Shepherd's huts in Hainault Forest with wildlife watching

A super-handy Essex escape for nature-hungry Londoners, with shady trails through ancient woodlands and spring bursts of bluebells.

99% (111 reviews)
99% (111 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Hainault Forest

Star Hosts in Hainault Forest

12 top shepherd's huts sites in Hainault Forest with wildlife watching

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Abbey Home Farm

21 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents1600 acres · Cirencester, Gloucestershire, South West England
Eco-camping for real. Cooking on an open fire. Unspoilt natural beauty.
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£8
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Twitey's Camping & Glamping meadows

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A family-friendly site with secluded, individual pitches hidden among the long grass and campfires permitted
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£15
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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
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£16
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Fontmills Farm Campsite

40 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents20 acres · East Sussex, South East England
Family-friendly camping near the Cuckoo Trail, where campfires are permitted and space is guaranteed
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£14
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Sindles Farm Glamping and Camping

9 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents2 acres · Emsworth, West Sussex
We are a small, friendly site on a working farm in the beautiful South Downs National Park. We have shepherds huts, bell tents and a land pod in an old sheep paddock, all with private fire pits. We’re surrounded by footpaths and bridleways that can be explored all day, and 10 minutes drive from the sea. We also have a small grass-pitch campsite that opens in the summer for tents and camper vans.
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£40
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81%
(13)

Hunstanton Camping & Glamping

14 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents2 acres · King's Lynn, England
Hunstanton Camping and Glamping with mYminiBreak is located 2 minutes walk from the beach. Heacham is a large but quiet village just on the outskirts of the seaside town of Hunstanton. Providing a range of camping pitches for tents, campervans, caravans and motorhomes; you could also indulge in a ready-made stay in a Glamping Bell Tent or Shepherds Hut for a Glamping break away on the Norfolk coast. When you stay at Hunstanton Camping and Glamping with mYminiBreak you are conveniently located to explore the beach and its surrounding areas. Between the venue and the beach, you will find the entrance to a public footpath that takes you to Snettisham, a smaller and history-rich village through scenic rural countryside. It is also possible to walk to Hunstanton in the opposite direction along the promenade whilst enjoying the sea air and open views. Our campsite is one of only a handful of campsites located on the west coast of Norfolk and just a 2-minute walk from the beach gives us a prime location for watching the sunset go down in all its spectacular deep orange and red glory. Couple this with having some drinks with friends and family by your campfire or BBQ makes for a wonderful memory to share with your loved ones. We are campfire and dog friendly, and welcome your four-legged friends to stay with you across our camping and glamping accommodation Local shops only 5 minutes down the road takes a load off your mind knowing that if you forget any supplies you don't have to go without, making your experience while camping in Hunstanton a relaxed and fun time. We are a rural former dairy farm by the beach, there are free-ranging chickens and cockerels and they may make farmyard sounds, if you are a light sleeper, be sure to bring earplugs :) GLAMPERS PLEASE NOTE The Glamping Kitchenette is suitable for making small quick meals with the use of a microwave, oven & stove for cooking and grilling and a toaster and kettle, there is also a fridge provided. Showers and toilets are shared with the campsite with the exception of gas powered outside showers that are solely for glampers. We are a VERY dog-friendly venue, we welcome dogs and muddy boots and host many hikers and explorers of the Norfolk Coast, although every care has been taken to ensure very clean accommodation, it is possible that a dog hair or 2 escapes our conscientious eye, please bear this in mind and let us know should you find anything you are not happy with, we will get our housekeeping team to deal with the issue swiftly! Please note that the Glamping Bell Tents and Glamping Shepherds Huts are for 2 adults only with the exception of 1 Adult and 1 Child with prior consent from us, they are not suitable for under 2's and do not come with facilities for children or babies. Dogs are charged at £10 per dog per stay with a max of 3 dogs for Glamping and £3 per night per dog for Camping
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£18
 / night
100%
(33)

Rolling Fields Glamping

6 units · Glamping2 acres · Oxfordshire, South East England
Luxury farm glamping with epic views, a 10-minute walk from the Thames
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£100
 / night
100%
(9)

Quaint Farm in a National Park

1 unit · Glamping17 acres · Liphook, England
Our 17 acre Farm is set deep within the beautiful South Downs National Park on the outskirts of the quiet village of Milland (near Liphook) in rural West Sussex (close to its border with Hampshire and Surrey). We have direct access to an excellent bridleway and footpath network through peaceful open countryside and quiet lanes as well as being on the Serpent Tail and close to the South Downs Way.​ Our Glamping Pod and Shepherd's Hut are available to book all year round. We also offer stabling if you would like to take your horses or ponies on holiday with you! Milland village (0.8 miles) has the Rising Sun pub, serving great food and drink, and Milland Stores, which stocks all your essential fresh and local produce as well as having a small cafe.
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£100
 / night
100%
(1)

Serenity Lakes

3 units · Glamping10 acres · Duxford, England
Cosy shepherd's huts with hot tubs, set alongside a tranquil fishing lake.
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£120
 / night
100%
(26)

Greenhill Glamping

2 units · Glamping1 acre · Folkestone, Kent, South East England
Impeccably restored huts from the late 19th-century, kitted out for couples with king-sized beds, wood-burning stoves and views over the Kent Downs
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£160
 / night
100%
(3)

Hastingford Fishery Glamping

4 units · Glamping32 acres · Uckfield, England
Searching for a peaceful holiday/short break without kids underfoot? Ramble along to Hastingford Fishery, an adults-only shepherd's hut and fishing site set in a scenic lakeside setting less than five minutes’ drive from the East Sussex village of Hadlow Down and 20 minutes from Royal Tunbridge Wells. This site should suit couples or singles wanting to 'get away from it all' and also fishing fans down to the ground. It’s got several fishing lakes to choose from with lots of different species, so settle down on the banks with rod in hand and while away a few hours (or days) in quiet contemplation, waiting for something to bite. But please note, the site is not for 'competition anglers' although there are plenty of good sized carp around. and asks anyone fishing to only use barbless hooks, and for fish to be returned to the lake quickly after being caught.Not the fishing type? Chill out in and around your secluded hut, or there’s plenty to entertain in a leisurely fashion: paths wind around the lakes and through copses/shaws (as this is the High Weald) plus through the local countryside. There are spectacular views towards the South Downs National Park from the top lakes. A spring-fed lake is also on site to cool off in with some wild swimming. Lots of bird life around, with feeders outside each hut and waterfowl visitors to the lakes.When it comes to eats, pick up or have supplies delivered from supermarkets or takeaways in Uckfield, Heathfield or Crowborough or take a drive to Buxted Park for some posh food or pubs in Blackboys, Crowborough, Ringles Cross, 5 Ash Down, Rotherfield, or Buxted (it'll take about 10 minutes to drive to any of these). Lots of sample menus in huts.
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£110
 / night
100%
(8)

Lockhurst Hatch Farm Glamping

1 unit · Glamping1 acre · Surrey, South East England
A single, traditional shepherd's hut with countryside views, and a cosy feel
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£120
 / night

Dog-friendly getaways

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Shepherd's huts in Hainault Forest with wildlife watching guide

Overview

Once part of the Forest of Essex, this age-old 280-acre expanse sprawling northeast from London has been protected since back in the 12th century. Dive into its horse-riding, cycling and walking routes, keeping an eye out for some of the 130 bird species among the trickling streams, whispering oak trees and wide-open heathland. A ‘monster trail’ keeps kids busy, and the whole area is dog-friendly. Autumn is a delightful season to explore Hainault Forest, with foliage slipping into rust-red clothes, while spring is perfect for vibrant blooms. You’ll want to book nearby campsites well ahead, especially in July and August when things get busy.

Where to go

Lee Valley Country Park

Beyond Hainault Forest itself, campers can explore the nearby Lee Valley, which stretches along the River Lea northeast from London into Buckinghamshire and Essex. Some of it was transformed into London’s Olympic Park for the 2012 games, bringing a welcome green lung to the capital’s east. Its handful of campsites take in tent spots, caravan parks, cosy lodges and pre-pitched safari tents, while adventure activities swing from white-water rafting to rowing along the river to leisurely horse riding.

Epping Forest

Another favourite nature spot on London’s fringes, Epping Forest sits just north of Hainault on the Essex-Hertfordshire border. With endless hiking paths, cycling routes, horseback trails and everything from paintball to windsurfing, you’ll be spoilt for entertainment. And while you can’t pitch up in the forest itself, there are wild-camping and caravanning sites on its edges.

Kent Coast

Kent’s beach-strung northern coastline awaits within a two-hour drive of Hainault Forest, offering up lively, bohemian beach towns such as Whitstable and Margate alongside miles of seaside walks, plenty of watersports and tempting ocean-view camping spots.

Suffolk Coast

Trundle less than two hours east from Hainault Forest to reach the pretty villages, Tudor mansions and pastel-painted resorts dotted around Suffolk’s sleepy littoral, not to mention the unmissable Algo-Saxon burial mounds at Sutton Hoo. Rewarding hikes lead along the 96-km Suffolk Coast Path, with tempting stops including Aldeburgh. There’s also fabulous coastal cycling, along with sunset horse rides along the golden beaches.

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