Best camping, glamping, and outdoor stays in Chelmsford

Chelmsford isn't exactly known as the Mecca of all things camping, but this often-overlooked Essex city is an excellent focal point for any easy getaway in the South East of England, with its cathedral, river and RHS gardens along with beautiful surrounding countryside.

97% (798 reviews)

United Kingdom
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England
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East Anglia
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Essex
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Chelmsford

97% (798 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Chelmsford

Available this weekend

Lagnersh camping

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

Dog-friendly camping near Chichester and the West Sussex coast

Whitlingham Broad Campsite

72 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Norfolk, East Anglia

Laid-back camping and glamping a stone's throw from Norwich and at the gateway to the Norfolk Broads

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.

Purple Badger Camping&Fishing Lakes

12 units · Glamping, Tents5 acres · Beeby, England

Glamping and campfire-friendly camping by a pair of fishing lakes in the Leicestershire countryside

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

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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

Purple Badger Camping&Fishing Lakes

12 units · Glamping, Tents5 acres · Beeby, England

Glamping and campfire-friendly camping by a pair of fishing lakes in the Leicestershire countryside

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

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.

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.

12 top campsites near Chelmsford

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.

Purple Badger Camping&Fishing Lakes

12 units · Glamping, Tents5 acres · Beeby, England

Glamping and campfire-friendly camping by a pair of fishing lakes in the Leicestershire countryside

Cooking equipment

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.

Lagnersh camping

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

Dog-friendly camping near Chichester and the West Sussex coast

Whitlingham Broad Campsite

72 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Norfolk, East Anglia

Laid-back camping and glamping a stone's throw from Norwich and at the gateway to the Norfolk Broads

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

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.

The Slips

39 units · Motorhomes, Tents4 acres · Henfield, England

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

Dog-friendly getaways

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

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.

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

Star Hosts in Chelmsford

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.

Whitlingham Broad Campsite

72 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents5 acres · Norfolk, East Anglia

Laid-back camping and glamping a stone's throw from Norwich and at the gateway to the Norfolk Broads

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.

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

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.

Value Prop

Value Prop

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

There are plenty of excellent campsites near Chelmsford if you know where to look and, as always, only the very best make the cut for our Hipcamp shortlist.

Best camping, glamping, and outdoor stays in Chelmsford guide

Overview

About

Often-overlooked Chelmsford in Essex is an excellent focal point for any easy camping getaway in the South East of England, with its cathedral, river and RHS gardens. There are plenty of excellent campsites near Chelmsford if you know where to look.

Popular Chelmsford holidays

Glamping with hot tub

Glamping with a private bathroom

River, stream, or creek campsites

Shepherd's huts with a private bathroom

Shepherd's huts with hot tub

Top parks near Chelmsford

Chew Valley Lake

Scolt Head Island

Devil's Punchbowl

Top towns near Chelmsford

Southend-on-Sea

Top regions near Chelmsford

Lake District National Park

North East England

Peak District National Park

Snowdonia National Park

Brecon Beacons National Park

Malvern Hills AONB

New Forest National Park

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