1 Night Camp: no hired equipment

Stay 1 night at our fabulous woodland campsite. This is an ideal campsite for those who want to experience the best of woodland camping.

Level: Land based woodland campsite

Mid week only, contact us for larger group bookings at other times.
£15

Camp in our amazing riverside woodland campsite (walking access only) with open fires (you need to bring your own wood and water) and your own clearings. It was voted Top 52 Things to do in the world by Lonely Planet and Top 3 in the UK by Red Bull Magazine.

What's Included

Your Campsite
Camping

We also have some back support for those with back problems

Please note if a date is unavailable then it is fully booked.

Important Information

Access

You can paddle directly into our woodland using any craft you desire! There is a river map below detailing where Matchstick woods is in relation to the rest of the river. Please contact us if you need any other river based directions!

If you're arriving at the site on-foot, you can use the below map references to find your way

What3Words: weds.model.gosh

OS maps: Grid Ref: TL 10757 50410

If you're driving, the closest you can get is the Willington Dovecote, at which point you have a 20 minute hike into the woods. You can follow the map references above to get there: there is a locked gate you can climb over, marked as the entrance to Matchstick woods, which leads to a forest track that leads to the clearings on the left hand side. Be sure to camp in a clearing, not on a path!

Fires

Each clearing has its own campfire circle. Using deadwood is prohibited because it is important to the woodland ecosystem. Please bring some firewood or purchase a bag of firewood from us when booking.

Add-ons

To make your trip even more enjoyable, you can pay for our Luggage Service, where you leave your luggage with us and we drop it off into your private clearing and collect it the following day. That way you get to paddle a nice light boat. You can also hire our campfire kitchen equipment (Grills, Kettles, Dutch Ovens) to enable you to cook over the campfire without ruining your best camp stove pots and pans! All these options can be added when booking.

Those looking for places to eat or drink check out The Crown Pub or the Danish Camp.

Hire FAQ's

What's the difference between a kayak and a canoe?

If you're not sure of what each craft is, then read our guide here.

Are the trips guided?

There are no guides or instructors needed for hire. This is simply a hire where you paddle out and back to our launch point. We recommend our preferred route, however, you are free-range and able to explore the river.

What if it rains?

Unless you hear from us then your booking will run on the day agreed. Canoe Trail runs watersports, paddling, and adventurous activities throughout the year with people enjoying the river and our woodland campsite during the different seasons. On rare occasions (it only happens a couple of times a year) we may move or change your booking. This will be in freak weather conditions such as extremely high river flows in spate or during heavy storms with lightning. You can read our full FAQ here.

How does the booking process work?

We use a live booking system that will assign you the relevant craft and resources. Once you have confirmed your booking date, it is not then transferable and non-refundable in the same way you book an airline seat. Bookings are to be paid in full at the time of booking and are non-refundable. There will be no refunds for early returns, poor weather, or non-usage as per our general terms & conditions.

Location

Willington, Bedford

1 Night Camp: no hired equipment

What's Included

Important Information

Hire FAQ's

Location

We Value Relationships