Idle Hours Owlsbury Park

View prices & book 9.7 238 reviews
Visitor image of the campsite (added by manager 07 Sep 2022)
Visitor image of the campsite
Looking across the site
View across the pitches
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Barley, our lakeland terrier enjoying her camping trip
Beautiful views
Sunset
Pitches
1/492
Favourite
Looking across the site
View across the pitches
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  • Wildlife-packed park with foxes, deer and badgers
  • Coarse fishing ponds stocked with carp, roach, tench and perch
  • Shops, pubs and eateries within a mile
How might you fancy a peaceful break in a rural wildlife haven, with countryside views to the South Downs, spectacular westerly sunsets and a night under the stars around a campfire? Then Idle Hours Owlsbury Park could be the place for you. Set on around three and a half acres, Idle Hours is an adults-only quiet site (strictly no groups and no noise after 11pm, please), with two attractive and peaceful coarse fishing ponds stocked with carp, roach, tench and perch. The site welcomes dogs, but please do keep them on leads while on site and remember to clean up after them. Pitches are on gently sloping grass, and amenities include ladies' and gents toilets, a hot shower, a hot water washing-up area and a chemical disposal point. Fire baskets are available and logs and kindling are available for sale. Please note there is no mains electricity on site. Despite its serene, pastoral surroundings, this site is very handy for shops, pubs and eateries, all about a mile and a half away.

Campground type

Tent sites 20
Caravan sites 1
RV & Motorhome sites 1
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Guests under the age of 25 are not allowed on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the campground/park are unlit.
  • Fishing costs: £10 per person for a day pass and £5 per person for a half day pass. A fishing licence is required. The showers are portable showers.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

9.7

Overall rating based on 238 reviews View breakdown

Peaceful

Voted 93% of visitors View breakdown

97%

would recommend this campground to a friend

96%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

A warm welcome from Paul and great choice of pitches on the…

Overall 10/10
Location No rating
Value for money No rating
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities No rating
Customer service No rating
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi No rating
Sophia S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: A warm welcome from Paul and great choice of pitches on the hill with lush grass and nice views. Very clean facilities which Julie cleans herself every morning. Friendly and peaceful.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful site with wonderful views and pristine facilities

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Andrew W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Peaceful site with wonderful views and pristine facilities. Very friendly owner and fantastic vineyard next door.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very friendly and helpful lady on site (Karen), lovely views (including sunset),…

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Very friendly and helpful lady on site (Karen), lovely views (including sunset), spotless facilities and proximity to beautiful vineyard next door. Talking of which… would be super helpful if owner would consider creating a cut-through between site and vineyard, rather than clients having to walk along dangerous road to get there. Some synergy between these 2 great destinations could work well…

Recommend to friends Visit again

The welcome from Paul & Julie, the view, the cleanliness, the peace…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Iain M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: The welcome from Paul & Julie, the view, the cleanliness, the peace and quiet, the fire

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful campsite

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Good quality facilities. Friendly hosts. Very peaceful campsite. The fire pits made out of recycled car wheels is a nice touch. Lovely view of the downs. Had a really pleasant stay. The vineyard up the road does an interesting tour and serves pizza.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Such a lovely little campsite with the added benefit of having Downsview…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Danielle W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Such a lovely little campsite with the added benefit of having Downsview vineyard a 3-4 minute walk along the road. Julie was lovely, the site was well maintained with pretty views, and the toilets were clean at all times. Thank you.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely and quiet! No kids and no noise after 11pm which everyone…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Rebecca M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Lovely and quiet! No kids and no noise after 11pm which everyone respects.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent value for a relaxed and peaceful stay.

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Rachel W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Quiet and small yet clearly popular site. Very neat and tidy surrounded by greenery and views. Clean toilet and shower facilities. A Kingfisher was spotted by the fishing pond.

Disliked: Small point: We went to the neighbouring Vinyard for pizza (Friday evening) which was lovely but it would have been great if we could have cut through from the campsite rather than walk down the road.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site, very quiet, great location.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Very quiet area. Great facilities. Friendly hosts. Ideal location for various local things and activities. Highly recommend for a nice and chilled stay.

Disliked: Nothing, everything was in good condition and well maintained.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent clean and tidy site and facilities. Brilliant owner.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
David N. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Unpowered grass site

Liked: Everything was excellent

Disliked: Porta-shower a bit cramped. Overcame getting wet clothes by putting everything in a bag!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Adults only

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Adults only Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal sites

Location

Idle Hours Owlsbury Park

Hadlow Down Road

Crowborough

East Sussex

England

TN6 3RG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.02666°N
0.17226°W

Route directions

From the A26 Uckfield, head north to Crowborough. Take the right turn 0.7 miles after The Crow and Gate pub signed to Millbrook Industrial Estate. Go straight on, over the golf course, over the small roundabout, down the hill and past the fish and chip shop, antiques shop and vets on the left, then after the Plough and Horses pub, go over the narrow bridge and turn immediately right to Hadlow Down Rd. The site is 1.2 miles on the right. From Hadlow Down (A272), the site is 2.5 miles on the left on Crowborough/Jarvis Brook Road. Do not turn into Dogetts - this is a satnav error. The site is half a mile further up the hill on the left. From Rotherfield-Crowborough Road B2100, take the Hadlow Down/Buxted Road (after Tesco). Go 0.25 miles and turn as indicated above. Beware of the satnav error; do not turn into Doggetts Drive.

Nearest transport

Coach
8.2 km School Lane
8.2 km School Lane
8.4 km Bus Station
Rail
2.5 km Crowborough Rail Station
5 km Buxted Rail Station
7.2 km Eridge Rail Station
Ferry
27.6 km Newhaven Harbour Ferry Terminal
Airport
27.6 km London Gatwick Airport
27.6 km London Gatwick Airport South Terminal
28.8 km London Gatwick Airport North Terminal

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

For those who fancy ditching the car for a bit, the site is close to public transport links: trains and buses from Crowborough (a mile and a half away) go to Tunbridge Wells, London, Lewes and Brighton. Crowborough village has plenty of amenities, including an indoor swimming pool and gym, and a miniature railway. The area is great for golfers, with a number of courses nearby. The spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells (to give it its full title) is eight miles from Owlsbury, and well worth a visit for a stroll round the specialist shops in the Georgian Pantiles, a taste of the water from the Chalybeate Spring, or a trip on the steam railway. The town also has plenty of food and entertainment options, including a multiplex cinema. Other potential day trips include a jaunt to the coast at Eastbourne or Brighton; to Lewes, home to a castle, gardens and the biggest Bonfire Night celebrations in the country; to the National Trust gardens at Sheffield Park and Wakehurst Place; to the William Morris interiors at Standen; Ashdown Forest, home of Winnie the Pooh; or a steam through the Sussex countryside on the historic Bluebell Railway.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Pevensey Bay 27.1 km Sea N/A Good Good Good
Norman`S Bay 27.2 km Sea N/A Good Good Excellent
Seaford 28.9 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Saltdean 29.4 km Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Bexhill 29.7 km Sea N/A N/A N/A Good

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Groombridge Place and The Enchanted Forest 10.1 km

Sheffield Park Garden 11.8 km

Bluebell Railway 11.9 km

Batemans 15.1 km

Standen 15.7 km

National Trust

Sheffield Park Garden 11.8 km

Bateman's 15 km

Standen 15.6 km

Scotney Castle 18 km

Wakehurst Place 18.5 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

ROTHERFIELD HALL 2.4 km

Fairwarp - Ashdown Forest - Fairwarp 5.9 km

BUXTED PARK 6 km

Mayfield - Renhurst Farm - Bassetts - Mayfield 6.3 km

Mayfield - Batt's Wood - Wadhurst Deer-Park - Mayfield 6.3 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in East Sussex?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Idle Hours Owlsbury Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Idle Hours Owlsbury Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Idle Hours Owlsbury Park? For those who fancy ditching the car for a bit, the site is close to public transport links: trains and buses from Crowborough (a mile and a half away) go to Tunbridge … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Idle Hours Owlsbury Park?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Idle Hours Owlsbury Park? From $52.51 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.