The Wild Retreat

View prices & book 9.1 14 reviews
Bell tents
Bell tents
The on-site lake
Taking a yoga class from the stage
Yoga class at the woodland stage
Bell tents come with picnic tables
Bell tents
Bell tents on their pitches
Well-maintained grass pitches
1/24
New
The on-site lake
Taking a yoga class from the stage
Yoga class at the woodland stage

  • Well-kept and family-friendly Hertfordshire site on the River Stort
  • London Stanstead Airport 20 minutes’ drive; Lea Valley Park 25 minutes
  • On-site archery lessons, inflatable assault course and dog walks
Overlooking the calm waters of the River Stort in Hertfordshire, The Wild Retreat is a well‑kept, family‑friendly hideaway with more than its fair share of shaded woodland trails – ideal for exercising your four-legged pals – and paddleboarding expeditions along the river. And the ‘get back to nature’ vibe doesn’t end there, as you also have the option of wild swimming in the lake or the inflatable assault course… And always remember to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife whichever adventure you choose. When you’re ready for further action, choose from guided yoga sessions on the lake or at the woodland stage, join in archery lessons and play classic children’s games. Music lover? There are occasional festivals and weekend concerts during the summer months too. The camping field is neatly mown and sheltered by trees; picnic tables are scattered around the pitches so you can eat alfresco in comfort – spark up a barbecue or bring in a takeaway from Sawbridgeworth (10 minutes’ drive). Modern facilities – including a toilet block and heated outdoor showers – make staying this close to nature effortless for one and all, and thanks to quick links to London (40 minutes by train from Sawbridgeworth) and London Stansted Airport (20 minutes’ drive), this spot makes a handy overnight stopover as part of your longer journey.

Campground type

Tent sites 20
RV sites 3
Rent a tent 13
Open now
Opens June 13
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No cars/motorcycles at the site. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Guests must bring their own duvets, pillows, sheets and towels when staying in rental accommodation. You will not be allowed to stay if you do not bring these items.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jun 13 to

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCamper sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.1

Overall rating from 14 Pitchup.com customers

  • 50%
    10
  • 35%
    9
  • 7%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 0%
    6
  • 7%
    5
  • 0%
    4
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    3
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    2
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    1
Location
 9
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 9

93% would recommend this campground to a friend

86% would stay here again

Reviews page 1 of 2
Arrival date (latest first)

Luxury prices but budget facilities

Overall 5/10

Location
 5
Value for money
 2
Accommodation
 1
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 4
Child friendliness
 5
Cleanliness
 1
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Power optional grass and earth RV campsite

Liked The lake was great for the kids.

Disliked Only 2 women's toilets working for the whole site and 1 handwashing sink with no hot water or soap.
1 open air washing up station with no hot water.
Outdoor showers were a nice idea but no locks on doors. Also hot water ran out after a minute.
Extra charges like £5 a night for a firepit and £10a night for a dog felt a bit steep.
Lots of the electric hook ups didn't work.
Visitors were told to put dogs on leads while live in workers didn't appear to follow this rule. 1 had a very reactive dog.
Taking rubbish home wouldn't be too much of a problem if the camping field wasn't crawling with ants. By the end of our stay, so was our van.

Love this place. So booked again for 2 weeks time

Overall 10/10

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

Power optional grass and earth RV campsite

Liked Wild swimming
Chill out areas
Hammocks everywhere!!
Lively people

Loved the lake and the chill out area…

Overall 8/10

Location
 6
Value for money
 5
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Val G.

Power optional grass and earth RV campsite

Liked Loved the lake and the chill out area

Disliked £10 charge for our tiny dog

We'll definitely go back 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
Annalisa m.

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The private lake, the clean facilities, the open showers, the zen Moroccan tent area, the hammocks, and the quirky seating scattered around, everything was perfect. The vibe and atmosphere were amazing, especially the DJ at night and the fire show. All the members of staff were lovely!

Disliked One thing I didn’t love was having to take your rubbish with you. I completely understand it, it fits with the camping philosophy, but it could be inconvenient for people who are continuing their travels afterward.

Great experience. Loved it! Water is perfect for swimming

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Ionut M.

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked The lake is excellent for swimming, staff very friendly and accomodating. Great surroundings.

Liked…

Overall 9/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 7
Boguslaw B.

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Liked

Friendly staff and very nice setting. Additional activities❤️

Overall 10/10

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Arleta B.

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lovely staff, place and atmposphere. We were delighted with this place- first time camping with our 6y son! Great experience!

Disliked N/a

Loved the site and will return!

Overall 9/10

Location
 8
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lived the lake location location and festival vibe. Nice mini bar and and lovely tippe tent near the lake to provide shade. Also next to the woods.
Nice showers

Disliked Long walk to the toilets, and no bins provided. You also had to take your rubbish with you😪

perfect little gem , close to London yet feels so relaxing and remote

Overall 9/10

Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
kaska k.

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Lake, chill zone, relaxed atmosphere, great music

It was amazing to have the swimming lake so nearby. The staff…

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
Josh H.

Primitive grass and earth tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked It was amazing to have the swimming lake so nearby. The staff were lovely and the kids really enjoyed the activities that were put on, like the disco. The showers were excellent.

Disliked Nothing.

Features

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Rallies welcome Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Forest Peaceful Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No hot water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Medium (26-50 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Fishing nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Watersports nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Water hook-up points for caravans

Location

The Wild Retreat

Redricks Lane

Redricks Lakes

Sawbridgeworth

Hertfordshire

England

CM21 0RL

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.79183°N
0.11707°E

Nearest transport

Bus
1.7 mi Bus Station
5.6 mi Interchange
7.6 mi South Road
Rail
0.7 mi Harlow Mill Rail Station
1.2 mi Harlow Town Rail Station
2.4 mi Sawbridgeworth Rail Station
Ferry
20.3 mi East India Pier
20.5 mi Woolwich Ferry North Pier
20.6 mi North Greenwich Pier
Airport
9.2 mi London Stansted Airport
20.1 mi London City Airport
22 mi London Luton 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

Local attractions and activities include: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - The Gibberd Garden (sculpture trail and follies): 10 minutes - TeamSport Go Karting Harlow: 10 minutes - Henry Moore Studios & Gardens: 20 minutes - Lea Valley Park (riverside walks): 25 minutes - Audley End Miniature Railway: 40 minutes - London: 40 minutes by train - Cambridge: 45 minutes’ drive.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Leigh Bell Wharf 28.8 mi Estuary GoodN/APoorN/A
Southend Chalkwell 29.6 mi Estuary N/AGoodN/AGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Lee Valley Regional Park 8.7 mi

Hatfield House 14.1 mi

Knebworth House 15.2 mi

Audley End House and Gardens 16.4 mi

Discover 18.2 mi

National Trust

Shaw's Corner 16.7 mi

Eastbury Manor House 17.8 mi

Sutton House 18.4 mi

Rainham Hall 19.2 mi

2 Willow Road 20.4 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

PISHIOBURY 1.4 mi

THE HOUSE, MARSH LANE 1.5 mi

STANSTEAD BURY 3.6 mi

DOWN HALL 3.7 mi

RYE MEADS (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 19/12/2001) 4.8 mi

Local events

  • All Points East (Friday, August 22, 2025 – Friday, August 22, 2025)

    London, England 19.1 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.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Hertfordshire?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Wild Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Wild Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Wild Retreat? Local attractions and activities include: - Golf course: 10 minutes’ drive - The Gibberd Garden (sculpture trail and follies): 10 minutes - TeamSport Go Karting Harlow: 10 minutes - Henry Moore Studios … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Wild Retreat?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Wild Retreat? From $46.22 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.