National Trust owned Batemans ( 01435 882302), former home of Rudyard Kipling, is around 15 minutes in the car, as is Alfriston Clergy House, the very first property the Trust bought back in 1896, before becoming the cherished charity it is today. Head north east for walks on the High Weald ( 01424 723011) or south to the South Downs ( 01730 814810) – though the footpaths directly from the site are not to be sniffed at! Arlington Reservoir is about a 10 minute drive, a good spot for bird watching, while a few hundred metres further is Drusillas Park ( 01323 874100), a small 10 acres zoo mainly aimed at children. Nature lovers will be in their element here. Tents, glampers, families, couples, campervans – yes. Meet our herd of Pygmy goats with their adorable kids and watch our pedigree flock of Lleyn sheep grazing across the farm.
Enjoy feeding our free range chickens, geese and resident ducks. See our rare breed Oxford, Sandy and Black pigs, lying in the sunshine or rooting around in the soil. If the kids don’t end their weekend here covered in grass stains then they’re doing something wrong! Read Moreĭuring your stay you can meet Oreo and Bailey, our friendly donkeys and Tilly and Ted our lovely ponies. Re-hydrate in the beer garden and ponder the wonders of Persil.
Simply head for the pointy church spire and the village eventually comes into view, blessed with a convenient local shop and an even more convenient pair of pubs. A footpath alongside the site connects you quickly to The Weald Way, a scenic long distance route that leads you further through the Cuckmere valley, or you can walk the 10 minutes into the local village of Chiddingly. It has a real air of romance about it and offers homely comforts to those leaving the tent at home, yet still has enough history and tradition to feel apt on such a rustic campsite.Īside from losing the kids to the farmyard – prepare yourself for days of hearing their favourite animal stories – there is plenty nearby to keep you busy.
Inside, it features a full-size double bed and a fitted kitchenette, plus a toasty log burner that warms its wooden interior into a couples’ cocoon of loveliness. Luxury lovers can find one exception to the basic-camping rule, a refurbished shepherd’s hut of the kind often found on the Sussex hills during the 19th century.
Kids roam, safe from roads and vehicles, and adults convene around their evening BBQ (you can buy the farm’s own sausages on site).
The farm’s self-imposed limit of around 20 pitches keeps numbers down, while the tents-only rule gives the place a thoroughly traditional feel. The meadow itself is surrounded by mature hedges and trees, with grass levels managed throughout the year by a flock of Ryeland sheep who shift to a neighbouring field during the summer. That’s not really what they’re all about. There’s a standing tap for water, showers, toilets and a couple of washing up sinks but otherwise don’t expect to find a playground or onsite WiFi. Perfectly pinned between the South Downs National Park and Kent’s High Weald, this 56-acre working farm offers camping as it used to be in a large, open meadow, where thin threads of campfire smoke drift lazily into the sky. If you thought the days of back-to-basics, pitch where you like sites were over, then think again. The picture seems to sum up this family-run site Famous Five-esque in its attitude to camping. Ruth rises early, and heads out to feed the animals one by one – the gorgeous Sandy and Black pigs, Tilly the friendly pony and a couple of playful donkeys – but instead of geese, she’s tailed by chattering children, a herd that’s usually five or six strong. At Hale Farm in East Sussex this scene has been given a curious twist. It’s a storybook image: the farmer walking the yard, bucket in hand, tailed by a pair of chattering geese. A family-run, working farm in East Sussex offering spacious, traditional camping with no set pitches