Unique Beach Huts & Glamping at Osea Leisure Park in Maldon, Essex

A fun little getaway in Essex is glamping at Osea Leisure Park near Maldon! The majority of the site is static caravans that are permanent holiday homes. But across the road in ‘Osea Meadows’ they have several different fun accommodation options, along with normal camping and touring pitches. I stayed in the Malvern Pod which is one of their slightly more rustic ‘mini pods’!

Glamping at Osea Leisure Park

Malvern Pod

There are currently 5 Malvern mini pods at Osea Leisure Park. Inside it has a double sofa bed, a bunk bed (small, mainly for children), a table with 2 stalls, a TV, a fridge freezer and a kettle with 2 mugs. When the sofa bed is folded up, it’s actually very spacious! The outside has a deck and a fire pit.

I guess it depends on how ‘basic’ you want to camp. We bought a couple of disposable barbecues and set them right on top of the fire pit. This worked well for us, as we made simple dinners like burgers and sausages. If you were after slightly more ‘complex’ dinners, you may need to bring some additional equipment! The nearest supermarket is Asda, which is a 4-minute drive away in Heybridge. Or there are a couple of other options in Maldon (8 minutes). Also if you want to use their fire pit as more than just a ‘stand’, they do say that you have to buy their charcoal and bags of logs.

It’s handy if you buy a couple of big bottles of water, that can be used for the kettle or to wash your hands. A washing-up station is next to the toilet block, which is the nearest sink and drinking water point.

Toilets

The mini pods don’t have a toilet or shower (the larger Royal Pods do), however, there is a toilet block a short walk away. In all honesty, out of the hundreds of campsites I’ve stayed on over the years, I have to say, Osea Leisure Park has one of the best setups. They are individual cubicles that have a toilet, sink and a rain-head shower (the showers are GLORIOUS). At the moment, the rules have slightly changed. So it may be a pain if all the showers were full as then it means you’d need to wait to use the toilet. But during my visit, I thought it worked very well.

Other Glamping Options

As well as the Malvern Mini Pod, there are Royal Pods and the Shepherd’s Huts that both have bathrooms. Bell Tents which are the cheapest option as they are literally just a tent. But then if you want a little more luxury, they have various Safari Tents. The Mini Safari Tent doesn’t have a bathroom, but the others have facilities such as a kitchen, with the Master Safari Tent sleeping up to 16 people! The newest option, coming in 2021 is The Glass House that will even have a private jacuzzi!

Site Facilities

The Osea Meadows section of the site has lots of open space. There’s a large field separated from the accommodations by hedges. Here you’ll find play equipment, football goal posts and an outdoor gym. The outdoor gym does have a big sign saying that it’s for adults only, but of course, it was covered in kids during my visit.

By the park entrance there is a small ‘games room’ with vending machines.

The Deckhouse

On the ‘Osea Leisure Park’ side, is The Deckhouse. This is the main bar area that serves of course drinks and a small selection of food. There are TVs that show football matches, a couple of pool tables, a vending machine and a few claw prize machines.

Outside is a beer garden with tables and chairs, patio heaters, a small playground. They also have evening entertainment on select evenings.

As the site has many holiday homes, it does feel a little like ‘the locals taking over’. Lot of people standing around in groups, putting all the tables together etc. So it feels a bit different to other campsites that are mainly full of just holiday makers.

Tiptree Tearoom At The View

On the sea wall, next to The Deckhouse is a Tiptree Tearoom. It has great views of the Blackwater Estuary. This tearoom has a smaller menu than some of the other Tiptree locations. We had breakfast in the tearoom one morning. They serve sausage or bacon sandwiches and scrambled egg on toast. There are a couple of lunch options, along with cream teas, cakes and hot and cold drinks. You can either sit inside, where one of the walls completely opens up on nice days, or there’s an outside terrace.

‘Beach’ and Beach Huts

A unique feature of the Osea Leisure Park is the beach huts. There are many beach huts all around the Essex coast but these ones are a little different! The beach huts are on stilts that sit out in the estuary. So when the tide comes in, you have to wade out to them. Although they are all spoken for at the moment, they are great to photograph. I went back multiple times to take pictures with the tide both in and out!

There is a small ‘beach’ area. I say ‘beach’ because it is mainly stones and mud. But when the tide is in, you can swim or lots of people had inflatables boats and rings.

Another nice thing to do is walk along the sea wall. One way goes past the causeway to Osea Island. This is a private island where the road to and from the island is completely covered by the water at high tide.

In the opposite direction you can walk all the way to Heybridge Basin. It’s around a 2 mile walk. If you’re after a beach that’s a little bit more sandy, Mill Beach is a good option. It’s not huge but there are less stones.

The sea wall is also a great place to watch the sunset too!

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14 Places To Go Glamping In Essex!

14 Places To Go Camping In Essex UK