Battle Pods and Bells

From £80 For 1 night, 5 adults 9.8 18 reviews
Pod exterior
Pod exterior (added by manager 18 feb 2022)
The pods (added by manager 18 feb 2022)
Pod exterior (added by manager 18 feb 2022)

  • Glamping in 460 acres of ancient woodland five minutes from Battle
  • A 20-minute drive to Hastings; 75 minutes from London by train
  • Dog-friendly site with firepits available to hire
At the heart of historic 1066 Country, Battle Pods and Bells is tucked deep into forested countryside and yet only a little over an hour from London Charing Cross by train (handy for city folk seeking an easy escape…). This glamping oasis has 460 acres of East Sussex woodland for you to call your own, and even though it’s off-grid with no electricity, smart facilities include eco-loos and hot showers.  There’s much to do nearby, but you set the pace. Bring the dog and join walkers, cyclists and riders on trails through neighbouring Battle Great Woods, have a wander around Battle Abbey and see the field where King Harold died in 1066, or jump on the train to Hastings for a traditional day out by the sea. Or simply settle in, cosy up among the trees, stoke the fire, relax and recharge. Everyone knows that food cooked over an open fire tastes better, and if you’ve chanced upon any of the local delis and farm shops, you’ll be in for quite a feast. Firepits are available to hire and logs are delivered daily, so settle down with a beer from the award-winning microbrewery nearby, and let the evening take its course.  Not that you have to cook of course: local pubs serve great food and drink, and there are several within stumbling distance. Failing that, if you fancy pizza, curry or old good old fish and chips, you can hit the local takeaways or take it easy and have your food delivered (well, you are on holiday…)

Site type

Lodges, cabins, pods or huts 4
Rent a tent 6
Open now
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Mon, 8 Apr 2024 to

Pitch types & availability

Other pitch types

Reviews

100%

would recommend this site to a friend

100%

would stay here again

  • 88%
    10
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

The site has everything you need for a great night stay

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

Fir bell tent

Liked: Location and amenities

Disliked: N/A

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful site with fire pit and picnic bench provided.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Beech bell tent

Liked: Location, beautiful open space, star gazing, cleanliness, friendly owners, log fires and BBQs.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Secluded glamping area with a decent shower!

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

Dogwood bell tent

Liked: My wife and I visited to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and we really just had a lovely time. The bespoke BPB fire pit doubled as a barbecue and was a nice touch – we bought meat from a butchers nearby and had a lovely meal. The area is secluded (and beautiful) and despite a large group a few tents down, we really couldn't hear them. The accommodations were spaced appropriately that it felt private. Both owners were kind and Patrick even helped us with our bags (the wheel barrow was a great idea!) – we also got to meet the horses and explore the (absolutely huge) wooded area behind the site. I'd say: make more of a stink about how lovely it is! Thanks for having us

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had a lovely stay, super friendly hosts, the whole set up…

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

Bluebell camping pod

Liked: We had a lovely stay, super friendly hosts, the whole set up is very spacious, photos don't really do the site justice. Warm showers, comfy beds, deafening morning birdsong surrounded by gorgeous countryside and only 15 mins to the coast.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely set up, basic but clean facilities. Owners very welcoming

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

Dogwood bell tent

Liked: Cosy, comfortable and clean bell tent

Recommend to friends Visit again

The owners were great, helped with quad to transport gear to Pod.

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
chris w. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Lilli camping pod

Liked: The location was great and quiet.

Disliked: He distance from the car to the pod.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just what we hoped for and more.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Sandy B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Alpine bell tent

Liked: Lovely place. Good facilities. Great walks nearby. Nearby seaside towns. Family who run it are lovely. Spent a couple of nights with my teenage niece and nephews. Was great to spend quality time in the outdoors. Loved the wood burner. Showers were fab!

Disliked: No Wi-Fi or phone charging facilities but I was pleased the kids couldn’t charge their phones!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Really lovely location, great facilities. Particularly the warm showers! The bell tent…

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

Dogwood bell tent

Liked: Really lovely location, great facilities. Particularly the warm showers! The bell tent was cosy and the bespoke fire pit a great touch.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The hosts were so welcoming and gave us lots of hints and…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Jamie S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Fir bell tent

Liked: The hosts were so welcoming and gave us lots of hints and tips on where to go. Very clean living accommodation with ample space outside. Toilets and showers were clean and easy to use. Highly recommend and would definitely go back again.

Recommend to friends Visit again

kevin@kfx.org.uk

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

Daisy camping pod

Liked: the setting, the welcome, walking in the woods, access to Battle. very friendly and well appointed site. attention given to good toilets, showers, very clean site, lots of open space, not too many huts/tents and so no huge place. wanted place for me and dog to try first camping trip so worked really well.

Disliked: road noise

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

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 pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Local produce

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

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Forest

Peaceful

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Nearby farmers' market

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Farm

Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Tennis nearby

Location

Battle Pods and Bells

1 Great Wood Cottages

Marley Lane

Battle

East Sussex

England

TN33 0RA

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.91618°N
0.5044°W

Nearest transport

Coach
0.8 mi Abbey
0.8 mi Abbey
2.9 mi Sainsbury's
Rail
0.5 mi Battle Rail Station
1.9 mi Crowhurst Rail Station
4.6 mi Doleham Rail Station
Ferry
21.5 mi Newhaven Harbour Ferry Terminal
29.5 mi Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal
Airport
19 mi Lydd London Ashford Airport

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 a bit of history along with your mini-break, head along to Battle Abbey (five minutes’ drive), the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where you can stand on the very spot where King Harold fell, or walk the battlefield trail to encounter carved wooden sculptures depicting Norman and Saxon soldiers. A whizz around Battle Museum of Local History will fill in any gaps in your knowledge. A day exploring Hastings (20 minutes) should be on the cards too. With a charming Old Town packed with vintage shops and artisan cafés, it’s also got plenty of crazy golf courses, amusement arcades, fish and chips shops and a seafront promenade to mooch along. Bring your swimmers for a paddle in the sea. Golfers can practise their swings on several greens within 15 minutes’ drive, and fishermen can try their luck on Powdermill Reservoir (10 minutes). If you’re feeling adventurous, there are treetop rope trails in Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest (25 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
St Leonards 5 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Hastings Pelham Beach 5.6 mi Sea N/A N/A N/A Good
Bexhill 5.7 mi Sea N/A N/A N/A Good
Norman`S Bay 8.2 mi Sea N/A Good Good Excellent
Winchelsea 9.3 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

1066 Battle Abbey and Battlefield 0.8 mi

Bodiam Castle 5.4 mi

Hastings Castle and 1066 Story 5.4 mi

A Smugglers Adventure at St Clements Caves 5.5 mi

Great Dixter House and Gardens 6.9 mi

National Trust

Bodiam Castle 6.2 mi

Bateman's 7.4 mi

Lamb House 10.2 mi

Smallhythe Place 11.9 mi

Scotney Castle 12.9 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

1066 Walk: Battle to Bexhill 0.7 mi

Battle of Hastings, 1066 0.9 mi

BATTLE ABBEY 0.9 mi

FORE WOOD (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 22/07/1976) 1.9 mi

ASHBURNHAM PLACE 4 mi

Local events

  • Wick Street Festival (Thursday 29 August 2024 – Thursday 29 August 2024)

    Polegate, East Sussex 15.2 mi

  • Glyndebourne Festival (Thursday 16 May 2024 – Thursday 16 May 2024)

    Lewes, East Sussex 19.4 mi

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.

Want to know more about camping in East Sussex?

  • Does Battle Pods and Bells have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Battle Pods and Bells dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Battle Pods and Bells? For a bit of history along with your mini-break, head along to Battle Abbey (five minutes’ drive), the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where you can stand on the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Battle Pods and Bells?
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Battle Pods and Bells? From £80 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.