The best campsites near Chatham with horseback riding

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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.

100% (24) 57 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Chatham

1. Holistic Woods Wild Campsite

94%
(178)
100km from Chatham · 47 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
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
from 
£16
 / night

2. Quaint Farm in a National Park

100%
(26)
99km from Chatham · 2 units · Glamping
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.
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
from 
£125
 / night

17. Barefoot yurts and Safari Tent

100%
(2)
47km from Chatham · 2 units · Glamping
A unique self catering holiday 
 in an area of outstanding beauty Near Rye in East Sussex Escape to the peace and tranquility of the secluded countryside We offer a magical experience where you will connect with nature and fully relax. No neighbours, total privacy and uninterrupted views of the Brede valley. We feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful location where we are surrounded by exceptional natural beauty. Your experience at Barefoot yurts and Barefoot safari tent will be one that you never forget and be a place you want to come back to again and again, as so many of our guests do. We very much look forward to welcoming you. When you book our self catering Yurts or Our Safari tent you will have the whole site to yourselves. Both are in very private separate locations. Barefoot yurts has been a family business since 2009 Barefoot Yurts has 2 yurts booked together. One a bedroom and the other a sitting room that has sofa beds. There is a log cabin kitchen and shower room which is fully fitted and equipped for most cooking needs with electricity. The compost loo is next to the kitchen exclusive to the yurt guests. Barefoot safari tent is for 2 adults only. All under one roof is the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Off Grid.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£112
 / night

18. The Orchard Wagon

100%
(2)
125km from Chatham · 1 unit · Glamping
A true escape in the wild, our secluded Orchard Wagon is nestled in the corner of the apple orchard. Close to delightful beaches at Dunwich, Walberswick and Southwold, and a walk to the local pub. Perfect for those that want to get back to basics in nature, the wagon comfortably sleeps 2 people and includes a private bathroom, washing and kitchen cabin. The Orchard Wagon has a double bed (1.5m x 2m) with a smart little wood-burning stove to keep you toasty as you watch the stunning Suffolk sunsets. White Egyptian cotton sheets and towels provided. Cooking couldn’t be easier with the well-equipped cooking cabin next door or the barbeque on the stone terrace in front. Fire up the Chiminea to keep you warm as you eat al fresco. Take the stepping stone path up behind the wagon to find the washing shed with three separate rooms for washing up, showering, and the composting loo. Plenty of hot water and for those who like communing with nature try showering with the door open - it’s a lovely experience and what a view. This is camping in style!
Showers
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£113
 / night

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.

100% (24) 57 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Chatham

1. Holistic Woods Wild Campsite

94%
(178)
100km from Chatham · 47 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
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
from 
£16
 / night

2. Quaint Farm in a National Park

100%
(26)
99km from Chatham · 2 units · Glamping
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.
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
from 
£125
 / night

17. Barefoot yurts and Safari Tent

100%
(2)
47km from Chatham · 2 units · Glamping
A unique self catering holiday 
 in an area of outstanding beauty Near Rye in East Sussex Escape to the peace and tranquility of the secluded countryside We offer a magical experience where you will connect with nature and fully relax. No neighbours, total privacy and uninterrupted views of the Brede valley. We feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful location where we are surrounded by exceptional natural beauty. Your experience at Barefoot yurts and Barefoot safari tent will be one that you never forget and be a place you want to come back to again and again, as so many of our guests do. We very much look forward to welcoming you. When you book our self catering Yurts or Our Safari tent you will have the whole site to yourselves. Both are in very private separate locations. Barefoot yurts has been a family business since 2009 Barefoot Yurts has 2 yurts booked together. One a bedroom and the other a sitting room that has sofa beds. There is a log cabin kitchen and shower room which is fully fitted and equipped for most cooking needs with electricity. The compost loo is next to the kitchen exclusive to the yurt guests. Barefoot safari tent is for 2 adults only. All under one roof is the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Off Grid.
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£112
 / night

18. The Orchard Wagon

100%
(2)
125km from Chatham · 1 unit · Glamping
A true escape in the wild, our secluded Orchard Wagon is nestled in the corner of the apple orchard. Close to delightful beaches at Dunwich, Walberswick and Southwold, and a walk to the local pub. Perfect for those that want to get back to basics in nature, the wagon comfortably sleeps 2 people and includes a private bathroom, washing and kitchen cabin. The Orchard Wagon has a double bed (1.5m x 2m) with a smart little wood-burning stove to keep you toasty as you watch the stunning Suffolk sunsets. White Egyptian cotton sheets and towels provided. Cooking couldn’t be easier with the well-equipped cooking cabin next door or the barbeque on the stone terrace in front. Fire up the Chiminea to keep you warm as you eat al fresco. Take the stepping stone path up behind the wagon to find the washing shed with three separate rooms for washing up, showering, and the composting loo. Plenty of hot water and for those who like communing with nature try showering with the door open - it’s a lovely experience and what a view. This is camping in style!
Showers
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£113
 / night

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The best campsites near Chatham with horseback riding guide

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.