City to Country Retreat
No availability at present on Pitchup.com 
- Luxury bell tents on a working farm just outside Toppesfield village
- Heritage railway, vineyard and distillery within five minutes' drive
- Tennis court and bike hire on site; kitchen and barbecue for each tent
Time for a quick escape from London? It's all been made nice and easy at City to Country Retreat, in the Essex countryside just outside the village of Toppesfield.
You don’t have to be from London to stay here, of course, but if you do want to make the trip from the city you should be looking at a journey of 50 miles or so. That journey is just long enough to get you out into a proper rural landscape, and there are plenty of footpaths through the surrounding fields if you fancy exploring on foot. There are bikes for hire on site too, and a tennis court for batting a few balls around.
Set on a working farm, the bell tents are approximately 50 metres from the farm field. Tents comfortably sleep four guests (in a kingsize bed and two singles, all with memory foam mattresses and bed linen provided) so they’re suitable for family holidays as well as couples’ breaks.
Plenty of things provided so you’ll have very little to do upon arrival (other than light your firepit and perhaps pour a drink…). Each tent has its own bespoke kitchenette (with an oven and hob) inside, and a dedicated outdoor space with barbecue, firepit, picnic table and sun loungers for alfresco cooking and relaxing. Next to the tent is your own handy bathroom hut with a flushing toilet, shower, sink and heated towel rail (and towels provided, of course).
All of this may well entice you to stay on site for much of your stay, but if you do fancy heading out it’ll take you about 10 minutes to wander up to the village for a shop, a park, a community-run pub and a brewery.
Site type
2
4
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) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
- No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
- Bookings must not be for more than 30 consecutive nights.
- No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
- 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.
- No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
- No charcoal barbecues allowed.
- Pets must be kept off the furniture; please bring a blanket or dog bed for them to sleep on. There is a working farm in the next field along from the Bell Tents (approx 150yards away).
Languages spoken
English
Pitch types & availability
No availability at present on Pitchup.com
Choose your dates and we'll email when available.
See nearby bookable sites
No dogs allowed
Wifi at the unit/pitchReviews
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Features
Campfires allowed
Leisure on site
Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club Massages On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis WatersportsAmenities 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 Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area WifiGroups welcome
Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcomeRules
Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowedThemes
Luxury Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife havenUtilities
Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energyNearby amenities
Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Shop nearbyType
Tiny (1-10 pitches)Accessibility
Disabled facilitiesNearby leisure
Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Restaurant nearby Tennis nearby Watersports nearbyLocation
City to Country Retreat
Toppesfield Hall
Great Yeldham Road
Halstead
Essex
England
CO9 4LS
Directions Timezone
Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)
GPS
52.00483°N
0.54183°W
Nearest transport
Coach8.7 mi Tesco Store
14.3 mi Coach Station
14.3 mi Coach Station
Rail8.5 mi Sudbury (Suffolk) Rail Station
9 mi Braintree Rail Station
9.4 mi Braintree Freeport Rail Station
Ferry24.8 mi Brightlingsea Ferry Landing
24.8 mi Point Clear Ferry Landing
28.5 mi Wallasea Island Ferry Landing
Airport14.4 mi London Stansted Airport
21.1 mi Cambridge 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
If you’ve brought the kids with you, it shouldn't be tricky to entertain them – perhaps you’d like to plan outings to Gosfield Lake (15 minutes’ drive) for inflatable rides, to Boydells Dairy Farm (15 minutes) for cow milking and chicken feeding or Colne Valley Railway (five minutes) for a heritage train ride. A little further afield at an hour's drive (but worth the trip) are Colchester Zoo and Jimmy’s Farm.
Sticking to the local area, you may want to visit the Norman fortress at Hedingham Castle (10 minutes), see what you can hook at Hilton Valley Carp Fishery (two minutes) or visit the pretty town of Lavenham.
If it’s a grownup trip, you may like to spend some time at the English Spirit Distillery or Toppesfield Vineyard, both of which are within five minutes' drive.
Water quality at nearby bathing waters
| Name | Distance | Type | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Mersea | 23.2 mi | Sea | N/A | Good | N/A | N/A |
| Brightlingsea | 24.3 mi | Estuary | N/A | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Jaywick | 29.2 mi | Sea | N/A | Good | Good | Good |
| Clacton Beach Martello Tower | 29.9 mi | Sea | N/A | Good | Good | Good |
Data source: European Environment Agency
Must see
East Anglian Railway Museum 10.7 mi
Audley End House and Gardens 13.7 mi
Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 15.8 mi
Colchester Zoo 15.9 mi
Newmarket Racecourses 17 mi
National Trust
Melford Hall 9.3 mi
Paycocke's 11 mi
Coggeshall Grange Barn 11.4 mi
Lavenham Guildhall 13 mi
Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 15.8 mi
Cycle routes
Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.
Other
Ridgewell - Tilbury Green - Great Yeldham - Ridgewell 2.4 mi
The Belchamps 4.1 mi
SPAINS HALL 4.5 mi
Finchingfield - Howe Woods - Little London - Howe Street 4.6 mi
GOSFIELD HALL 5 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
Payment terms
Offers
Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details
Nearest sites
Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.
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Frequently asked questions
- Does City to Country Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
- Is City to Country Retreat dog friendly? No View all features
- What attractions are near City to Country Retreat? If you’ve brought the kids with you, it shouldn't be tricky to entertain them – perhaps you’d like to plan outings to Gosfield Lake (15 minutes’ drive) for inflatable rides, to Boydells … Read more
- When can I check in and check out of City to Country Retreat?
On-site accommodation Arrive: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Depart by: 10 a.m. It's best to arrive before sunset as the woodland area has limited lighting.
Read more