Frequently Asked Questions

Bookings

When is the booking deposit required by?

All booking deposits must be recieved no later then four weeks after the confirmation of agreed dates has been recieved.



What is your booking procedure?

Our booking procedure is relatively simple, however if you are unsure, please see the steps below. 1. Provisional Booking submitted. 2. Booking dates agreed. 3. Receipt of deposit (no later then four weeks). 4. Booking of activities opens.



I'd like to book the whole site, is this possible?

We do take whole site bookings, however these are entirely dependent on availability as other groups may book onto single sites. We encourage any whole site bookings to be made far in advance to give you the maximum availability possible. If you wish to make a whole site booking, please email bookings@thorringtonscoutcamp.org, with the subject "Whole Site Booking Enquiry".



Can I book for just an evening visit?

Sure, we're happy to accomodate evening visit's, however they must be booked in good time to allow for access to the site. All activity bookings for evening visits are subject to instructor activity.



Camping

When can I arrive on site?

Campers are welcome on site on Friday evenings from 7:00pm onwards, please enquire if you wish to come down earlier as we may require prior notice to ensure someone is on site to welcome you.



Can I recycle on site?

We are pleased to announce that we now have recycling facilties on-site. We have a dry mixed recycling disposal unit, this means most waste can be recycled however please pay attention to the recycling signs situated at the bin area.



Do you have a snack or souvenier shop?

We have a small shop on-site known as the 'Providore', it stocks small souveniers such as badges, woggles and other small accessories. It also has a small tuckshop range and offers a pick'n'mix variety. Please note the shop is cash only at present.



Are we allowed fires on site?

Each camp site has individual fire bases and we promote the use of backwards cooking styles. However during the summer periods we will often review the policy and may have to implement a "No Fire Policy", this is to ensure site safety. Fires are only allowed to take place on the concrete blocks provided and in no circumstances may PIT fires be made.



Do you have an on-site car park?

We have a on-site car park, however we encourage the use of minibuses or car-shares if possible as the car park can become very busy with only a few groups on-site.



Am I able to take my vehicle onto the site?

Cars can only enter onto the site to drop group equipment off and must be returned to the car park promptly. Cars are not permitted to stay on the campsite and therefore must be returned to the car park, this is to ensure site safety as groups have free roam of the campsite. When entering onto the site there is a strict 5mph speed limit, failure to adhere to the speed limit may result in you being asked to vacate the campsite.



Where is the closest Camping Equipment store?

We are fortunate to have shops within our surrounding areas that sell a variety of camping equipment should you need it. These are: Go Outdoors - Camping Equipment (Colchester, 8.3 miles) Sibbons Plant Hire - Gas Bottle Refills (Elmstead, 2.8 miles)



Do you have Wi-Fi or an Internet Connection?

Due to our rural setting, we are unable to provide these services. However there is an overall good signal around the site for 3G on most mobile networks.



Can I get an online food delivery to the campsite?

Yes, most supermarkets local to Thorrington offer this service and we regularly have groups take advantage of this handy feature. The closest large supermarkets to the campsite are: Tesco, Colchester (5.3 miles) Tesco Extra, Colchester (7.7 miles) Asda, Colchester (8.3 miles)



Activities

Do you have any leader-led activities?

We are able to offer a few leader-led activities that can be self-run. These activities are; - Slacklining - Slingshot Shack - Orienteering - Pioneering - 3D Maze - Human Table Football - Pedal Karts



How do I book activities?

The activity booking form is sent out upon receipt of the booking confirmation and deposit. Activity bookings can be taken no less than 4 weeks before your arrival date, after this point you will have to directly liase with your allocated Duty Warden as found on the booking confirmation form emailed to you. All instructor-led activities are subject to instructor availability.



I have my own accredited qualification, can I run the activity?

If you have your own qualification, we have no issue with you running the activity for your group and may be able to offer a discount in regards to this. If this is the case and applies to you, we will ask for a copy of your certificate so that we can verify this and it can be noted on your booking. Please note, if you are not able to provide documentation of a qualification, we will NOT be able to allow you to run the activity.