FAQ’s

We’re open from Thursday 30th April 2026 to Monday 14th September 2026.

* Our online booking system opens on Monday 2nd March 2026. If you’re planning peak dates, we recommend booking early.

Yes: • June to August: minimum 2 nights for Friday or Saturday arrivals • May and August Bank Holidays: minimum 3 nights (Friday arrival)

The lead booker must be over 21 and must be present on site during the stay (ID may be requested). If nobody in your tent/group is over 21, please contact us before booking.

No — we don’t assign specific pitches. When you arrive, drive around and choose the best available spot for you and your group. We’ll come round after 4pm to check you in.

Yes. Add additional pitches during your first pitch booking on the 4th webpage during the process. In the Notes section, add your group leader’s surname and the expected number of pitches.

* Prices start from £27 per night per family, with standard camping at £36 per night for up to 2 adults on one pitch (peak premium applies on certain nights). Full pricing is on our Prices page.

Yes. During the summer holidays we offer: • 4 nights for the price of 3 (Mon–Fri) • 7 nights for the price of 6 (arrive any day)

Yes. Full payment is required upfront to confirm your booking.

Use: Rushbanks Campsite (not Rushbanks Farm), Bures Road, Wissington, Nayland, Colchester, CO6 4NA. Follow the track downhill to the site.

Yes — we recommend meeting delivery drivers in our car park, as phone signal can be limited and it’s easier for them to find you.

Standard arrival is after 2pm and departure is by 12 noon. If you’re running late, please try to arrive before 8pm where possible.

Yes, for grass pitches: • Early check-in (10am): £16 • Late check-out (4pm): £16

These can be added as optional extras when you book.

Once you’ve chosen your pitch, our team will come round after 4pm to check you in.

Yes — we’re off-grid camping, which means no electric hook-up and no Wi-Fi. We recommend bringing a torch/headtorch and a power bank. We do, however, have clean toilets and hot showers.

We provide a toilet block, extra portable toilets, hot showers , fresh tap water, outdoor washing-up sinks, recycling and general waste bins, a chemical disposal point for caravans/motorhomes, and a play area with swings.

We do not provide electric hook-up or Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi is available at the pubs listed on our Amenities page).

If you have any access requirements, please contact us before you book and we’ll do our best to help you plan a comfortable stay.  

No — we don’t have guest fridges/freezers on site. You can buy ice locally from Mill Street Store (Nayland), Great Horkesley Post Office, or supermarkets such as Asda Colchester.

We aim for a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Campfires must be fully extinguished by 11:00pm, and we expect guests to be considerate so everyone can sleep well.

A pitch is one tent (or one caravan/campervan/motorhome) and your group.

Yes — we accept tents, caravans, campervans/motorhomes, and roof tents (car-top tents). A pitch is one unit (one tent or one vehicle-based setup).

Yes — you choose your spot on arrival. We don’t reserve pitches or allocate numbered spaces.

Yes — we have a few camping areas (for example riverside spots, areas set back from the river, and a square field that can suit larger groups). Availability depends on the day you arrive.

In the Riverside area you camp right by the river, but cars park by the hedge rather than next to your tent. In all the other areas, you’re welcome to park beside your tent or caravan.

A standard pitch is one main tent. If you’d like a children-only pup tent, you can add it as an extra. Any additional full-sized tent normally needs an additional pitch.

You can have one attached awning included. A gazebo can be added as an optional extra (£6 per night).

Yes. A children-only pup tent (under 18) is £6 per night.

No — to keep the site calm and manageable, only booked campers are allowed on site.

Bell tents are located in the riverside area near the swing/play area. You’ll see them in that section of the site.

Check-in is from 2pm. Once you arrive, get settled, and we’ll come round after 4pm to check you in.

Each bell tent includes a memory foam double mattress (sheet included), 6 roll mats and a light.

Bring your own camping kit such as sleeping bags, pillows, extra bedding and any decorations/bunting you’d like. Bell tents are fixed and can’t be moved.

Yes — bell tents are allocated first-come, first-served.

Yes — campfires are one of the best parts of a Rushbanks stay. Fire pits must be booked and used responsibly.

Fires must be fully extinguished by 11:00pm by campers. We provide water buckets to put your fires out with.

No — only our fire pits are allowed, and for safety only wood purchased on site can be used.

Yes — Our £28 Campfire Bundle includes 2 bags of logs, 1 fire pit, kindling + firelighters, a bucket, and a grill. We deliver everything to your pitch.

Yes — perfect for a family campfire night. Add them when you book or buy on site (subject to availability).

Yes — you’re welcome to bring your own BBQ. Please keep it raised off the ground, well away from tents, and never leave it unattended.

Yes — disposable BBQs are allowed. Please use them safely (raised off the ground), and make sure they are fully cold and extinguished before disposal. Do not put hot ashes or a warm BBQ into our large bins — let it cool completely first (water/sand can help), then wrap/bag it and put it in general waste.

Yes — you can hire canoes for a day on the River Stour (perfect for “Paddle to the Pub”). Your hire includes a short paddling briefing and river maps. Canoes fit up to 3 adults, or 2 adults plus up to 3 small children.

Add canoe/SUP hire during your pitch booking and choose your preferred day. We’ll confirm availability by email and take payment within 24 hours of confirmation.

If you’ve already booked your pitch, please email us and we’ll add a canoe or paddleboard to your booking.

On the day, meet us at the canoe area (at the far left jetty when facing the river) at 10am for a short training/session briefing.

Canoe hire runs from 10am–7pm (9 hours).

Yes — beginners are welcome and we provide training/briefing before you set off.

Buoyancy aids are available, and are free for children.

For safety, no alcohol or drugs on the canoes, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

If you have any medical conditions you think we should know about, please let us know before paddling.

It’s a canoe trip down the River Stour to The Anchor Inn, Nayland (around 90 minutes downstream). You’ll need to carry the canoe around two weirs, and we strongly recommend booking your table early using the pub’s reservation link. When you arrive, leave canoes at the jetty and place them on the right-hand side by the hedge, then check in with the pub for seating.

Yes — you’re welcome to bring your own. Please follow all river rules and paddle responsibly. If you’re unsure about suitability, routes, or where to launch, contact us before you arrive and we’ll point you in the right direction (head left as you look at the river!).

Our boat hire includes the river Stour license and insurance.

Canoe hire is non-refundable within 30 days of arrival. If we are unable to provide the canoe on the day, we will move your booking to another date. If rescheduling isn’t feasible, we will provide a refund, less a £25 administration fee. We recommend holiday insurance for cancellations and cover while travelling.

Yes — dogs are welcome at £6 per dog per night, maximum 2 dogs per pitch.

Yes, dogs must be kept on leads at all times on the main site, and you must pick up and dispose of fouling.

There is a field area outside the main campsite where dogs can be let off leads (unless cattle or sheep are nearby on that field at the time).

If there’s an incident (including excessive barking that disturbs others), you may be asked to leave the site with no refund.

Fishing is allowed during fishing season, and you’ll need a rod licence.

We do not sell any fishing equipment.

Quiet time is from 11pm — please no music/noise after that.

No car movements between 11pm and 6:30am.

Yes — children must be supervised at all times.

There are no refunds within 30 days of your booking for pitches, bell tents or boats.

Yes — strongly. We recommend adding Booking Refund Protection through XCover (a third-party provider; the insurance money does not go to Rushbanks and any approved refunds are handled by XCover directly). It can cover unforeseen events such as illness, vehicle breakdown and severe weather. If you didn’t add it at checkout, you may be able to add it later via your booking account or by contacting us.

We’ll reschedule where possible. If rescheduling isn’t possible, we’ll refund the extra minus a £10 processing fee.

We are not liable for interruptions or cancellations caused by events outside our control (for example extreme weather, floods, fire, strikes, disease/pandemic, and similar disruptions).

Yes — we can accommodate groups. Please contact us in advance so we can recommend the best area of the site (for example the square field for larger groups).

Yes, generally midweek works best. Pricing is £12 per child (under 18) and £12 per group leader. In busier periods we may not be able to accept these bookings on Bank Holidays or weekends in June, July and August. Please contact us and we’ll do our best to accommodate your group.