When we sought out a campsite close enough for us to use while we were visiting The Hampton Court Flower Show, the Walton on Thames Club campsite ticked all the boxes. A tranquil, traditional campsite within the M25 motorway, it has been in the care of the Camping & Caravan Club for more than 90 years.
We are not great lovers of large sites preferring always to camp on farms and other licenced sites where the limit is five campervans motorhomes or caravans. But, wishing to experience the hustle and bustle of the capital while still camping in the more relaxed setting of the countryside, we ended up choosing this site.
The campsite is well laid out and surprisingly tranquil and spacious. You would hardly know this leafy green oasis is located within London’s orbital M25 motorway. There’s an excellent, if rather overgrown, dog walk on site and numerous opportunities for dogs and walkers to stretch their legs off site, including a pleasant riverside walk into Hersham.
There was a good selection of both hardstanding and grass pitches with plenty of space for each one, although I understand there have been space issues when it comes to caravanners wanting to park their tow cars beside their vans.
One of the reasons why this large site seems so quiet is because it has no toilet or showers, so you will need suitable facilities on board your unit.
The clubs WiFi coverage is poor due to its rural location,
The site is on the flight path to Heathrow Airport and some aircraft noise is inevitable when the airport returns to full operating capacity
Access to site is via a very narrow single track road. the entrance lane leading to the site is narrow with cars and vans parked on one side opposite the houses, There is one vicious speed bump and several large potholes so we suggest the slow approach. The final half mile is a single track road without passing points and that can be tricky! But, if everyone pays attention to, and adheres to the recommended AM departure and PM arrival advice suggested by the club there should not be a problem.
The site is a haven for wildlife and squirrels are everywhere as are the site’s resident parakeets!
Horse riding, golf, Nordic walking and llama trekking are all activities that can be enjoyed within the near vicinity of the campsite. The site has good walks and cycle routes from it and is adjacent to Molesey Heath nature area
We enjoyed a very pleasant bike ride along the towpath of the river Thames and because we love watching boats, we lingered at and enjoyed the antics of boaters using both the Sunbury and Molesley locks.
This site is outside of London’s Congestion Charge and Low Emission Zones. To avoid low railway bridges on the A244, the wardens recommend the use of Rydens Road in Walton on Thames.
Train stations at nearby Walton on Thames and Hersham make London and its attractions very easily accessible. Family days out not in the capital can be enjoyed at Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland theme parks. The popular Hampton Court Palace and Claremont Landscape Garden are close by.