Debden House

We booked for the last weekend in September and having read the reviews I was a little nervous (it was the first time I'd been camping without DH since the Guides...)

The people manning the office were pleasant, very busy but efficient, although some clear instructions as to how the barrier worked would have been useful (they lift it for you, but at the barrier itself it looks like you need something to wave at a sensor - you don't!)

We were in field 5, one of the fire fields, and our area was flat and marked off by hedges. We were able to drive right up and park the car there, which was brilliant (we have a lot of stuff!). Our area didn't have a bin but we used the adjoining one without a problem. The free firewood is dumped/delivered by various landscape gardening companies and builders to the site, we had loads but I can imagine this is a matter of sheer luck and timing.

No loos/washing in our field, but plenty in the adjoining one, clean and working (and very cold!). We didn't use the showers (went to Loughton pool - about 5 mins drive away - on the way home on Sunday for a swim and a proper wash!) but they seemed clean and in working order. The shop was shut as we were out of season but the ladies in the cafe were very friendly and although we didn't partake it smelled wonderful! The 2 playgrounds were appreciated by the children and being able to walk right into Epping Forest from the site was great. Not a lot else going on, but we came to 'get away from it all' so were very happy.

Being able to have a proper fire was magical, our little girls had a wonderful time toasting marshmallows while my friend and I got stuck into the wine box... no sign of rats, everything was very clean and tidy.

Very relaxed about check out on Sunday morning, no-one came round to hurry us up, we really enjoyed being right in the forest and will definitely come again!

Really enjoyed the fire, the closeness of the woods, the private-ish pitch, the quick response of the authorities when some numpty started letting off fireworks.
Didn't enjoy the lack of firewood (they provide but not much), the distance of the loos, the idiots who started playing guitars and singing at midnight. It's a bit too big for them to organise effectively.

We were initially excited by the prospect of this lovely sounding campsite, and upon calling to make a booking, our expectations for a weekend away were sky high after chatting to the lovely lady on the end of the phone who told us that it wasn't necessary to book, but just turn up the following day.

Imagine our surprise when on arrival, we were greeted by rude and indifferent staff, who took pains to point out that we didn't book 'properly' and should have sent a cheque for a reservation.
(does anybody still deal in cheques these days)?

Biting our collective tongue we got back into our camper, drove up to the gate only to sit for 10 minutes at the head of a queue, because the sniggering teenager on reception failed to recognise us and open the gate to let us in. (Despite the fact we had checked in with him and hopped into the camper in his plain view not 2 minutes earlier).

Unfortunately our opinion of this site diminished further and further the longer we stayed.

The toilet blocks were filthy (not sure about the main one, we didn't use it) with overflowing sanitary bins stacked outside the blocks.

The many rubbish bins around the site were overflowing and judging by the stench that was wafting from them hadn't been emptied in quite a while.

One redeeming feature of this site is your ability to wander off into the delightful Epping forest and leave it behind.

So after a long afternoons walk, and in a refreshed state of mind we returned to the campsite. As it was getting on for dusk we were expecting to encounter some of the famed Epping forest nightlife.. What we weren't expecting was for it to be RATS..Big rats, small rats.. rats everywhere.. scrounging through the rubbish around the campsite and the black refuse sacks piled up beside the bins.

With that, and the increasing volume of the campers around us.. we were finally pulled the pin and set of for home.

Despite losing the *expensive* nights payment, This was the best decision we made when it came to this Campsite.

Please don't mis-understand us, we are a young couple, not inclined to moan or complain about campsites.. their level of cleanliness or the volume of our camping neighbors.
We camp at least one weekend a month and have visited all kinds of campgrounds all over the UK, taking each site on it's own merits and forming our own opinions, but this experience has left us cold.

This could be (and may have been) a magnificent campsite.. But as it is today needs a lot of work, more than a lick of paint and some major investment in the staff. And regular garbage collections. Please.

I would avoid Debden house campsite like the plague.

(un)happykampers

Kids had a great time, we were in a Fire field with a large group, great fun had around the camp fire and looking for wood in the forest which was immediately behind us, facilities were OK, but a long way, had to walk through 3 fields to get to the showers and 2 fields to get to the toilets. Reasonably private pitch, would go again, but prob better for big groups.

Great site - particularly if you live in London - it's literally 30 mins from our house in North London (traffic permitting). Once you're pitched up you would have no idea that you are so close to home - the site is about 8 fields surrounded by the Forest - great for the kids to play, and really beautiful (as well as lots of trees for night-time trips to the loo). One of the best things about Debden is that you can have campfires (although not on all the fields - so do check before you book). So great eves can be spent cooking marshmallows on sticks and sitting around a real fire when the evening turns cold? Logs are on sale at the campsite. The forest is also fabulous for 'midnight walks' with lanterns when dark sets in.

The facilities are a LONG way from certain fields, infact I actually drove to the loo one time when my youngest son was dying. The main shower/toilet block by the reception area seems pretty clean with hot water but the facilities are pretty basic. There's a shop and cafe which seems to mainly sell sweets but Loughton and Debden aren't too far away to stock up on barbie goods.