The Otter Channel

From £35 For 1 night, 4 adults 10 7 reviews
Big skies over the campsite (added by manager 15 Mar 2023)
Big moody skies (added by manager 23 aug 2020)
Morning views (added by manager 23 aug 2020)
Campsite field after a manicure (added by manager 17 mar 2021)

  • Secluded Rother Valley site in the High Weald countryside
  • A 10-minute drive from Rye and half an hour from Hastings
  • Half a mile from the banks of the Rother for walks and canoeing
Eager for some East Sussex countryside views? Book a stay at The Otter Channel, a small and secluded site on the southern edge of High Weald, and you'll be looking out over the farmland of the surrounding Rother Valley farmland… a splendid spot in which to spend time cloud-gazing under those big Sussex skies. It's half a mile from here to the gorgeous Rother river, where a kingfisher family can sometimes be spotted flitting down the banks. There are several riverside footpaths to explore, but this calm stretch of water is also a top location for paddleboarding, kayaking or canoeing – head to Epic Life watersports (half a mile away) to find out more. Rye, one of the Cinque Ports, is a 10-minute drive away. Pick up supplies for an alfresco evening meal while you're in Rye – barbecues and campfires are welcome here, and you may also like to consider a stroll down to the riverbank for a drink and/or picnic at some point too. A couple of country pubs are about a mile and a half away if you'd rather finish the day by having someone else do the cooking.

Site type

Tent pitches 15
Opens 3 May
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • Commercial vehicles (vehicles used for work-related purposes, carrying goods or fare-paying passengers) and sign-written vehicles are not permitted on site.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 3 May to

Reviews

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would recommend this site to a friend

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Lovely simple site bursting with wildlife and

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
Tara J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The location is amazing - such a peaceful space and so nice that you are right next to the river. The views of the river from inside the campsite and just opposite the road are amazing. We also loved that you didn't need to drive anywhere, the place is well connected to local walks and also local pubs. When needed we would get a bus back and it is only a 30 min walk to the local bus station. My partner and I prefer to have wild style camping sights, so the facilities were just what we needed. The site had some really cute simple compost toilets and bucket showers. The best surprise was the little kitchen area with a gas hobs - we have our own very basic gas cooker, but having this little area was great as meant we could get our pasta done a lot quicker! Katie the owner was so lovely and accommodating but also gave campers plenty of time and space to get settled in the campsite on their own. Absolutely loved our stay and sad to be away from nature again.

Disliked: It's quite a small campsite, so when it's busy it might be a bit much for those who are looking for a quite camping trip. But luckily, there were only 3 other pitches taken when we were there so we never felt this at all.

Recommend to friends Visit again

a really lovely place to stay.

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
Robert B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: We had a perfect couple of nights at Otter Channel - a really special location, both in terms of the immediate vicinity - local walks to Wittersham and Peasmarsh, right by the River Rothe, so kayaking was easy, and close to Camber Sands and Rye. The site is idyllic, and really clean and well looked after - very responsive and helpful texting from Katie for us inexperienced campers as well - we would love to go back.

Disliked: Nothing comes to mind at all.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A beautiful campsite in an amazing location. Could not ask for more…

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
Jonathan M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: A beautiful campsite in an amazing location. Could not ask for more and we will definitely be back!

Recommend to friends Visit again

We've been twice and plan to return soon!

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Loved the peaceful setting with water so close, walks along the river with views across the meadows, swimming in the river. Also loved the environmentally friendly toilets, little shop and washing up facilities.

Recommend to friends Visit again

A peaceful, simple campsite in stunning countryside

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
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Otter channel is a very peaceful campsite. I liked that there weren’t too many other campers and there was lots of free space for the children to play. It is a very simple campsite but everything is done very well. From charming loos which don’t smell to bucket showers which the kids loved. The horse trailer shop had everything we needed. It is in an excellent location right next to the river. The lady who runs it, Katie, couldn’t have been more helpful linking us up with a local kayak hire. We have been before and will come back again.

Disliked: There really isn’t anything we disliked.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We can’t wait to come back

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: - bucket showers - ease of honest box system - open showers - views - location, short drives to beaches and Rye - spacious

Disliked: -wood very smokey, appeared wet. Will just take our own next time - quite expensive compared to campsites I’ve visited with better location, view or facilities

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautiful site, friendly host, campfires, clean loos!…

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

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Beautiful site, friendly host, campfires, clean loos!

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

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

Luxury

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

No hot water

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Farm

Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Surf school nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

The Otter Channel

The Otter Channel

Rye

East Sussex

England

TN31 6TD

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.00015°N
0.68563°W

Nearest transport

Coach
9.4 mi Royal George
9.5 mi Royal George
9.6 mi Sainsbury's
Rail
3.8 mi Rye Rail Station
4.6 mi Winchelsea Rail Station
6.1 mi Appledore (Kent) Rail Station
Ferry
20 mi Folkestone Eurotunnel Terminal
28.6 mi Dover Western Docks Ferry Terminal
29.3 mi Dover Eastern Docks Ferry Terminal
Airport
11.3 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

Dash down to Rye (10 minutes' drive) for its fab cafés, shops and olden-times Ypres Tower. Once you've had a mosey around, there's a range of super coastal spots to discover in the surrounding area, including family favourites like Camber Sands (20 minutes) and the quieter Pett Level beach (30 minutes) where the kids can scuttle from one rockpool to another. Once you've shaken the sand out of your socks and got back on the road, there's a choice between historic houses like Great Dixter House and Gardens (15 minutes), mighty Bodiam Castle (20 minutes) and explores around other Cinque Port towns like Hastings (30 minutes), Hythe (45 minutes) and New Romney (25 minutes). More adventurous times can be had at Action Watersports (30 minutes), an outdoor activities outfit that can sort you with tuition in paddleboarding and waterskiing. After whizzing across the water, a calming stroll at RSPB Dungeness (30 minutes) may be in order; birdwatchers will want to keep an eye out for their star species like bittern, smew and little ringed plover.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Winchelsea 6.6 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Camber 6.7 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Good
Hastings Pelham Beach 11 mi Sea N/A N/A N/A Good
St Leonards 11.9 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Littlestone 12.4 mi Sea N/A Good Good Good

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Great Dixter House and Gardens 4.1 mi

Kent & East Sussex Railway 4.8 mi

Bodiam Castle 6.4 mi

Camber Sands 6.4 mi

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 9.2 mi

National Trust

Smallhythe Place 2.7 mi

Lamb House 4 mi

Bodiam Castle 6.2 mi

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 8.9 mi

Bateman's 13.4 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

BRICKWALL 3.5 mi

GREAT MAYTHAM 3.9 mi

Rye - Iden - Rye Foreign - Rye 4 mi

GREAT DIXTER 4 mi

Tenterden - Stiles and Steam Trains 4.7 mi

Local events

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

    Polegate, East Sussex 24.6 mi

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

    Lewes, East Sussex 28.4 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 The Otter Channel have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is The Otter Channel dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Otter Channel? Dash down to Rye (10 minutes' drive) for its fab cafés, shops and olden-times Ypres Tower. Once you've had a mosey around, there's a range of super coastal spots to discover in … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Otter Channel?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at The Otter Channel? From £35 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.