Chatham Camping: Best Campsites Near Chatham, Kent

97% (1796 reviews)

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12 top campsites near Chatham

92%

(55)

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

Old Litten

1 unit · Tent8 acres · Steep, Hampshire, South East England

Nestled atop a serene hill, this idyllic field offers a perfect escape for campers. Blanketed in lush, green grass, the field stretches out under a vast, clear sky, providing panoramic views of the South Downs National Park. Wildflowers in vibrant hues dot the landscape. As the sun goes down, the sky transforms into a canvas of twinkling stars, untouched by city lights. This remote haven, far from the hustle and bustle, is a sanctuary for those seeking tranquility and a deep connection with nature.

91%

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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

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.

The Barn KT9

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

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

Spring Hill Wild Camping

15 units · Tents13 acres · Andover, England

Spring Hill Wild Camping is a camping site set in the beautiful Hampshire village of St Mary Bourne. Within easy walking distance of the two local pubs, the well stocked village shop and a pick-your-own fruit farm with cafe and play areas. The campsite aims to be a low impact, environmentally friendly site, providing only the basic necessities for camping; well maintained toilets and clean water. If you are looking for hot showers and a pool, this is not the campsite for you. If you are looking for beautiful views, countryside walks and open fires Spring Hill Wild Camping is the campsite for you.

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Lagnersh camping

75 units · Motorhomes, Tents6 acres · Bognor Regis, England

Dog-friendly camping near Chichester and the West Sussex coast

Hale Farm

38 units · Glamping, Tents56 acres · East Sussex, South East England

A family-run, working farm in East Sussex offering spacious, traditional camping with no set pitches

98%

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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.

89%

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The Slips

39 units · Motorhomes, Tents4 acres · Henfield, England

A relaxed, back-to-basics campsite in the West Sussex countryside

93%

(60)

Stockbridge View Campsite

62 units · Motorhomes, Tents4 acres · Stockbridge, England

A simple campsite in the Test Valley, just a 15-minute walk from Stockbridge

98%

(21)

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.

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Campsites near Chatham guide

Overview

Famed for its incomparable 18th-century dockyard and important maritime history, Chatham sits near the Medway Estuary, surrounded by bewitching southeast-England countryside and coast. Rock climbing, hiking, biking, kayaking, horse riding and paragliding are just a few of the local temptations for outdoorsy types, while the buzzy Kent coast serves up water sports, boho-feel towns and cliff-edge paths. Campers of all kinds are spoiled here, with everything from isolated farms for setting up tents to luxury glamping pods attached to lively pubs.

Where to go

Kent Downs AONB

Within a 30-minute drive of Chatham, the Kent Downs AONB makes an idyllic, on-the-doorstep escape for outdoors lovers. Pick from glamping yurts, cabins and huts, or just set up your tent or caravan at a deliciously rural campsite, before exploring miles of designated walking paths through ancient woodlands and farmed landscapes. There’s also wonderful horse riding and cycling, not to mention arty Folkestone by the beach.

High Weald AONB

Whether you’re keen to cycle, hike, kayak, paddle-board or splash about in a lake, this 1500-sq-km AONB is just the ticket. The High Weald spreads across Sussex, Surrey and Kent, and is easily accessible from Tunbridge Wells, an hour’s drive southwest of Chatham. The area is known for its cobblestone villages, wide-open heaths, secluded farms and age-old paths, all of which you can explore from countryside campsites, glamping yurts and huts tucked into organic farms, and fully-equipped caravan parks.

Coastal Kent & Sussex

Kent’s pretty coastline stretches east from Chatham to trendy Margate, then south past Dover’s famous white-chalk cliffs. Beyond, Sussex hugs England’s south coast, with more spectacular scenery, especially around the unmissable Seven Sisters cliffs and Beachy Head. There are terrific walks all along the coast here, including the long-distance England Coast Path, and water sports and view-drenched campsites abound.

South Downs

Extending inland from Eastbourne on the Sussex coast and within two hours’ drive of Chatham, the South Downs National Park is one of southeast England’s back-to-nature jewels. Rippling chalk hills, endless sea views and gorgeously green fields patrolled by chatty sheep provide the backdrop for outstanding hiking (tackle some of the 160 km South Downs Way). You can also go cycling, horse riding and even paragliding, before pitching up on a remote farm or settling into a safari-style glamping tent in a hidden valley.

When to go

England’s southeast gets packed in warmer July and August (and over bank holiday weekends in spring), and you’ll need to book camping spots and glamping accommodation far ahead, especially along the coast. Spring can be a rewarding time to explore, with the countryside bursting into bloom before the summer masses arrive, and weekdays year-round see fewer crowds. If you aren’t fussed about the weather, autumn brings both changing colours and low-season prices.

Know before you go

Wild camping is generally illegal in England, but you’ll find plenty of campsites with secluded pockets in this region, and you can request landowner permission to set up camp elsewhere.
Chatham is an easy hop by train from London (under an hour) and has good rail links with Margate, Ramsgate, Dover and other coastal towns as well as Canterbury.
Don’t miss the chance to explore nearby Canterbury’s UNESCO-listed cathedral, one of the southeast’s greatest attractions.
Chatham has plenty of shops for stocking up on outdoors gear, camping kit and food supplies.