to the likes of Heybridge and the old market town of Maldon just beyond. Not that you need travel far for fun. By day, pedalos and boats can be hired for tom-foolery on the farm’s lakes and bikes are also available for off-site exploring. Then there’s the deli, the gift shop and that award-winning fishing to try. Why leave to visit anywhere else?

Activities

Biking

Boating

Fishing

Wildlife watching

Natural features

Lake

Coastal

Field

90%

89 Ratings · 79 reviews

Kirsty B.

September 2, 2024

W4 Non Members Grass Pitch - Non Members Grass Pitches

Very Disappointing

BEWARE: This camp site does not allow camp fires without a firepit, which they hire for £10 a night. This was certainly not clear on the site when I booked - I've camped for 50 years and understand some owners don't want campfires, but they need to tell us that, not turn up and be angry and ruin the evening. I'm afraid our hostess was incredibly rude, making us seem unwelcome throughout, which really spoiled our little holiday. She didn't deliver wood we had paid for twice, the last was a Sunday and we were not reimbursed. Another couple that evening had also not received their wood. That's quite a profit at another £10 each. On the Saturday night it was packed and very rowdy, although our hostess was not responsible for that. The area was nice, we had some lovely walks.

Joe C.doesn't recommend

August 25, 2024

W2 Non Members Grass Pitch - Non Members Grass Pitches

Lovely site with lakes and scenery however the ground was way too rocky and hard to easily put a tent up - the people next to us actually went home as it was too hard. Once the tent was up it was great

Sarah D.recommends

August 9, 2024

W1 Non Members Grass Pitch

Lovely camp site very quiet peaceful! The showers very cold, one was broken the other wouldn’t heat maybe due to the wind. The lake was beautiful. We will return

Jess H.

August 6, 2024

W2 Non Members Grass Pitch - Non Members Grass Pitches

The campsite was in a great location, not too far from the sea and nearby villages and had a wonderful lake that you could use. However some of the other facilities were not so great - the showers in the club house were cold, one out of the two washing up sinks was blocked and the portoloos were not cleaned whilst we were there (two nights) and towards the second day they started to smell. The ground was also unbelievably hard and we struggled to get tent pegs in and out of the plot we were on. The outdoor showers were pleasant enough but you needed to take a torch with you if you wanted to shower at night. The plot we were given was a good size - enough space for a tent and car. Probably would not visit again but it was okay for two nights.

Lenka B.doesn't recommend

August 5, 2024

Carpers Cabin

We made the most of our short break, location is great and Chigborough Farm is a beautiful place to visit. However, the Carpers cabin is definitely not a great choice for families (please make it clear in description) and it needs to improve largely on cleanliness and provide little bit more privacy.

Alison G.recommends

August 5, 2024

Woodpecker Pod

Gorgeous campsite.

A gorgeous campsite with lots to do, good facilities and walks nearby. The cafe is a real bonus. Absolutely delicious food. We stayed in Woodpecker which had everything we needed for a long weekend.

Location

Heybridge, Essex, England, United KingdomTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Samantha T.

Joined in May 2018

From the host

Just under an hour from London, but feeling like a million miles away, Chigborough Farm is a tranquil and picturesque rural oasis on the North of the River Blackwater estuary near Maldon in Essex. The camping and glamping area is nestled in amongst 130 acres of arable land and fishing lakes, there are permissive footpaths throughout. It is just a short walk from the sea wall and the local coastal village of Heybridge Basin where there are pubs and a Wilkins and Sons tearoom. On site we have toilets, showers, games room, communal dining area with brick pizza oven, log cabin style fishing lodge over looking the lake, The Black Pig Farm Cafe, Lambton and Jackson Smokehouse, a fresh fish shop, yoga and complimentary therapies. We offer accommodation in The Raft (floating log cabin), Birdsong Safari tent, Grebes Nest and Woodpecker Pods, Carpers Cabin, Bell Tents and Hobbit Cottages and we also have a seasonal Camping and Caravanning Club Members site and a non members camping area.

Nearby attractions

The farm itself is a treasure trove. Along with the food and drink options, there's fly fishing for trout, carp fishing in the main coarse lakes (please use the red ‘book now’ Button) and a Pottery and Painting Studio There's also a converted space called ‘Yogiswari’ where you can try pilates, yoga and complimentary therapies. There's easy access on foot or bike to the sea wall by the beautiful Blackwater Estuary. Elsewhere, it's a 10-minute drive to the supermarkets and pubs at Maldon, where Maldon Promenade Park has a 'splash park' (watery fun for kids in summer) and crazy golf, rollerskating, bowling and soft play. Colchester Zoo is 25 minutes away. Tiptree Jam Factory (01621 815407) and Museum is about 15 minutes away. Pedallo’s, rowing boats and kayaks can be used on site on Home Water Lake from 1st July to 14th September. Either hire from us or bring your own.

Food and drink

Michelin-recommended Rubino's Restaurant (01621 855579) is located on the farm and also The Black Pig Farm Cafe. A short walk down the lane and along the sea wall to Heybridge Basin, there’s a choice of two pubs The Jolly Sailor and Old Ship, and The Lock Tearooms.

Video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nrYKmTZiHvg

Things to do nearby

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