Camping in Stansted

There is no campsite in Stansted village itself, and it is worth being clear from the outset that wild camping without the landowner's permission is illegal in England, including on the North Downs around Stansted — the open access land and public footpaths here (such as the Pilgrims' Way and North Downs Way) are for walking, not overnight pitching, so any camping trip needs to be at a proper, permitted site.

Fortunately the wider Kent Downs area around Stansted has a good spread of options. The North Downs Way itself passes established campsites aimed at walkers, such as Dunn Street Farm near the trail with its handcrafted shepherd's huts and wood burners, while further afield around Aylesford and Maidstone sites such as Kits Coty Glamping offer bell tents and shepherd's huts within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Closer to Wrotham and Wrotham Heath, a handful of small campsites and glamping pitches cater well to tents, motorhomes and those wanting a simple field with a view rather than a full holiday park.

The terrain around Stansted is classic North Downs chalk country — steep in places, exposed on the ridge tops, and interspersed with beech hangers and open grassland such as that at nearby Trosley Country Park. This makes for excellent walking but means weather can turn quickly up on the high ground, so it is worth choosing a well-sheltered pitch and packing for wind and rain even in summer. Spring through early autumn is the best camping season, when the chalk grassland is in flower and the days are long enough for a decent walk along the Pilgrims' Way before making camp; the exposed position that gives Stansted its views also means winter camping here is one for hardier visitors only.

For those who prefer a roof over a tent, glamping is well represented locally, from shepherd's huts to bell tents, and makes a comfortable way to combine a countryside stay with day trips to Brands Hatch, the London Golf Club or the market towns of Sevenoaks and Maidstone.