Debden House Campsite

From £31 For 1 night, 2 adults 8.3 29 reviews
Playground for children staying at the site (added by manager 20 Jul 2021)
Bell tent on our electric field. (added by manager 07 feb 2024)
Camping setup with fire pit. (added by manager 07 feb 2024)
Camper van. (added by manager 07 feb 2024)

  • Spacious 50-acre Essex campsite bordered by Epping Forest
  • Three golf courses within 10 minutes' drive; Lee Valley 15 minutes
  • Half an hour's walk from the London Underground (Central Line)
Epping Forest – 6,000 acres of green trees, woodland trails and hidden wildlife havens. By any measure it's a rather good place to camp, and Debden House Campsite, right in the middle of it all, is a top spot for an alfresco getaway close to central London. If you're wanting to get into town, or are planning on coming here without a car, you can get to the London Underground in about half an hour's walk. But don't just head into the big city every day you're here, even if you're planning an urban-based break – the area has been described as a hidden gem by many guests due to its natural scenery, with all the wildlife of Epping Forest easily accessible on foot. This is a spacious spot, with 50 acres of land stretching over seven fields (four of which are suitable for fires). Debden House Campsite welcomes one-night stays, longer stints, youth groups and organised events. The facilities include a shower block, toilets, a utility room, a coin-operated laundry and a vending machine selling cold drinks; wood is also available to buy. As part of Debden House Campsite's commitment to the environment, guests are asked to make use of the recycling points dotted around the pitching fields. This is a very safe and laidback site, with an on-site security team on call overnight for added peace of mind.

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 20
Motorhome pitches 20
Tent pitches 300
Opens 24 May

Tourist board rating

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. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
  • Discount cards and gift vouchers cannot be applied to bookings made via Pitchup.com.

Languages spoken

British Sign Language (BSL)

English

Russian

Open from Fri, 24 May to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

76%

would recommend this site to a friend

76%

would stay here again

  • 62%
    10
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    8
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

We loved our pitch, we had our privacy and a beautiful surrounding…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Aneta D. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: We loved our pitch, we had our privacy and a beautiful surrounding of trees. The passage to the Epping Forest was also through the bushes behind our tent, which allowed us to go for walks to the forest whenever we felt like it. Definitely recommend.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with clean facilities

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Carey B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch (large)

Liked: Despite the inconvenience of being too close to other campers within a relatively empty field, we were granted permission to move pitches. Our new spot was secluded and the surrounding forest was idyllic. All staff were extremely helpful, and the toilet/shower facilities were very clean.

Disliked: The allocation of sites needs more consideration. We were allocated to a field with plenty of available pitches, (only two others were taken), yet we were placed right next to another camper as well as next to a large religious group in a neighbouring field who performed sing-song events over a loudspeaker during the day night.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with clean facilities

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 4
Jenni K. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (small)

Liked: Cleanliness of the bathroom and shower facilities. Tranquil surroundings

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great camping site

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
Meagan A. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (small)

Liked: Access to Epping Forest was great for afternoon walks. The setup of the pitches to allow for a communal middle field was fantastic, for all the kids to play together. Shower facilities were good, and handy shop on site.

Disliked: The wristband policy might be something worth exploring other options for. Ours came off whilst offsite, and then re-entering proved challenging as having to prove we were booked onsite. Perhaps having a car sticker/badge would be another option?

Recommend to friends Visit again

Tranquil camping site

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (small)

Liked: Lush green camping site. Facilities was very clean and the shop on site had all you needed. Also bigger shops nearby if needed. Tranquil camping site. Will definitely be going back.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site with decent facilities and friendly staff

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Daniel B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch (XL)

Liked: Extremely helpful staff on site who made our stay nice and smooth from the moment we checked in until we left. Unfortunately during the booking process on pitchup it wasn't straightforward how to select the field and pitch for our family and managed to book for a party field far away from the shower units but the staff straightaway made me aware and found us a new pitch close to the entrance which was a quite space that we could enjoy with our toddler. The site was nice and clean with plenty of options for going on a stroll around the woods. We will definitely return in the future.

Disliked: Pitchup booking process with unclear pitch/field selection and not mentioning the extra £10 you have to pay for your car.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will defo go again

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Kurt J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (small)

Liked: Everything about it.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Warm welcome and given options where to pitch up tent

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (small)

Liked: We like the scenery, accessibility to amenities, forest and able to wash, as some places would not usually have washing facilities which Debden camp site provide. Friendly staff and give support as and when needed. Close to local forest and near to top golf venue, which was exciting and we throughly enjoyed !

Recommend to friends Visit again

Pleasant staff, old facilities. Rowdy campers allowed.

Overall 6/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (small)

Liked: Size and layout of site. Friendly and helpful staff. Clean if rather old facilities.

Disliked: Children riding mini petrol powered quad bikes and motorbikes on site; noisy and polluting. Children running round my tent tripping over guy ropes, twice. Loud and nasty swearing rows from neighbouring campers. Woken up by women screaming. Nowhere to be out of the rain or make a hot drink. Tea and coffee were advertised but lack of staff made it difficult to ask for drinks. £3 cost of phone charging.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Facilities very clean. Beautiful setting. Pitches well kept. Friendly staff.…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch (large)

Liked: Facilities very clean. Beautiful setting. Pitches well kept. Friendly staff.

Disliked: Lots of empty pitches, but campers were closely grouped. I would have preferred to have a pitch or two between next campers when site so empty.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

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

Forest

Peaceful

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Nearby farmers' market

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Very large (over 200 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Tennis nearby

Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Drainage hook-up points for tourers

Location

Debden House Campsite

Debden Green

Loughton

Essex

England

IG10 2NZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

51.66405°N
0.0779°W

Nearest transport

Coach
7.3 mi Romford Market
7.3 mi Romford Market
7.4 mi Bus Station
Rail
3.6 mi Chingford Rail Station
4.6 mi Enfield Lock Rail Station
4.7 mi Brimsdown Rail Station
Ferry
11.4 mi East India Pier
11.5 mi Woolwich Ferry North Pier
11.6 mi North Greenwich Pier
Airport
11.1 mi London City Airport
17.5 mi London Stansted Airport
23 mi Biggin Hill 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

Set off into the forest beloved by William Morris in search of wildlife, or scout out more manicured landscapes at one of the three top-rated golf clubs that can be reached within a 10-minute drive. For more outdoor activities, head north to the Lee Valley White Water Centre (15 minutes), or for an activity that doesn't require a set of dry clothes look at what's on just down the road at River Lee Country Park (20 minutes). For history, you're close to the Royal Gunpowder Mills (10 minutes), a great place for family outings where you can spend hours learning about gunpowder, explosives and rocket propellants. Other popular kid-pleasing options in the local area include Paradise Wildlife Park (30 minutes), which is full of colourful creatures, and Canvey Island (50 minutes), where you can let the little ones run around on the sand. With the Central Line roughly a mile and a half away, it's also easy to get into the middle of London: St Paul's Cathedral can be driven to in about an hour, but it's quicker on the Tube, with journeys typically taking about 30 minutes once you've boarded a train.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Leigh Bell Wharf 26.1 mi Estuary Good N/A Poor N/A
Southend Chalkwell 27 mi Estuary N/A Good N/A Good
Southend Westcliff Bay 27.6 mi Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Southend Three Shells 28.7 mi Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Good
Southend Jubilee 29.3 mi Estuary N/A Good Good Good

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lee Valley Regional Park 3.5 mi

Discover 9.2 mi

Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green 11 mi

Geffrye Museum 11.3 mi

Museum in Docklands 11.7 mi

National Trust

Eastbury Manor House 9 mi

Sutton House 9.8 mi

Rainham Hall 11.2 mi

2 Willow Road 12.9 mi

George Inn 13.2 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

COPPED HALL 1.9 mi

Connaught Water - Strawberry Hill Pond – Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge 2.8 mi

COOPERSALE HOUSE 3.3 mi

HILL HALL 3.3 mi

An Introduction to Epping Forest 3.5 mi

Local events

  • All Points East (Saturday 17 August 2024 – Saturday 17 August 2024)

    London, Greater London 10.4 mi

  • British Summer Time (Friday 5 July 2024 – Friday 5 July 2024)

    London, Greater London 15.1 mi

  • Mighty Hoopla (Saturday 1 June 2024 – Saturday 1 June 2024)

    London, Greater London 17 mi

  • Hampton Court Palace Festival (Tuesday 11 June 2024 – Tuesday 11 June 2024)

    Hampton, Surrey 25.4 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.

Want to know more about camping in Essex?

  • Does Debden House Campsite have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Debden House Campsite dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Debden House Campsite? Set off into the forest beloved by William Morris in search of wildlife, or scout out more manicured landscapes at one of the three top-rated golf clubs that can be reached within … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Debden House Campsite?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  11 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Debden House Campsite? From £31 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.