Scout Adventures Reviews 

My Explorer Scout Unit recently stayed at Gilwell Park Scout Adventures for six days, from 2nd–7th August 2026. We had been looking forward to the trip and, overall, our young people enjoyed the activities and the opportunity to spend a week away with their friends. However, I feel it is important to be honest about our experience, particularly given the significant amount of money we paid for the stay. The biggest and most disappointing issue was the cleanliness of the toilet and shower facilities. To put it simply, we were disgusted by the standard of cleanliness throughout our stay. This was not isolated to one particular block or one gender/age group – the facilities we encountered across the site, including under-18 and over-18 facilities and those used by both males and females, were consistently dirty.
There was visible mould in many of the showers, significant build-ups of dirt and grime, and some areas that appeared not to have been properly cleaned for a considerable period. We also found rubbish and dirty items left within the facilities. Most concerningly, some of the toilet and shower blocks appeared not to be cleaned at all during the entire six days we were on site. There was even blood found in some toilets on multiple occasions. For a large Scout activity centre accommodating young people and adult leaders, this is simply not an acceptable standard of hygiene.
I initially raised the issue with staff and was told that the situation would be rectified that day. Unfortunately, this did not happen, and the facilities remained in a poor condition. I therefore raised the matter again and specifically asked to speak to a manager. I subsequently spoke with James, the Deputy Manager of the site. I do want to give him credit for taking the time to speak with me properly and explain the wider situation. He was open about the difficulties the site is currently facing, including being understaffed and struggling to get back on top of everything. He explained that dealing with litter around the wider site had recently become a priority, and his explanation did help us understand some of the bigger picture and pressures facing the team. I would also like to add that during our discussion, James offered for us to help clean the toilets and shower facilities ourselves. I was extremely unimpressed by this suggestion. There was absolutely no way I was going to allow young people in my care to clean and scrub showers with visible mould and significant dirt, particularly when they had paid to use these facilities as part of their stay. Whilst I appreciate his honesty and the fact that staffing difficulties can create genuine challenges, it does not change the standard of facilities we experienced. Clean toilets and showers should be a basic expectation for any site, particularly one with paid staff and our HQ. We have stayed at busier sites with a single volunteer cleaner that have been cleaner. Our group paid over £3,000 for our stay, and it is extremely disappointing to feel that such a substantial amount of money resulted in us having to use facilities in this condition. I also want to make clear that James actively encouraged me to write this review and share our experience honestly. I respect that, and this review is therefore not intended as review on individual members of staff. The staff on the ground may well be doing their best in difficult circumstances, but there is clearly a wider issue that needs addressing with their business model and structure. Understaffing and a volunteer business model approach may explain why standards have slipped, but it cannot be used as an excuse for allowing hygiene standards to fall to this level for paying groups. Gilwell Park is our headquarters with huge potential, and we had hoped for a much higher standard. The young people enjoyed elements of the week, but unfortunately the condition of the toilet and shower facilities became a significant negative part of our experience. As I shared with staff, I had young people refusing to use toilet blocks and showers. I sincerely hope that the management team takes this feedback seriously and makes the cleanliness of all toilet and shower blocks an urgent priority. Groups should not have to repeatedly raise concerns during their stay, nor should leaders have to accept visibly dirty facilities because staffing levels are insufficient. Unfortunately based on our experience we will not be using scout adventures again. This is particularly disappointing as we would like to support scout run activity centres, however after paying over £3000 for this stay and experiencing such poor standards of cleanliness we do not feel confident booking another scout adventures site. Scout adventures fell way below our expectations.

Great site and activities and staff great too. It was a long walk to the toilets though.

great site, got the pitch i asked for and the staff were really friendly

A fantastic experience! The team were safety-focused and brilliant at encouraging everyone to step out of their comfort zones.
The accommodation was clean and comfortable.
It was a great experience for the children. Highly recommend!

Very flexible and accommodating in challenging weather.

The activities were engaging, enjoyable and well led by the staff. The upgraded Broadstone Lodge was great.
The food was improved but not speaking/seeing the catering team made things trickier.

What a great campsite! The staff made our activities safe and fun for all our Scouts.

Our Duke of Edinburgh group recently spent an unforgettable weekend at Gilwell Park, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience.

From the moment we arrived, the facilities and surroundings provided the perfect setting for our expedition training and camping experience. Our 70 Year 9 and Year 10 students had the opportunity to develop valuable life skills, including camping, hiking, navigation, teamwork and independence, all within a safe and well-maintained environment.

The campsite itself is beautiful, with plenty of space for young people to learn, explore and enjoy the outdoors. One of the highlights was gathering around the campfire in the evenings, enjoying marshmallows and s'mores while watching stunning red sunsets across the landscape. Students also loved exploring the surrounding countryside and creating memories that they will talk about for years to come.

Despite experiencing some exceptionally hot weather during our stay, the facilities and support available helped make the experience enjoyable for both students and staff. Many of our students described the trip as a "magical holiday" even though they were working incredibly hard throughout the expedition.

Thank you to the team at Gilwell Park for helping create such a positive, life-changing experience for our young people. We look forward to returning in the future and would highly recommend the site to schools, youth groups and organisations looking for an outstanding outdoor learning experience.

The staff, activities and facilities were all amazing, as always. There was a little inconsistency in how many goes the children got at some activities. For example, 1 group only got 1 go on the zipline when the other group managed 3 or 4.

We had a very enjoyable stay and look forward to returning next year. Great site, great team, great experience for our pupils.

The service from staff was incredible from before the visit began, during and after - could not fault it! The facilities were amazing, and equipment was all safe and well looked after. The activities themselves were well planned and incredibly fun for the children.

We were unable to reach Scout Adventures for a month despite having paid our deposit. We sent multiple emails but received no responses. We went to Gilwell Park, and there was no one available to assist us. Our phone calls were not answered either. When we visited Gilwell Park again as our camp date approached, the only explanation we were given was that they had been very busy.

Because they did not respond to us, we experienced significant anxiety and were unable to gather sufficient interest for the camp we had organized. The information we needed from them was essential for us to collect participants. We even considered cancelling the camp, but they demanded the full payment, so we could not cancel. As a result, we proceeded with very few students. We paid £10,000 and suffered a substantial financial loss as a charity. The service provided was extremely poor.

Additionally, the site lacked proper security—people could freely enter and exit.

In short, their customer service is terrible.

Accommodation what we needed. Sessions well run.

Good:
• The instructors in The Lid were excellent
• The Lid was noticeably warmer this time
• New tables and chairs were a welcome upgrade
• Lodges were clean on arrival

Bad:
• In the Peter Harrison building, the kitchen oven had a badly damaged leg that we had to push back into place to stop it collapsing
• Stale food was found behind the oven, raising concerns about how thoroughly the kitchen is cleaned
• Adult‑room mattresses were rock‑hard and extremely uncomfortable
• No bins in the bedrooms, which was inconvenient
• The Jack Petchey building was missing an urn
• Activity meet up in Camp Square felt slightly chaotic - I got asked 3 times which activities my group were doing
• The new site barrier has no footpath, forcing us to walk through mud
• Corridor doors have no movement‑dampening, leading to constant slamming and unnecessary noise

Superb archery permit course, well led and tailored to personalised areas of required learning.

Excellent instruction, adequate accomodation and friendly staff.

If only there hadn't been so much rain, a lovely site when it is busy with young people enjoying adventures, I look forward to coming again

I'm happy to provide good feedback on the woodland management course I recently attended, it was a fantastic and very enjoyable experience.

The content was incredibly practical, covering a wide range of essential skills, including scrub removal, cutting down trees, tree planting, hedge laying, bug hotels, deer nests, beetle ogory, and various tools usage. The instructors were a real mine of information, and their expertise was invaluable.

I also wanted to specifically mention how comfortable the included accommodation was, and the food provided was very tasty. The entire Scout Adventures team went out of their way to communicate with us and look after us all, which made the experience even better.

I hope you consider offering an advanced follow-up course in the future!

Amazing from start to finish. Thank you 😊