Orchard Wild Camping

9.6 52 reviews
Visitor image of their pitch with the perfect amount of shade
Visitor image of their pitch with the perfect amount of shade
Visitor image of their fantastic pitch
Out in nature
Nothing but nature
Secluded areas
Grass pitches
Lots of greenery
Lots of room to spread out
1/40

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  • Back-to-basics wild camping in scenic Suffolk countryside
  • A 20-minute drive from Southwold and 35 minutes from Ipswich
  • Africa Alive, Oasis Camel Park and Sutton Hoo within a 25-minute drive
Looking for a back to basics getaway without all the unnecessary extras? Keep it simple at Orchard Wild Camping, a particularly well-named family-friendly site five minutes’ drive from the small Suffolk town of Saxmundham and around 15 minutes from Aldeburgh and Southwold. The clue is in the name here: this is proudly wild camping where everything's off grid and as nature intended, giving guests lots of space and scope for no-frills stays. There’s a bowser full of water for cooking and washing (drinking water must be bought, but the first bottle will be provided), and a firepit is at each pitch for toasty times and chatty evenings. There is a shower but it's worth noting that it's solar powered and therefore at the mercy of the elements (on some days it may only be for the brave…) Nature-filled hols can extend beyond the limits of the site if so desired: it's about five minutes from here to the edge of Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), putting guests in a prime location for lengthy coastal walks, quiet cycles down country lanes and wildlife spotting. The site is also 20 minutes from RSPB Minsmere (which falls within the AONB) for an afternoon of birdwatching; more animals can be spotted at Africa Alive, 25 minutes from base, and the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary about half an hour away. Getting out and about should be easy as the site is handily located just off the A12.

Campground type

Tent sites 10
Opens

Languages spoken

English

Nearby parks that are bookable on Pitchup.com

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Suffolk?

Features

No 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

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit 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 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 No dogs allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transportation nearby

Type

Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Leisure/theme park nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Location

Orchard Wild Camping

A12

Kelsale-cum-Carlton

Saxmundham

Suffolk

England

IP17 2QZ

Directions

Timezone

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

GPS

52.23855°N
1.48748°W

Route directions

Travelling along the A12 towards Lowestoft, pass Saxmundham on the right hand side, pass a turning for Rendham on the left and look out for a white sign with red writing saying 'concealed entrance'. Slow down and show caution as this is the entrance to the campsite from a busy main road.

Nearest transport

Bus
13.8 mi Broad Street
13.9 mi School Lane
15.2 mi Chaucer Street
Rail
1.6 mi Saxmundham Rail Station
2.8 mi Darsham Rail Station
7.1 mi Wickham Market Rail Station
Ferry
9.3 mi Walberswick Ferry Landing
9.4 mi Southwold Ferry Landing
17.6 mi Bawdsey Ferry Landing

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

To make beach days part of your stay, it’s just 15 minutes' drive from the site to the seafront stretch of Aldeburgh, 20 minutes to Southwold and a little under 40 to Lowestoft. Early birds and adrenaline junkies might want to flap along to the latter – Lowestoft is the first place in the UK to see the sun rise every morning, and it’s also home to the rides and games of Pleasurewood Hills. Meanwhile, fans of traditional British seaside towns with candy-coloured beachfronts and restored Victorian piers might wish to opt for the first two instead. There’s history hereabouts too: the spectacularly sprawling Somerleyton Hall is just outside Lowestoft (and 45 minutes from base), and jousts at Framlingham Castle, clambers around the tower keep of Orford Castle, seeing the unusual 'House in the Clouds' water tower and visits to the famed Anglo-Saxon royal burial site of Sutton Hoo are between 15 and 25 minutes away. When rural rambles, seaside strolls and historical haunts are finally exhausted, there are museums, mansions and shops to explore 35 minutes from the site in Ipswich, and even busier city days within relatively easy reach an hour away in Norwich.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Southwold The Denes 9.8 mi Sea N/AN/AN/AN/A
Southwold The Pier 10.6 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent
Lowestoft (South Of Claremont Pier) 19 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Lowestoft (North Of Claremont Pier) 19.3 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Felixstowe North 20 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Framlingham Castle 6.1 mi

Orford Castle 10.2 mi

Orford Ness National Nature Reserve 10.3 mi

Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon Burial Mounds 11.8 mi

Christchurch Mansion 18.6 mi

National Trust

Orford Ness National Nature Reserve 10.4 mi

Sutton Hoo 11.9 mi

Elizabethan House Museum 27.2 mi

Flatford: Bridge Cottage 27.7 mi

Thorington Hall 29.6 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Leiston - Eastbridge - Middleton - Theberton - Leiston 4 mi

GLEMHAM HALL 4.6 mi

SNAPE (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 01/01/2007 5 mi

HEVENINGHAM HALL 5.1 mi

MINSMERE (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 11/01/2006) 5.1 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.

Offers

Conditions apply - see campsite type section for details

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating based on 52 reviews View breakdown

Wild camping

Voted 86% of visitors View breakdown

100%

would recommend this campground to a friend

96%

would stay here again

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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Really nice pitches. BBQ, fire pit, toilets and that's all we really…

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Really nice pitches. BBQ, fire pit, toilets and that's all we really needed. The owner was very nice and really helpful.

Even though there had been torrential rain for many days preceding our trip, the ground was perfect and didn't affect our stay at all.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice neat little site. Very friendly and helpful. Very close to the…

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Nice neat little site. Very friendly and helpful. Very close to the A12 so ideal for a stopover.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Back to basics camping with private pitches and a warm welcome

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: I wish more sites were like this! Orchard setting with mown out paths and pitches was great, gives the pitches a lot of privacy and space and a sense of adventure. Facilities are obviously basic as expected for a 'wild' site, it isn't for everyone but the toilets were clean and the shower was warm and having no WiFi or phone reception was great!! Simon was really friendly and relaxed. Also a bonus of apples straight from the tree!

Disliked: Road noise, though we knew to expect this from the location and other reviews. Earplugs helped at night!

Recommend to friends Visit again

The campsite is a well carved out space with lots of blackberry…

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 The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: The campsite is a well carved out space with lots of blackberry bushes and apple trees making each pitch rather private, we were given the most tucked away spot in the site which gave the children the chance to roam a little without worry.
The shower was perfect.
Toilets were kept very clean and stocked up.
I thought I’d be worried that the children would get bored without a play area. But with the setting as it is, the fruit picking, and the few activities we brought with us there was very little boredom.

A great wild site and very well looked after by Simon.

Disliked: Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely site with friendly owner and private pitches

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Loved the individual firepits on each pitch - perfect to sit around stargazing in the evening

Recommend to friends Visit again

The site is exactly how it is described, fantastic wild camping sites…

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: The site is exactly how it is described, fantastic wild camping sites with private pitches.

Recommend this to anyone looking to get back to the basics whilst enjoying a fantastic fire.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely campsite, friendly owner, lots of apples and blackberries.…

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Lovely campsite, friendly owner, lots of apples and blackberries.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Simon was so friendly and helpful. The whole site was clean, excellently…

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Simon was so friendly and helpful. The whole site was clean, excellently planned. lovely clean loo and hot shower. Beautiful surroundings and private sites.
We will be back. Thanks so much Simon.

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Camping in the wilderness is always a 5 star experience. The site…

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Camping in the wilderness is always a 5 star experience. The site is well kept, inclusive and yet private, and overseen by the wonderful Simon. Local villages are Dark Skies so there is no light pollution, and there are many of activities and day trips in the local area. Always we'll be back every summer.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site in a good position

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

Primitive grass tent or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked: Nice private off grid pitches, simple facilities (toilet, shower). Helpful, friendly owner.

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Orchard Wild Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Orchard Wild Camping dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Orchard Wild Camping? To make beach days part of your stay, it’s just 15 minutes' drive from the site to the seafront stretch of Aldeburgh, 20 minutes to Southwold and a little under 40 to … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Orchard Wild Camping?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more