Hidden Spring and The Secret Campsite fully booked - Any other recommendations?

[JustAfloat]

Hi,

We're thinking of camping over the easter weekend.

The Secret Campsite was already fully booked when I started looking but I was just about to book Hidden Spring and now that's fully booked too!

Can anyone recommend a similar campsite please?

Preferably in East or West Sussex but would go to New Forest area.

Thanks!

[Hillbilly]

Dernwood farm, Kitts camp Hook Farm

I have not been to any of them but the are on my wish list.

Forgewood is great and I can't imagine it will be packed at Easter - I'll be there hopefully

[JustAfloat]

Thanks for the links Hillbilly.

I really like the look of all the Camping Unplugged sites.

We were at Les Valades the same time as you last year

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

Chafford Park chaffordpark.co.uk/camping-at-chafford-park/#!prettyPhoto might be a good bet? It is fairly new and so might not get so booked up.

[Hillbilly]

Justafloat - really? Did you have a great time at Les Valades? We are returning this year. Regarding the camping unplugged sites, we went to Abbotstone Wood too last year and it was so amazing. Very quiet, almost the place to ourselves in fact.

MPFT - I remember your recommendation of Chafford Park last year and would be interested in trying it out. Have you been to Forgewood - I don't recall, and if so what are the differences?

[hz]

Eco camp, wo-wo, Dernwood, blackberry wood. Good luck! Can't quite commit until I see the weather forecast.....

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

Hillbilly - we have been to Forgewood a few times and really liked it but the last time we went we found ourselves a bit crowded in with a group deciding they absolutely had to camp just next to our group despite there being plenty of space in the field. To the extent our guys crossed and their snoring sounded like it was right by my head.

So we thought we would try somewhere a bit quieter and Chafford Park was perfect. It is just one field rather than two and (so far as I know) you can't camp in the woods or couldn't last year. The owner basically just mowed enough spaces for the mnumber of people she had coming so there was lots of long grass for children to play (and get lost) in. There was also a couple of rope swings in the woods which went down brilliantly with the children. Unfortunately, the second time we went back someone had stolen the wooden seat of one of the swings which was a shame as it was the better of the two. I don't know if it has been replaced since.

The owner sells local ice cream which is lovely and a van comes in the mornings (maybe only one morning per weekend - I can't remember) and sells bread and croissants, bacon, cakes and newspapers and other stuff, which is nice.

The facilities are nice but limited. In a breezeblock building with two showers (which require change) and two loos apiece for each sex. They are warm which is nice, but if the site gets any busier than it was last year, they are going to need to extend.

I felt Forgewood has a more rugged, outdoorsy feel to it than Chafford Park, but I am not sure if that is because they have the outdoor craft type activities going on at Forgewood, or maybe the camping in the woods, or what exactly. Or maybe it is because it has always been rainier and colder when we camped at Forgewood whereas last year's gorgeous weather meant we were bathed in sunshine both weekends we went to CP.

Oh and there is no restaurant or cafe at CP, but there are nice pubs quite close by and the owner will tell you about them.

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

Oh and because of the long grass, you can get rather bitten at certain times of the year. We were badly bitten in July but much less so in September - of course we had remembered the repellent in September...

[Hillbilly]

Thanks MPFT. Yes we also experienced being a little hemmed in a FW last year, however I'm going without DH this Easter so need familiarity and I imagine it won't be very busy either. I would definitely like to try Chafford Park another time though.

about the missing rope swing - we always now carry rope and a thick piece of wood so we can make our own!

[hz]

MPFT can you have campfires at Chafford Park?

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

Oh yes, hz, I forgot to say you can have campfires and the owner comes round in the early evening to sell bags of wood.

I know hillbilly, it's hard to believe people would steal something like that, particualrly as the owner suspected it was a group of campers. Good idea about bringing your own though - I never thought of that. I supsect DH would freak if I suggested bringing rope and a piece of wood along with the other ton of crap vital equipment I insist on.

[JustAfloat]

MFPT Chafford Park looks lovely. Great you can have campfires too.

Hillbilly We loved Les Valades. Hopefully going back next year

hz Thanks, I will check those out. DH doesn't want to commit just yet either. Our local farmer has said that from middle of April we should get 6 weeks of good weather!

It did make me laugh about taking your own wood and rope. I think its a brilliant idea but I think it would just about push my DH over the edge

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

It is nice there JAf but i think you are wise to keep your options open for the weather. We have gone ahead and booked Stubcroft Farm in East Wittering for Easter so we are committed either way. Hey ho!

PS. Our group is in some of the (rather tiny) photos on the CP website - you can see my back in one of them if you squint.

[Hillbilly]

I know - DH thought I was crazy buying rope and looking for a suitable branch on one particular camping trip. However it came in handy at Abbotstone Wood where we made a swing and hopefully many more adults children enjoyed it over the summer

[hz]

Have been intending to do that too Hillbilly. Will sort it out this year. Maybe we enjoyed your rope swing at abbotstone. Where was it?