Campgrounds for backpackers in South East England

Freshwinds Camping

• 'Camping as it used to be' on a 200-acre farm
• Wildlife haven with badgers, foxes, barn owls and more
• Spacious pitches surrounded by stream, woodland and fields

High Barn Retreats

• Dog-friendly wild camping site in the South Downs National Park
• A 25-minute drive from Lewes and half an hour’s drive from Brighton
• A five-minute drive to pubs, local shops and the beach in Rottingdean

Yamp Camp Bluebell

• Sheltered back to basics pitches near the village of Horsted Keynes
• Ashdown Forest and Ouse Valley Viaduct 10 minutes' drive away
• A short walk from the Bluebell Railway station and village pubs

Mackley Farm

• Quiet dog-friendly site on a small farm on the edge of Stone
• A 10-minute drive from Rye and 15 minutes from Camber Sands
• Pubs within five minutes’ drive of the site; barbecues are permitted

Merrion Farm

• Quiet, family-friendly site on a working dairy farm
• Half an hour's drive from Arundel Castle or Worthing beach
• Half a mile from Downs Link National Trail; fishing by arrangement

4 Acre Farm

• Back-to-basics campsite between Hastings and Battle in East Sussex
• Battle Abbey 10 minutes’ drive; Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea 15 minutes
• Grass pitches on a family smallholding with horses, hens and wildfowl

Teybrook Orchard

• Glamping site on a farm in Essex, an hour on the train from London
• Luxury accommodation between an orchard and 20 acres of woodland
• Five miles to Colchester and Colchester Zoo

New Forest Youth Hostel

Orchard Camping

• Pop-up campsite in a Kent orchard five minutes’ drive from Higham
• Rochester, Historic Dockyard Chatham and Diggerland 15 minutes’ drive
• Quiet off-grid pitches shaded by trees; pubs within 15 minutes’ drive

Spring Hill Wild Camping

• Family-friendly wild camping field in the village of St Mary Bourne
• On the Test Way footpath and a 35-minute drive from Stonehenge
• Firepits welcome; walk to the village shop, pubs and a PYO fruit farm

The Hare and Hounds

• Family-centric camping paddock at a country pub near Colchester, Essex
• Five minutes’ drive to Colchester Zoo; 20 minutes to West Mersea beach
• Bar and restaurant adjoining the site; shops 10 minutes’ drive

The Merry Camper

• A peaceful pop-up campsite with pub access, scenic walks, and direct links to London – all set in the heart of rural Essex.

Yamp Camp Firle

• East Sussex meadow camping with South Downs views near Lewes
• A 15-minute drive to Drusillas Park, and 25 minutes to Brighton
• Large flat pitches with an adventure trail for kids; group-friendly

Swift Farm

• Small and simple campsite deep in the Kent countryside
• Deal 15 minutes' drive; Broadstairs 25 minutes
• On an eco-friendly smallholding; families/solo travellers welcome

Meonvale Farm Camping

• Simple site on a working farm in the South Downs National Park
• A mile from Meonstoke; Winchester city centre 20 minutes' drive
• Easy pedestrian access to established trails

Woodhouse Farm

• Rural camping on a working cattle and arable farm in Essex
• Five minutes' drive to the edge of Dedham Vale; Colchester 10 minutes
• On the Essex Way walking route; animal visits with the farmer