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Reviews of Church Farm Campsite
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Church Farm Campsite
Ardeley
Stevenage
Hertfordshire (Browse area)
SG2 7AH
Tel: 01438 861447
Visit their website Check Digital TV coverage See Weather Forecast
   
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Pitches: 100 Camping, 25 Wooden Cabins & 28 Bell Tents
Open: 01/04/2024 to 30/09/2024
01/04/2025 to 30/09/2025
Rating: 
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 Tent Pitches |
 No Caravans |
 No Motorhomes |
 Small Campervans |
 Glamping Units |
 No Statics for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 No Seasonal Pitches |
 No Electric Hookups |
 No Hardstandings |
 No Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 No Rallies |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
 Motorbikers Welcome |
| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 No Laundry |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 No Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 No Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 No Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 Wifi Access |
 Shop On Site |
 Bar <1 mile |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site |
| Activities |
 Kids Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 No Fishing |
 No Wild Swimming |
 Indoor Pool <5 miles |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 Horse Riding <5 miles |
 No Cycle Hire |
 Golf <5 miles |
 No Tennis |
 No Beach |
 No Watersports |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Working Farm |
 Campfires Allowed |
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 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <1 mile |
 Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access |
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Reviews:
33 in total, now showing 11 to 20
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| Date of Visit: May 2018 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: TurboKerbo |
2 reviews from this member |
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 I love this site. Very basic but very private due to the size of it. It's never too busy and the pitch sizes are perfect.
They have a fantastic farm shop and cafe on site and also a great pub just across the road that serves really good food.
I highly recommend this site but do think it's slightly over priced for the facilities included. 
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| Date of Visit: April 2018 |
Unit: Motorhome |
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| Reviewer: Elainedavis100 |
4 reviews from this member |
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Booked this site as we were visiting relatives in the area. Whilst it looked idyllic in the photos the reality was somewhat different. On arrival we found the reception at the farm and booked in and were then redirected to the campsite which was further along the road.
Access was via two gates and a lot of mud and the field itself was very sloping although we did manage to find a flat area at the bottom of the field to level our large motorhome.
The grass had not been mowed and was very long and wet. There were nice views but very noisy animals in the surrounding fields and also quite a lot of airplane noise as well. The facilities can only be described as abysmal, composting toilets which were gross or a hole in the ground and a shower in a rickety shed.
I was extremely thankful that our motorhome has all the facilities that we need as I could not have bought myself to use those toilets. So basically camping at its most natural which is all well and good but not when they are charging £12. 50 per night per adult and £7. 95 per child and this is out of season!
There were only two of us so a cost of £25 per night but for a family of four in a tent you would be looking at £40 per night which in view of the total lack of facilities is extortionate especially when compared to what other campsites with decent facilities charge. They then want to charge you extra for pretty much everything even rubbish disposal, take it home with you or pay another £5!
The farm itself is nice for kids but buildings are dilapidated. We didn't use the café but bought a few bits from the farm shop, but again it was very expensive. We had a couple of meals in the pub which had friendly welcoming staff and good food but again probably overpriced.
If they were charging say £10-£12 per unit per night this would be about right given the lack of facilities but really could not recommend this site at the current charges and we won't be returning
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| Date of Visit: July 2017 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: SeamusBrooks |
1 review from this member |
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I heard about Church Farm through a friend who loves bird-watching and had camped at the farm a few weeks previously. When I saw they offered cabins to rent I thought this would be perfect as we have a 2 year old. So, I booked one of the Pits cabins as the other larger cabins in Oaks were already taken.
When we arrived I went to the reception and was greeted by a very friendly guy who explained where the cabins were and off we went to start our adventure!
The cabins aren't the easiest to find and a little more thought about some decent signposting would be appreciated as it wasn't obvious that the Pits site is split into two lanes of cabins that have separate entrances. But, after a friendly chat with some Pits residents we eventually found our plot.
The cabins are very basic and not very secure so I would recommend keeping anything of value in the car. Also, the cabins could so with some sort of storage, even a very basic wardrobe would really help but I appreciate this might take up valuable space for larger families. They could also do with putting at least one hook into the ceiling so that a light can be hung up. A latch to keep the doors open would be very helpful as well. These are minor inconveniences though.
The 'garden' was a nice size and had a pub style bench and a smaller 'school' bench to sit and eat at. Each cabin has a fire-pit which can also double up as a bbq area. We had a lovely bbq using the fire-pit and then later in the evening a glorious campfire complete with marshmallows!
The shop has everything you need including all the usual essentials for camping eg logs, kindling, charcoal. The meat we bought from them was superb and it was no trouble for them to prepare it when asked. If you don't see something you want just ask and they will go off to the butchery and prepare it for you.
The café does a lovely English breakfast and the coffee is freshly ground.
The farm has loads to do for young 'uns including lots of animals to feed and interact with, play areas, indoor play areas, gardens etc etc.
The pub offers some really good guest ales and the food we had was really nice too. Not the cheapest prices but I couldn't complain as we had such a lovely meal.
Overall our stay was really enjoyable BUT there are some considerations:-
If you want complete peace and quiet then avoid Saturdays. It's very busy and so is Stansted airport. You will get planes flying over at a height that makes conversation difficult. There are lots of planned activities so it can be busy with people as well. The Sunday and Monday, by comparison, were extremely quiet!
To summarise:-
Pros:-
Very friendly staff
Child friendly farmyard
Lots to keep kids entertained
Café
Pub
Quiet on weekdays
Cons:-
Busy on Saturdays
Noise from airplanes can be distracting
Price (not terrible but charging per person for a cabin seems unreasonable)
Would we go back? Yes, but we would only go midweek when it's quieter!
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| Date of Visit: June 2017 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Canvassleeper |
8 reviews from this member |
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Lovely site. Would definitely visit again. Great approach to marking out spacious group pitches with bunting (I think we may have paid extra for that).
Hay bales really added to the campfire atmosphere. Great shop, lovely staff.
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Date of Visit: June 2016  |
Unit: Campervan |
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| Reviewer: Ratty |
323 reviews from this member |
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I have been back here twice now in two weeks, both midweek and both times the place was deserted.
The cost has gone up this year to £12.50 per adult and £9.50 for children, this makes this a very expensive site if you have a couple of kids. For this money you still get basically no facilities. Ok, there is a compost toilet, a fresh water tap and a shower in each field, although the shower when I went to use it only gave out cold water, so effectively another fresh water tap in the field.
I feel this site is overpriced for just a field, however the space you get and the walks in the area kind of make up for this a bit. Walking is in abundance and you can do short trails or spend the whole day in the country enjoying the peace and quiet.
Staff were friendly on arrival and booking is online on their website and straightforward.
I will stay here again as it is local to friends in the area, however if I was canmping with the family I would choose elsewhere as they price themselves out of the market for a family.
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| Date of Visit: May 2016 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: TJConway |
1 review from this member |
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Church Farm, Ardeley is a stones throw from the hustle and bustle of Stevenage but you really wouldn't know it, it was so peaceful. If you have children it's lovely that you can take the children around the farm trail and visit all of the animals on site.
Situated in beautiful countryside in a well kept field my friends and I opted for the special Camping Under The Stars event that is held once a month in the warmer months, costing £12 per person.
For the extra £3 per person the field we were in had a massive bonfire and there was a bar and barbecue laid on, along with local musicians playing throughout the evening. Drink prices for alcohol started at around £3 for wine or beer (£5 for Prosecco) and Burgers and Hot Dogs made from the farm's produced meat were around £3 each. You could of course bring your own BBQ but were asked to purchase the farm's meat.
There were compost toilets situated on the field (which were not anywhere as bad as I expected, being a first time camper) or if you felt really energetic you could walk to the toilet and shower facilities, but it would of taken me about 20 minutes to do so.
There is also during the day a wonderful cafe, tea shop, farm shop and pub, yet again though these are all a bit of a walk depending on which field you are situated in.
All in all I really enjoyed myself, the site was lovely, the staff were pleasant and helpful, and I will definitely be going back.
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| Date of Visit: July 2015 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Wendy james |
4 reviews from this member |
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I took my 4. 5 year old daughter along on my first visit to Church Farm. I purchased farm passes for us, and was able to defer them to the next day as we'd arrived quite late. I didn't quite understand the driving directions given in the shop, so chose to walk down with the tent to get my bearings. It was quite easy to get my bearings and bring the car down after.
The field is quite large, with no defined pitches. We pitched our tent in sight of the compost loos (two, smelly and untidy the next morning) but the other side of the field. There was a pile of hay bales in the middle of the field, which really encouraged the children to play together in our view; I barely saw anything of my daughter!
We only stayed one night, so didn't use the shower facilities. We did have breakfast in the cafe though; quite possibly the best Eggs Benedict I've ever had! My daughters breakfast, served as a smiling face made of eggs eyes, soldier eyebrows, tomato nose and sausage mouth was delightful too.
I would definitely go back, prepared to purchase some meat at the shop to cook myself and to spend more time exploring the farm (and maybe the pub opposite!).
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| Date of Visit: August 2015 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Pcjjsn |
4 reviews from this member |
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How do I start? the good points - 1) The kids loved playing in the woods. A vast safe area close to the great field, we didn't see them for hours, although they could be heard running around. 2) There are no set pitch sizes, you can take as much room as you like.
The not so good points - there so are many!
A narrow, muddy, uneven, farm track leads to two fields. We were in the 'Great field', which is ironic really, as it was not great at all. It looked like the grass had not been cut this year, we pitched on foot high grass. There were an estimated 60 other tents in this filed but masses of room. With one water tap at one end, 600 yards away, making collecting water a chore.
Two composting toilets, not particularly clean, and only two toilets for the whole field, for the 60 tents!
There is a toilet block at the farm entrance near the showers, but this was unclean, with a muddy floor, with one urinal and one cubicle for the gents, I can't comment on the Ladies loo.
The showers, no queues at 7am but it's 1. 2 mile round trip, I guess the other 600 campers from both fields couldn't be bothered. There are 2 shower blocks each with 2 showers in, one shower block was locked, it was still locked at 8. 30am. Once inside you needed to navigate around the dirty, damp rug, the shower cubicle was large enough. However the floor was under an inch of dirty water, there were many dirty ear buds, a second-hand toothbrush and a dirty old towel hanging up that I wouldn't use on my dog. The shower was either scalding hot or freezing cold, with 3 seconds of warm water in-between, these are unsafe for the kids to shower themselves, and very uncomfortable for adults.
There's a review from September 2012, where they were looking to build a new shower block, 3 years later and they still have the vinyl flooring nailed to the wall in the shower cubicle.
Not the campsites fault, but the low flying planes in and out of Luton from 5. 30am to midnight and the odd one at 3am to 4am, does not make it a peaceful site.
Value for money at £39 per night, okay there's six of us, but then to charge you another £10 to light a fire, and extra to visit the farm, and they prefer you to buy their organic produce if you're having a BBQ (it's ok they price match to Tesco's finest and organic ranges)so it's over priced to my local butcher. The prices would not have been too much of an issue if the facilities were spot on however. They were far from it.
The best part of the weekend was going to the White Lion pub in Walkern for a fantastic Sunday roast, highly recommended. I didn't bother with their campsite owned pub at the entrance 'The Jolly Waggoner' as I felt I had given enough to their coffers.
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| Date of Visit: June 2015 |
Unit: Campervan |
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| Reviewer: Ratty |
323 reviews from this member |
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We were visiting friends in the area and had another great stay at this site in the main camping fields. All of my past review still stands as to the local sites, the farm shop, animals to view, cafe, etc.
The fields are just huge and you can camp where you like in these fields and there is only 3 toilets and one fresh water tap on the camping fields. Plenty of space in the fields to play games, fly a kite, etc.
They market this site as Wild Camping and it is as close as you will get. The toilets are composting toilets and although a tad whiffy they do work very well and were clean each time I used them, they had toilet roll and hand sanitiser in each.
This place seems to attract groups so can get noisy with parties running in to the night, but there is so much space, just find your quiet corner and away you go.
Went to the Waggoners pub again and the food was fab with the meat etc. Being supplied from the farm itself.
Reception was very friendly and cannot fault that.
What does annoy me is that the site is quite expensive at £8. 50 per adult. This is on a par with other sites that offer full facilities, proper toilet and showers etc. So I would suggest either build a spanking new facilities block and keep charging £8. 50 per adult, or keep the site as it is, which is fine, but charge a realistic rate for wild camping without decent facilities, say £5 per adult.
You also have to take your own rubbish home as they do not provide any bins. Again at £8. 50 per adult I would at least expect a bin, not to take my own rubbish away. Just a skip in the corner by the entrance to the fields would suffice.
They had an event on "Camping under the Stars" which they billed as local musicians, a raging fire, hay bales for kids to play on etc. We did not attend this but we did wander over to see it all happening each time we went to the toilets and they did have a raging fire, they did have the hay bales to play on, they did have a DJ, but I did not spot any musicians or bands, but I may have been unlucky not to catch them on each visit.
Having said all this, would I visit again? Yes, yes, yes. I love this site and is a really back to basics camping experience. Nice one Church Farm, see you soon.
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| Date of Visit: July 2014 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Shaunl |
1 review from this member |
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I would not usually go to the trouble of reviewing a campsite, as situations can occur beyond the owners control.
However, I must warn other campers to check the situation with the shower/wc facilities before you book.
The 'showers' were practically non-functioning, and we only found one fully functioning toilet in the mens wc. The first morning, I had to shower under a cold trickle of water, and hardly even got wet, until I stood in the puddle of dirty water on the bathroom floor. The 2nd morning, didn't bother, drove the 270miles home without washing, after we had planned to stay in the area for the day.
The staff were very understanding, had good explanations, but if they had explained before we arrived, we would have booked elsewhere.
The reason I'm posting this, is that they agreed to refund the fees, but I have heard nothing since we agreed a figure, and have had no refund. I would not have posted if they had.
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Is Church Farm Campsite child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Church Farm Campsite? There is a shop on site View all facilities
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