95% (1.2K) • 3,224 campsites
Top-rated campgrounds near Mersea Island
Unique Shepherds Huts on a Vineyard
1. Unique Shepherds Huts on a Vineyard
100%
(22)
7.1km from Mersea Island · 2 units
Luxury shepherds huts near the Essex coast, with beautiful, watery surroundings and a wonderfully private setting
Showers
Potable water
Cooking equipment
Constable Park
2. Constable Park
100%
(20)
20km from Mersea Island · 8 units
A holiday and leisure park ideal for kayaking and paddleboarding, with premium glamping options
Showers
Campfires
Potable water
Cosy Camping Suffolk
3. Cosy Camping Suffolk
100%
(16)
34km from Mersea Island · 1 unit
Glamping in the Suffolk countryside, not far from seaside Felixstowe
Showers
Potable water
Cooking equipment
Wethersfield Eco Project Off grid
4. Wethersfield Eco Project Off grid
90%
(21)
36km from Mersea Island · 39 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Update we allow cars ad camper and this land has a special energy. Set in the valley with the hillside gives 360 degrees view of natural landscape. Wethersfield Eco Project is the historic parkland of Wethersfield Manor. Veteren Oaks and Sequoia Grace the woodland hillside with badgers and foxes in the sandy hills, buzzards and kites soaring the ponds full of dragonfly.
Great space for a family or romantic getaway or larger group party. If you are a group under 10 people please expect to share the space with others but we'll ensure you have your own private area!
Bring your sound system and have your own party or event.
Music must be off after 11pm as houses are 500metres away.
Price is per adult 16 or over per night 11am to 11am checkout. Late checkout or day rate til 5pm is 10 per adult. Kids free. Dogs are 5 pounds.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Brightwell Country Park
5. Brightwell Country Park
100%
(16)
36km from Mersea Island · 1 unit
Bell tents and an accessible cabin, with activities right from your door
Showers
Potable water
Cooking equipment
Finchingfield Lavender & Camping
6. Finchingfield Lavender & Camping
100%
(16)
39km from Mersea Island · 2 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Luxury camping and glamping pitches within a wildflower meadow. Private loo per pitch, fire pit with BBQ Grill & a picnic bench.
Our North Essex hideaway is perfect for a country retreat under the stars. Just over an hour away from London, located in a rural setting outside the chocolate box village of Finchingfield with tea rooms and three great independent pubs.
We are a micro Lavender farm home to 3.5 kms of hand planted Lavandula × intermedia 'Lavender Grosso'. Our campers and glampers have unlimited access to our lavender field which overlooks rolling fields and sunset views, perfect for a relaxing evening amongst the purple blooms
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Holistic Woods Wild Campsite
7. Holistic Woods Wild Campsite
94%
(271)
44km from Mersea Island · 50 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Campsite manage :07733521815 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
Pets
Campfires
Potable water
The Meadow @ Waples Mill
8. The Meadow @ Waples Mill
93%
(59)
44km from Mersea Island · 12 units
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 (please note only one tent per pitch is allowed), 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.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Barn Owl Camping
9. Barn Owl Camping
97%
(19)
45km from Mersea Island · 10 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Dog-friendly camping and shepherd’s huts in rural Suffolk
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Lions Row
10. Lions Row
95%
(10)
47km from Mersea Island · 18 units · Tents, Motorhomes
If it’s a ‘proper’ Suffolk wild-camping adventure you’re after, have a look at Lions Row, a spacious back‑to‑basics site on a working farm just outside Ufford. It’s completely surrounded by countryside, but only a handy five minutes’ drive (or a 35 walk) from the pubs, takeaways and shops in Wickham Market.
You can park at the pitches, which are mown into the long grass. It’s a clever spot for families as it’s a mile from the nearest road, making it quiet and safe for kids to roam freely without any danger from traffic.
As this is wild camping, facilities are minimal: drinking water, a simple washing-up sink, compost loos and basic gas-heated outdoor showers are your lot. However, you’ll wake up to birdsong every morning and go to sleep by starlight on clear nights; just remember to bring torches and batteries for after-dark wanderings.
The views are peaceful and rural, and the field is bordered by deciduous woodland – great for exercising any four-legged pals – criss-crossed with footpaths leading to country pubs (there are four within half an hour’s walk). It’s also close to heritage attractions such as Sutton Hoo (10 minutes’ drive).
If you would like to book multiple pitches for a big group, do get in touch directly if easier.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Gemini Camp
11. Gemini Camp
100%
(13)
50km from Mersea Island · 1 unit
Glamping stays in a cabin on a private six-acre nature reserve in Essex
Pets
Showers
Potable water
Freedom Farm Camping
12. Freedom Farm Camping
98%
(43)
53km from Mersea Island · 25 units
Eco permanent pasture farm with 12 mile views across the countryside in West Suffolk near Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge.
Say goodbye to the road whilst camping privately and securely in 70 acres of paddocks edged with post and rail fencing. Footpaths accessed directly from the site to explore further afield.
We produce most of our own food and have a herd of Dexter grass fed beef cows grazing. Beef and vegetables available for sale depending on the season and availability.
Camping hammocks also welcome in the wood.
We also have equestrian facilities including a manege and it is possible to bring a horse by arrangement in summer. We have a guide available for hacking locally and a resident BS qualified instructor. Please contact for details.
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Chapter Farm Camping
13. Chapter Farm Camping
100%
(23)
53km from Mersea Island · 6 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Family-friendly camping in a quiet countryside setting close to the beach at Whitstable
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Fleets Paddock Glamping & Camping
14. Fleets Paddock Glamping & Camping
96%
(137)
54km from Mersea Island · 24 units · Tents, Glamping
Pitches, bell tents and a gypsy caravan on the outskirts of Canterbury
Pets
Showers
Potable water
Painters Farm Campsite
15. Painters Farm Campsite
99%
(47)
55km from Mersea Island · 46 units · Tents, Motorhomes
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.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Campfires
Berty the yurty
16. Berty the yurty
95%
(19)
56km from Mersea Island · 1 unit
Our beautiful handmade yurt is set amongst an ancient orchard on an idyllic smallholding, nestled between the Kent Downs AONB and Kent's spectacular coastline.
The smallholding itself is a slice of rural Kent with free-range chickens just a stone’s throw away, you’ll soon be making some fairly unique friends.
We have such a great location, Canterbury is just 10 minutes drive away and the trendy coastal town of Whitstable can be reached within 20 minutes.
Berty the yurty is 5 metres in diameter and comfortably sleeps 2 adults and an infant. Inside Berty you'll find a super comfy double bed, tea and coffee making facilities, a cracking little wood burning stove, table and two chairs and a mini-fridge to keep those all important beverages ice cold. We'll make sure there are some essential local food items from the farm (bread, eggs, milk, butter) waiting for you when you arrive.
Outside you an outdoor kitchen space to cook, outdoor patio eating area, camp fire, as well as a composting toilet, hot shower and washing up facilities adjacent to Berty, which are exclusively for your use.
Berty is tucked away at the far end of the smallholding on the edge of a 20 acre accessible ancient woodland with bluebells flowering in the months of April & May. The small holding is home to free range chickens and other animals. Eggs are complimentary and we're more than happy to arrange for you to collect them yourself if you're in a 'hunter/gatherer' sort of mood as well as a loaf of bread, milk, butter and apple juice.
Our rural location is truly fantastic! You'll instantly feel the stresses and strains of everyday life disappear as you soak up the delightful Kent countryside and adjacent ancient woodland. The picturesque Stour valley is just down the road, Canterbury and it's cathedral are only 10 mins away and Kent's extensive coastline can be reached in less than 20 mins. Some delightful pubs and restaurants can be found in Canterbury, and you are spoilt for choice when it comes to top quality country pubs in the local area.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
The Hut @ Bride Farm
17. The Hut @ Bride Farm
100%
(10)
60km from Mersea Island · 1 unit
A luxury octagonal hut with a wood-fired hot tub, close to Sandwich and the Kent coast
Showers
Campfires
Hot Tub
Ling's Meadow
18. Ling's Meadow
100%
(25)
61km from Mersea Island · 6 units
Spacious tent pitches and glamping set within a lush, four-acre meadow, abuzz with Suffolk wildlife
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
Hill Top Farm Wild Camping
19. Hill Top Farm Wild Camping
96%
(25)
64km from Mersea Island · 2 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Hill Top Farm Wild Camping has just a few tiny pitches but the folk here keep the grass trimmed for easy pitching and you can park right next to the pitch. It's a tiny Wild Camping site with no running water, toilets or showers. What Noakes Meadow does have is plenty of space for you to enjoy and camp fires are definitely allowed. A wheelbarrow of fire wood can be purchased for £10 Cash/Paypal/Bank Transfer on arrival. This site is far away from the madding crowds though close to the M20 and A20 for easy access.
A mere 10-minute stroll along the road is a fab 16th-century country inn for food and pints. On the other hand you could always fire up a barbie and sizzle some sausages or grab a take away from the chippie 7 minutes away in the nearby village of Lenham.
This wild camping site operates a leave no trace policy so be prepared to bag up and take everything with you when you leave.
Pets
Campfires
Hillside Farm Camping
20. Hillside Farm Camping
100%
(10)
64km from Mersea Island · 12 units · Tents, Glamping
Camping with campfires on the Norfolk-Suffolk border
Pets
Campfires
Showers
Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community
K
Katarzyna
2 days ago
5 m car
Really nice camping site in a truly rural context with some decent facilities. Bear in mind showers don’t have any roof so might be an experience during the rain ! Water has nice temperature though pressure is shared I believe between all facilities so sometimes a bit low. If you’re on top of unnumbered pitch you might struggle to put pegs into the ground as we did.
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J
James
2 days ago
Tent
Loved camping on Helena’s farm. Lovely vibe, really helpful hosts and beautiful surroundings.
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Lynne
2 days ago
Tent
What a wonderful energetic welcome by three amazing young people.
A beautiful field with great panoramic views.
Thank you to Helena and Duncan for their hospitality and getting our campervan going at the end of the trip!
See you again soon.
See moreI
Iain
2 days ago
Tent
With kids
Helena was a great host, we had a private field, lovely hot shower, clean toilets. Great weekend. Nice to have a fire pit and get back to nature.
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Holly
2 weeks ago
Tent
The campsite is so lovely with many animals and Helena is such a nice host, thank you!!
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L
Laurence
2 weeks ago
Tent
Beautiful meadow, beautiful sunset, beautiful view. Not so beautiful amenities. But at least there's hot water and working flush. Don't forget your toilet paper.
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M
Mary
2 weeks ago
5 m campervan
With pets
Had a three night stay in the forest, it was perfect, quite, cool, lots of walks with my dogs.
I am self contained so didn’t use the facilities.
Would definitely recommend if you want a relaxing few days away.
Will be staying again at some point.
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Peter
2 weeks ago
A
Andrew
2 weeks ago
Tent
Myself and my friend had a great night camping on Hilltop farm. We had the whole place to ourselves and enjoyed a campfire under the stars. The location is great and the owners are accomodating and friendly. I will definitely be back.
See moreD
Darren
3 weeks ago
Tent
What a beautiful place! Helena was extremely pleasant and made sure I had everything I needed. The location itself was exactly how it's described with beautiful countryside views and exquisite serenity. I shall be returning soon.
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E
Ella
3 weeks ago
Tent
Loved this campsite. So tranquil and quiet, which was a welcome break from the city. We pretty much ended up with the field to ourselves. Lots of walks and cycling routes from the site, and lots of nice nearby pubs and villages. Helena was very helpful and provided us with lots of local recommendations. We will definitely be back.
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Marie
3 weeks ago
Tent
With pets
Great! Wonderful site. Beautiful view. Facilities limited.
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D
Daf
3 weeks ago
5 m car
With kids
Lovely quiet site, amazing views, really enjoyed our night there.
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Eddie
3 weeks ago
5 m car
With kids
Jasmine's land was wonderful. excellent views and very peaceful. additionally her communication was great making it very easy to find!
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J
Joanne
3 weeks ago
Weekend Trip to Gemini Camp
I had a wonderful stay. As a lone female I was very comfortable and felt safe. The cabin was great and the meadow beautiful, and I look forward to returning when I can
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N
Natasha
3 weeks ago
4 m campervan
With pets
Took my little micro camper and dog for a night in the woods. Loved how off grid it felt, and it was quiet even though it was August. Great walks nearby for me and the dog.
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H
Helena
3 weeks ago
Tent
With kids
Great campsite for mix of ages. Good facilities which are kept clean. Excellent for watching the sunset with a fire pit and marshmallows. Really helpful and friendly owners. Good size pitch. Would recommend.
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A
Adam
3 weeks ago
5 m campervan
With pets
Lovely peaceful night in the woods, easy enough to find and just as advertised.
Will be returning
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S
Sophie
August 2026
Tent
With kids
This campsite is so wonderful! It’s quiet and there’s a lot of space. When you take a shower you can see the rabbits hop in the field across! LOVED IT.
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M
Malcolm
August 2026
2 nights at Unique Shepherds Huts on a Vineyard
The peaceful setting,, the Hut itself is very very nice. The setting and the view is amazing,,we have been to a few Huts over the years and this is the best spot.
See moreMersea Island camping guide
Where to go
West Mersea Beach
The colourful beach huts of West Mersea Beach brim with holiday allure. Rent a beach hut for a bit of shade and a relaxing place to rest during a day on the beach. Many come with amenities like gas stoves, kettles, cups, and plates. Then, go swimming in the North Sea during the warm seasons, or set sail along the waters. Beach lovers can go shelling and then visit cafes and pubs in the area for a local treat. To spend the night along the water, look for Mersea Island campsites that host campervans, motorhomes, and tents. Electricity is available as well as children’s play areas and creeks for crabbing.
Cudmore Grove Country Park
Travel to the other side of the island to see Cudmore Grove Country Park—a nature reserve, a Special Site of Scientific Interest, a Ramsar site, and a National Nature Reserve and Special Protection Area that encompasses 102 acres. It sits where the Colne and Blackwater Estuaries meet. Campers with kids or dogs can explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, and grassy meadows, while birdwatching, hiking, fossil hunting, beachcombing, or picnicking throughout the park. To spend a couple of days nearby, set up at coastal campsites that accommodate double axle caravans and motorhomes as well as tents. Cottage rentals and static caravan hires are also available.
Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Celebrated for its biodiversity and efforts in conservation, Dedham Vale AONB is an Essex-Suffolk border attraction with ancient fens, woodlands, and meadows. For a day away from the beach, spend time on a boat trip down River Stour, which is a Dedham Vale focal point. The river and famed attractions like Flatford Mill have attracted painters for decades, including John Constable. Take a couple of days touring the AONB from adult-only glamping pods near Colchester, Britain’s oldest town, that are pet-friendly with ensuite showers and private firepits. Or take the family to a caravan and camping park with electric hookups that’s open from March to October.
When to go
During the warm season, the weather near Mersea Island is ideal for beach days and sailing excursions. July is the warmest month with highs around 21°C. November through March marks the cold season on Mersea Island where temperatures dip down to 3°C at night. Many Mersea Island rentals close down for winter. However, campers can still find rental cottages available year-round.
