Is this possible: Secluded site, allowing campfires, SE England? Oh, and all this for camping virgins with a 15-month old!

[SalLikesCoffee]

I've been threatening to go camping for ages. I've read the camping topic for hours. I've even drooled over camping websites.

Oh, and no-one got hurt when dh laughed hysterically at my suggestion (I'm a well-known wuss ).

So, here we are, I'm ready to do it (I think!):

Please help me with a suggestion for that first trip. We'd probably do a long weekend first, and ideally somewhere in South East England. We're based in South London.

If at all possible, I'd really prefer not to go to a field with loads of pitches, or somewhere where you can see a lot of cars / caravans / buildings. I can see why it would be a good idea to have facilities available close by, but I think (please tell me to stop being stupid if I am!) we would like to start off somewhere "on our own", or as close as possible to, anyway.

It will be dh, myself and my (now 12-month old) ds. We both love nature, but have up till now opted for hotels / b&b's.

Thank you so much.

[nannyL]

St Ives in Hartfield is lovely.

you can have campfires and its a very basic site with only a couple of loos and a shower per gender and the odd tap dotted around

there is also a tea room close by,

beutiful country location

however it does have a huge lake in the middle, which wouldnt be great with toddlers or older children, but im guessing a 15 month old wouldnt be alone even for a moment (and its possible to pitch quite far from the lake) so would probably suit your requirements

last year during a bank holiday a family size tent was £12 / night

it is a bigish campsite though but so long as you dont choose a busy bank holiday weekend i expect you would be able to get a space not too close to the rest of the world

[chefswife]

don't have any suggestions unless you are coming to the west coast of Canada but i would suggest with a LO to take a playpen. enjoy the adventure. i come from a family of campers and did it every summer and a couple of winter weekends too.

[SalLikesCoffee]

Thank you for the replies.

themildmanneredjanitor - blackberry woods looks lovely! All the weekends at the beginning of the year are already booked, but I've booked the first available one, which is October. Now I really hope we like whichever place we go to first!

NannyL, I've just searched, and the reviews look really good. I think at this stage I'll try looking for something a little smaller though, but have bookmarked that in case this works out well!

Chefswife - hmm, Canada. Maybe just slightly too far. Thanks for the tip. Out of interest, how old were you when you started doing winter weekends? This is definitely not something I'd consider now, but I have often wondered if anyone bothers in winter.

[seeker]

Try Folkestone Warren. The pitches are quite close together, but it's a very peaceful place and there's a nice but pebbly beach. We spend a lot of summer weekends there - it's only 30 minutes from home.

No campfires though - not many places let you. We have a fire pot that we burn driftwood in that's nearly as good though!

[SalLikesCoffee]

Seeker, a really stupid question from me, but wrt the fire: So if you're not allowed to make a campfire, is it always ok to have a fire in a fire pot? I love seeing wood burn - there is just something very comforting and romantic about seeing the flames.

Hmm, that does make me sound like an arsonist, doesn't it? Promise I won't burn your favourite sites down on purpose !

[nannyL]

here is a list of all uk campsites that allow campfires

[SalLikesCoffee]

Thanks, nannyL!

[seeker]

Sal - nobody has ever tried to stop us using our fire pot. We always rest it on bricks so that it won't burn the grass.

Mind you, you might find that you don't want a fire around -at least until your LO has gone to sleep. Then you and dp can light it and drink wine under the stars.

[SalLikesCoffee]

Oh, that sounds so romantic, Seeker! I really, really want to love this. Hope I'm not a big fat wuss when it comes to it. Big, fat, yes maybe, but at least not all three...

[seeker]

Ok - here's Seeker's recipe for camping.

A good quality double inflatable mattress. Or 2 large thermarests and 2 Futon Company folding futons. (our perfect solution after years of experimentation).
A proper bottom sheet, and a duvet. Then a huge rug on top. Real pillows.

Hot water bottles. Bed socks.

A good quality thermos flask to fill with boiling water at night so you can have tea quickly in the morning.

A coffee pot to make real coffee.

Lots of lovely wine and real glass glasses to drink it out of.

[saggyhairyarse]

According to Times (in Cornwall though):

BEST FOR CAMPFIRES
Noongallas, Cornwall (1)

Camping doesn?t really come a lot more dreamy ? or much cheaper ? than a night at Noongallas. Nestled on a sloping site, divided into six fields by gorse hedges and waist-high bracken, are unmarked pitches with terracing in the steeper spots. Penzance is just down the road, but this mellow, low-impact site feels genuinely wild, with families just hanging out on site. The owner, John Line, has built a romantically dilapidated dancehall and positively encourages campfire life and the musicians that it attracts. The facilities are pretty basic, but that?s part of the appeal for the families who come back year after year.

£5 per adult per night, £2.50 per child; July and August only; 01736 366698, noongallas.com

[InTheScrum]

Camping wusses should try Featherdown Farms. We're off for the third year runninh in May half term.
Your pitch is already prepared - it's a canvas tent with raised wooden floor, wood burning stove, cold running water, double bed, bunks beds and a cabin bed (all with proper mattresses and duvets) and best of all a flushing toilet!
I'll try and find a link!

[SalLikesCoffee]

Seeker, you make it sound so easy and lovely. Well, maybe not easy, but, I don't know (now I'm proving myself as a complete idiot, I know), civilised! This, I guess, is what I'm most afraid of - not sure whether I can do "proper" camping, and I really want to. Yet nature is what I love most, I grew up on a farm, everything! I think it's just that I'm out of practice.

Had a look at Noongallas, sounds great fun, saggyhairyarse. The owner sounds best of all, which I guess makes a huge difference to atmosphere. Wonder if, if I survive the first trip, I can persuade dh to go somewhere every month... There are so many absolutely beautiful places.

InTheScrum, yes, they look beautiful! I've requested a brochure a couple of months ago, and have drooled over it often since. Which one did you go to? The thing with them though, is that I'm not sure whether it would feel like "proper" camping. I've got this idea in my head that a tent on the ground, on the grass etc, is going to feel closer to nature, almost part. I'm being stupid, aren't I? Tell me more, please.

I am however also afraid that, if I go somewhere luxurious first, getting used to a normal tent would be more difficult. And also, if I can do normal camping, it means we can afford weekend trips more often, whereas we wouldn't be able to go to expensive ones more than once a year, I guess.

So I think I'm going to try a tent first, and then after that, whether I could do it or not, a Featherdowns farm one later.

[InTheScrum]

We've been to Boswarthen Farm, in Cornwall, and Manor Farm in Hampshire. The farmers and their families are fantastic, very friendly.
There are only 6 or so tents on each site, so it's very peaceful.
I like it because it's still roughing it slightly, but you don't get quite so damp as "regular" camping. DS1 is 3 now, and he slept in the cabin bed last year - he was so excited. I was 35 weeks pregnant so DH & I had the double bed and my parents slept in the bunks! First year we went we took a travel cot, and we'll be doing so again this year for DS2 (he'll be 10 months). You have to be careful of the stove with the little ones.

[SalLikesCoffee]

Would you say it's worth it to take ds (hmm, almost typed "dh" ... Uhm. ) there yet, or do you think he wouldn't care less? He's a year old now. As it's a lot of money, I was wondering whether it would be worth it to wait until he is old enough to enjoy the "coolness" of it?

[peanutbrittle]

wowo is great - big, but in a couple of fields, no buildings or other signs of other life in view, great walk through woods to nice remote pub, the owner drives around in a little tractor with a trailer full of wood for sale for fires...mmm, we'll be going back...is in SE, can't remember exactly where though

[InTheScrum]

My DS loved (and still does) tractors, cows, sheep etc, so at 18 months he loved it. He likes nothing better than donning his wellies and traipsing around a cow shed.
We go in May half term (we're teachers) and do Mon-Fri. It works out about £500 (with linen, towels and insurances etc), but we think that's pretty good for 4 adults and 2 children self catering. The farm shops on site are lovely, but a tad pricey, but then you are helping farms to diversify and supporting local businesses, it depends how far apart your wallet and your conscience are!

[SalLikesCoffee]

Peanutbrittle, thanks - just did a search, and people seem to love it, all (well, the reviews that I read anyway) echoed what you're saying - down to earth, relaxed etc. Their website clearly not for camping, which is fair enough I guess. Will see if I can find some pics tomorrow.

InTheScrum, I'm really glad to hear that! Guess you're right about the cost - for "fixed" accommodation you probably won't find many cheaper places. I don't mind paying more for things at farm shops though - I would probably take some basics, and then buy the fresh stuff there. I always convince myself it tastes a million times better than at home.

I'm off to bed now, but will chat again tomorrow night after work.

Thank you SO much for everyone's suggestions!

[Milliways]

If you don't mind fairly basic Midbrooks may be worth a look as little-uns get to feed the animals etc.