When can I check in and check out of The Racecourse Retreat?

Camping and touring Arrive: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Depart by: 11 a.m. Read more

How much does it cost to stay at The Racecourse Retreat?

From £20 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.

The Racecourse Retreat

View prices & book Last booked 4 hours ago 9.1 199 reviews

Loading image…

1/8

View of the site (added by visitor 18 aug 2021)

Views over derbyshire (added by manager 22 aug 2022)

Tent pitch (added by manager 21 jul 2021)

Spacious family-friendly pop-up site in the Derbyshire countryside
Four miles from the Peak District; a 15-minute drive from Matlock
Back to basics pitches with firepits; close to walks and bike routes

Planning on moseying on down to the Peak District for trails, historic estates and rural landscapes? From the Racecourse Retreat four miles from the edge of the national park, you’ll be in for a restful retreat with delicious views and green surroundings. This quiet, rural and family-friendly smallholding is just 15 minutes’ drive away from buzzy towns such as Matlock and 35 minutes from royal sites like Chatsworth House. It is a fairly simple setup here, with spacious pitches that have access to showers and toilets, plus firepit areas for a feelgood gathering, waste and recycling points, a dishwashing station and drinking water. This area is walking and biking trails galore, beginning with the High Peak Trail around five minutes’ drive away. At the same time, tourist hotspots such as Carsington Water, Cromford Mills and Matlock Bath are within 15 minutes’ drive of the site. Just above the town of Wirksworth and the small village of Cromford, there are shops, pubs, restaurants, cafes and takeaways a short walk away so that guests can grab all the goods they desire for an easy off-grid stay. And in the opposite direction, Belper (15 minutes’ drive) and then Ashbourne (20 minutes’ drive) are some more lively calls with eateries and the likes – or there's a bigger city break to Derby 35 minutes’ drive away in case that’s your next plan of action.

Site type

120

Open now

Please note

Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 24 May to Mon, 2 Sept 2024

Pitch types & availability

Bell tent

4 people maximum

Dimensions: 5.0m width x 5.0m length (16.4ft width x 16.4ft length) Calculated area: 25.0m² (269.1ft²)

4 people maximum

Please bring your own towels and cooking equipment.

Dimensions

5.0m width x 5.0m length (16.4ft width x 16.4ft length) Calculated area: 25.0m² (269.1ft²)

1 room

Open space 1 x Double bed, 2 x Single airbed

No toilets in the unit: shared facilities available.

No showers in the unit: shared facilities available.

Features

Bed linen 3 included, 3 max.
Car 1 included, 1 max.
Dog(s) allowed 1 included, 1 max.
Duvets and pillows 4 included, 4 max.

Beds made up
Campers' kitchen
Car parking by pitch/unit
Electric heater(s)
Firepit
Gas and electricity included
Heating
Kettle
Lanterns/fairy lights
Power socket(s)

Arrival days

From £80 (£80) 1 night, 2 adults

View prices & book

Other pitch types

Reviews

would recommend this site to a friend

would stay here again

66%
10
0%
9
24%
8
0%
7
7%
6
0%
5
1%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

A really lovely, family friendly place.

Overall	8/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	8
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Louise A. May 2024

Electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Lovely staff, nice big pitches, plenty of space for the kids to run around but were always in sight, clean toilets and showers and close to a lot of locations within Derbyshire. Near to shops for supplies. Really lovely site and we’ll definitely be back.

Disliked: We only had one dislike. Although the pot washing area, toilets and showers were always clean they are very limited. There’s 4 toilets and 3 shower rooms for what is actually a very large site that allows people to pitch on 2 very big fields. There’s also only one pot washing sink.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice place, fantastic staff, so clean. High recommended.…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Radoslaw N. May 2024

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Very nice place, fantastic staff, so clean. High recommended.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very good.

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	8

Anonymous May 2024

Electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Very friendly staff.clear .nice view.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site, staff were very helpful. Yes there was entertainment on which…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	2

steve h. May 2024

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Great site, staff were very helpful. Yes there was entertainment on which was good. All quiet at 1030

Recommend to friends Visit again

My daughter stated the toilets were very fancy!…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous May 2024

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: My daughter stated the toilets were very fancy!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site for a getaway.

Overall	8/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	6
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	2

Carl R. May 2024

Electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: The location was lovely, nice to have a bar and food on site. The toilets were lovely and clean and pitches a good size. Staff were really lovely.

Disliked: The showers were very unreliable at one point I didn't think I would get the shampoo out of my hair, the water was trickling down the wall rather than raining down.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent clean

Overall	8/10
Location	8
Value for money	8
Accommodation	8
Facilities / Activities	8
Customer service	8
Child friendliness	8
Cleanliness	8
Wifi	2

Mitchell S. May 2024

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Great site very clean and friendly staff definitely go again

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything about the site is excellent, staff are super friendly and all…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	10

Angela D. Aug 2023

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Everything about the site is excellent, staff are super friendly and all facilities are kept clean. Great views from the site Only negative would be to have more showers..

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

This was our second year of staying at The Racecourse Retreat again…

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Toni A. Sept 2023

Electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: This was our second year of staying at The Racecourse Retreat again it was for bank holiday weekend. We visited with our family members and their children and they absolutely loved it as much as we do. The staff are friendly and helpful always up for a chat. Over the weekend they had a number of events on for adults and children such as a live band and a film afternoon for the kids. The new shower block is such a benefit to the site i would say they could do with another 2 of them to accommodate all 3 fields for when its busy but we didn't encounter any issues, the ladies only toilet is such a lovely touch always clean and smelt nice. We'll be back next year !

Recommend to friends Visit again

Simple site with good facilities…

Overall	10/10
Location	8
Value for money	8
Accommodation	8
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	No rating
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	No rating

Anonymous Sept 2023

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Simple site with good facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campsite

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Rallies welcome

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Budget/backpacker

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Communal fridge

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Large (51-200 pitches)

Pop-up campsite

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

The Racecourse Retreat

Hay Lane

Wirksworth

Derbyshire

England

DE4 4AF

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

53.07337°N
-1.55707°W

Nearest transport

Coach

3.2 mi Fishpond Hotel

4.5 mi Railway Station

Rail

2.3 mi Whatstandwell Rail Station

2.8 mi Cromford Rail Station

3.3 mi Ambergate Rail Station

Airport

19.5 mi East Midlands Airport

23.4 mi Sheffield City Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Where to wander first? A climb to the Black Rocks (five minutes’ drive) for views over the countryside? A little stroll around Bakewell (half an hour), over its medieval bridge, perhaps to pick up a Bakewell pudding for the riverbank? The mills and canal at Cromford Mills (10 minutes)? Or onto the Tissington Trail (20 minutes) for the Derbyshire Dales, a limestone ravine and stepping stones? In Matlock (10 minutes), you’ll have the choice of spas and shopping and further out, the Matlock Farm Park (25 minutes) for an afternoon of full-on animal activities such as horse riding. There’s a farmyard with animals at Chatsworth House (35 minutes) too, but this grand place is packed full with much more to do, from playgrounds to house tours and pretty picnics in the gardens. The same kind of vibe goes at Haddon Hall (35 minutes), a medieval hall and park with tours. After some water-based action too? Carsington Water (15 minutes) is your guy, thanks to its watersports centre running rowing, canoeing, windsurfing and kayaking. And on dry land, there's cycling, walking and fishing to get your senses tingling.

Must see

Arkwright's Cromford Mills 2.5 mi

Sir Richard Arkwright's Masson Mills 2.7 mi

Kedleston Hall 7.3 mi

Haddon Hall 9.5 mi

Chatsworth 10.4 mi

National Trust

Winster Market House 5.8 mi

Kedleston Hall 8 mi

Hardwick Hall 12.2 mi

Hardwick Estate: Stainsby Mill 12.2 mi

The Old Manor 12.7 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Alport Heights - Kirk Ireton Circular 0.9 mi

Wirksworth - Bolehill - Middleton Top - Wirksworth 0.9 mi

Cromford (Black Rocks) - Middleton Top - Kirk Ireton - Black Rocks 1.8 mi

Lea Bridge - Whatstandwell - Alderwasley - Lea Bridge 2.2 mi

Derwent Valley Mills Buffer Zone 2.6 mi

Local events

Download Festival (Friday 14 June 2024 – Friday 14 June 2024)
Derby, Derbyshire 18.6 mi
Buxton Festival (Thursday 4 July 2024 – Thursday 4 July 2024)
Buxton, Derbyshire 19.6 mi
Bloodstock Open Air (Thursday 8 August 2024 – Thursday 8 August 2024)
Swadlincote, Derbyshire 24.1 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Policies

Booking terms and conditions

Admission

Admission is only permitted after registering at reception.
All guests spending the night at the park must present their ID at the reception desk and sign registration forms.
Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Arrivals and departures

Late arrivals must notify the park as soon as possible. Your booking will be held for 24 hours. After this period the management reserves the right to relet your unit.
No refunds/discounts for inclement weather, late arrivals or early departures.
Units will be allocated on arrival.

Changes to your holiday

Bookings cannot be amended within 14 day(s) of arrival.
Modifications are subject to a £10.00 fee.

Dogs

Dogs must be kept on leads and supervised at all times.
Guide dogs are allowed on site free of charge.
The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Extras

Motorbike(s) can be brought instead of the car(s) included.

General

Bookings are nominative and non-transferable.
Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.
In the event of a complaint, please speak to reception immediately. Complaints which are not brought to the management's attention during your stay cannot be dealt with once you have left the site.
Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
Public areas are non-smoking.
Quiet hours must be respected between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m..
Radio, music and TV players must be kept at a low volume. Car doors and boots must be closed quietly.
The management reserves the right to deny access or terminate the stay of those guests whose behaviour is deemed unsuitable. No refunds will be offered.
The site is not liable for any refund in the event of force majeure.

Pitches

Please note, pup tents are to be used for storage purposes only. Guests may not use them for sleeping.
You must follow the management directives when pitching your tent/unit and related equipment.

Reception

If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
Reception is open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. between 24/05 and 02/06.

Safety

Barbecues are permitted but must be raised off the ground and attended by an adult at all times.
Firearms are not permitted.
Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
Open fires are prohibited.
Please do not touch or feed the animals.

Vehicles

No vehicle movement between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m..
Only one car is to be parked by the pitch. Extra vehicles must be parked in the designated area.

Visitors

Visitors must leave the premises by 11 p.m..
Visitors must register at reception and pay their fee.

Payment terms

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Does The Racecourse Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
Is The Racecourse Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
What attractions are near The Racecourse Retreat? Where to wander first? A climb to the Black Rocks (five minutes’ drive) for views over the countryside? A little stroll around Bakewell (half an hour), over its medieval bridge, perhaps to … Read more
When can I check in and check out of The Racecourse Retreat?

Camping and touring

Arrive: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Depart by: 11 a.m.

Read more
How much does it cost to stay at The Racecourse Retreat? From £20 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.