How much does it cost to stay at Rockinghams Farm?

From £29 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.

Rockinghams Farm

View prices & book Last booked 2 days ago 9.4 64 reviews

Visitor image of the pitch area, with sunset view

Simple and secluded site on a working farm close to the A12
A 20-minute drive from Colchester or Mersea Island
Fishing lake on farm; firewood and charcoal for sale

Seeking out a very peaceful place, where tracks, footpaths and woodland trails will allow you to get out and see wildlife? Relax and track down spectacular sunsets? Then map out the way to Rockinghams Farm, a simple and secluded spot surrounded by Essex countryside. This farm site has easy access to the A12, making it quick to spend time in Colchester (20 minutes' drive) or to see its several family-friendly attractions. Bringing your own bike or hiring one locally is another excellent shout – the site may be tucked away in the countryside, but you may be surprised how much you can reach under your own steam. The camping field is vehicle-free meaning that children are free to roam and play (there is a dedicated parking area close to all of the accommodation) – but please do remember that this is a working farm, so kids need to be supervised at all times. There's also a fishing lake on site, with guest fishing available on request. Rockinghams Farm is in the hamlet of Layer Marney and five minutes' drive from Tiptree, where there are supermarkets, pubs and plenty of places to eat. Other local highlights include Mersea Island (20 minutes), where it's possible to hire watersports equipment before settling down for a meal of local oysters by the waterfront.

Site type

Open all year

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).
No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
The site only allows dogs up to 10kg.
Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
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.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

would recommend this site to a friend

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

The tracks are a little bumpy, but it is a working farm

The anchor in tiptree, a basic but friendly pub, but there are others. the crown in messing is great

Stayed in a forest pitch for one night with my two boys…

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

James M. Apr 2025

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (wild)

Liked: Stayed in a forest pitch for one night with my two boys aged 13 and 10 for their first ever camp out. They absolutely loved it! Site was perfect and the owner who met us on arrival was really friendly. Thoroughly recommend 👍

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great hideaway

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

Paul M. Mar 2025

Camping pod

Liked: I stayed for 3 nights during a March cold snap, and whilst the pods are fairly basic and compact they are very warm and snug and surprisingly comfy. I will be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic location with great facilities and friendly people

Overall	10/10
Location	10
Value for money	10
Accommodation	10
Facilities / Activities	10
Customer service	10
Child friendliness	10
Cleanliness	10
Wifi	4

Andrew P. Feb 2025

Camping pod

Liked: Myself and my daughter stayed one night in a camping on and it was brilliant. The location was lovely, on the edge of woodland but overlooking fields and farms. The facilities were just what you need, toilets, shower room, outside kitchen. Inside the pod was clean and warm with extra facilities like a mini kitchen.

We were welcomed when we arrived and shown around.

We were only there for the night as a stop over but still had a lovely time, would loved to have stayed longer

Recommend to friends Visit again

We camped in the woods which was fantastic. It's our second time…

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

Liz N. Nov 2024

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (wild)

Liked: We camped in the woods which was fantastic. It's our second time here and we loved it

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very helpfull and great surroundings, would deffinately re visit.

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

Anonymous Oct 2024

Camping pod

Liked: Very enjoyable good facilities lovely location.

Disliked: None

Recommend to friends Visit again

would highly recommend this campsite and we will be returning!

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

Jessica D. Oct 2024

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Very good toilet and shower facility! I’ve been to a few campsites and this one is the best where that’s concerned. Also, there’s lots to explore, big fields and huge woods with lakes but the campsite itself is kept intimate which is nice as you don’t have to worry about noise from fellow campers

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing place and wonderful hosts

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

Robin R. Sept 2024

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (wild)

Liked: Loved it.
So peaceful. Wonderful site. My son and I camped in the Forrest area. Lots of space. Lovely walks.
The site had everything you’d need.
We locked it and will be going back soon.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A truly beautiful stay in the forest, incredible hosts too! I would highly…

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

Karen A. Sept 2024

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (wild)

Liked: A truly beautiful stay in the forest, incredible hosts too!
I would highly recommended staying here.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Absolutely fantastic. We camped in the woods which are very beautiful. The…

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

Kate B. Sept 2024

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (wild)

Liked: Absolutely fantastic. We camped in the woods which are very beautiful. The campsite owner was very friendly and helpful and we had a wonderful time.
Looking forward to a return visit
♥️♥️♥️

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great woodland or meadow camping.

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

Laura J. Sept 2024

Non-electric forest floor tent pitch (wild)

Liked: Clean and tidy toilet and shower.
Good washing up area with washing up liquid and brushes.
Firepits were provided.
Woodland pitches.
Communal firepit.
Josephine didn't mind us going to look at all the horses!

Disliked: Didn't really dislike anything but it's a working farm so there were lots of vehicles coming and going to and from the stable, and tractor noises.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

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 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 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 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 Shop nearby

Type

Farm Tiny (1-10 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Rockinghams Farm

Layer Marney

Colchester

Essex

England

CO5 9UL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.81322°N
0.78639°W

Nearest transport

Coach

6.3 mi The George

7.1 mi Stanwell Street

Rail

4.1 mi Kelvedon Rail Station

4.7 mi Marks Tey Rail Station

6.3 mi Witham (Essex) Rail Station

Ferry

10.1 mi Point Clear Ferry Landing

10.2 mi Brightlingsea Ferry Landing

13.1 mi Burnham on Crouch Ferry Landing

Airport

17.3 mi London Southend Airport

23.1 mi London Stansted 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

Hunt down some historic sites… you could climb up England’s highest Tudor gatehouse, the Layer Marney Tower (roughly half an hour's walk), or have a bite to eat with some Tiptree preserves in the secret tea garden that belongs to the family’s old farmhouse over at Tiptree Tea Room, Museum and Jam Shop (five minutes' drive). With the historic town centre and castle in Colchester (20 minutes), there’s much for history fans to have a nose around. Families will find plenty to do there too, though, as Colchester Zoo (10 minutes) is likely to entertain any small family members… The classic seaside, too. West Mersea (20 minutes) has all the staples of that, from beach huts to a jetty that’s just the place to whip out a line and give crabbing a go. Craving some good, unfiltered nature? There’s plenty to go around while on cycles or walks around the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (30 minutes), and the RSPB Old Hall Marshes (15 minutes) or Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park (15 minutes) too – these are two prime spots to spy on wildlife or birdlife.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name	Distance	Type	2020	2019	2018	2017
West Mersea	6.8 mi	Sea	N/A	Good	N/A	N/A
Brightlingsea	9.6 mi	Estuary	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Jaywick	14.2 mi	Sea	N/A	Good	Good	Good
Clacton Beach Martello Tower	15.3 mi	Sea	N/A	Good	Good	Good
Clacton	16.5 mi	Sea	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Colchester Zoo 4 mi

Colchester Castle Museum 7.2 mi

firstsite 7.3 mi

East Anglian Railway Museum 7.8 mi

RHS Garden Hyde Hall 13.6 mi

National Trust

Coggeshall Grange Barn 5.7 mi

Paycocke's 6 mi

Bourne Mill 6.9 mi

Thorington Hall 13.1 mi

Flatford: Bridge Cottage 14.1 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

LAYER MARNEY TOWER 0.8 mi

Layer Breton - Layer Marney - Birch - Layer Breton 1.9 mi

Tiptree - Great Braxted - Great Totham - Tiptree 2.5 mi

BRAXTED PARK 4 mi

Kelvedon - Coggeshall - River Blackwater - Kelvedon 4.1 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

At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Arrivals and departures

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 10 day(s) of arrival.

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. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
The site only allows dogs up to 10kg.

Extras

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

General

Bookings must not be for more than 14 consecutive nights.
Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
Quiet hours must be respected between 11:30 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.
This site does have a catch-and-return fishing policy in place.

Hired accommodation

Your unit must be left clean and tidy; a fine of £10.00 will be charged for unclean units upon departure.

Occupancy

No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.

Safety

Barbecues are permitted but must be raised off the ground and attended by an adult at all times.
Firearms are not permitted.
Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
Please do not touch or feed the animals.

Vehicles

No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.

Visitors

Visitors’ cars are not permitted on site.
Visitors must leave the premises by 11:30 p.m..

Payment terms

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rockinghams Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
Is Rockinghams Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
What attractions are near Rockinghams Farm? Hunt down some historic sites… you could climb up England’s highest Tudor gatehouse, the Layer Marney Tower (roughly half an hour's walk), or have a bite to eat with some Tiptree preserves … Read more