Campsites for hikers in Friston Forest

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Protected as part of southeast England’s South Downs National Park, Friston Forest sits just inland from the unbelievably beautiful white-chalk Seven Sisters cliffs and picturesque Cuckmere Haven beach in East Sussex. A handful of well-marked hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and horse riding trails meander off into the beech trees, while scenic picnic and barbecue areas as well as charming pubs can be found in the villages of Friston and East Dean. For campers, family-owned farms, thrilling clifftop sites, and the grounds of graceful country manors offer idyllic pitch-up spots, while water sports abound all along the nearby coast.

98% (1.7K) 358 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Friston Forest

The Barn KT9

1. The Barn KT9

97%
(271)
Chessington, England · 22 units · Tents, Glamping
A unique rural campsite in Surrey, a stone's throw from London's Zone 6
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
The Nut Plat Retreat

2. The Nut Plat Retreat

93%
(73)
Tonbridge, England · 3 units
Antique living wagons on the banks of the River Bourne, with a charming orchard setting, a pub down the lane and a history unlike anywhere else
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£88
 / night
Chalky Downs

3. Chalky Downs

96%
(605)
Brighton, England · 10 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Traditional tent camping in a stunningly-located South Downs farm, just down the road from buzzing Brighton
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£16
 / night
Freshwinds Camping

4. Freshwinds Camping

Watermill Lane, England · 15 units
Think this 'great outdoors' lark is all tangled-up tent and midge-repellant? Then Freshwinds is the spot for you.
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£12
 / night
Dernwood Farm Camping & Glamping

5. Dernwood Farm Camping & Glamping

95%
(65)
Waldron, England · 17 units · Tents, Glamping
Camping and glamping in Sussex meadows and woodlands
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
Hale Farm

6. Hale Farm

100%
(152)
Chiddingly, England · 38 units · Tents, Glamping
A family-run, working farm in East Sussex offering spacious, traditional camping with no set pitches
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Tomkins Farm

7. Tomkins Farm

96%
(164)
North Chailey, England · 42 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Relaxed camping beside a lake on an East Sussex farm, with alpacas, llamas, and camels
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£18
 / night
Scallow Campsite Glamping Pods

8. Scallow Campsite Glamping Pods

92%
(13)
East Hoathly, Near Lewes, England · 3 units
The Glamping site offers three Glamping Pods. Glamping Pod 1 has twin beds while Glamping Pod 2 and 3 have double beds. The Pods are furnished with beds, side tables, table and chairs with hanging space for clothes and coats. The site is level and surrounded by a well managed copse adjoining the road with wild flowers and resplendent with bluebells in the Spring. We are proud to have been awarded Campsite of the Year East Sussex for 2021/22 by CorporateLiveWire Prestige Awards.
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
from 
£90
 / night
Woodfire at Westerlands

9. Woodfire at Westerlands

99%
(51)
Graffham, England · 22 units
A foodie campsite with outdoor feasts, set in the heart of the South Downs
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£22
 / night
Beech Estate Campsite

10. Beech Estate Campsite

97%
(185)
Battle, England · 57 units · Tents, Glamping
Tent pitch camping and wild glamping in a Sussex woodland hideaway
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£22
 / night
The Slips

11. The Slips

91%
(85)
Henfield, England · 39 units · Tents, Motorhomes
A relaxed, back-to-basics campsite in the West Sussex countryside
Pets
Electrical hookup
Campfires
from 
£19
 / night
Ditchling Boutique Camping

12. Ditchling Boutique Camping

86%
(22)
Ditchling, England · 101 units
Hunker down in a historic village, surrounded by vineyards, hilly countryside and some rather spectacular views. With Ditchling Camping as your base, you’ll be on track for rural bike rides or visiting Brighton and its busy coast 25 minutes’ drive away. That’s because this dog-friendly site is in Ditchling – a village in the splendid South Downs National Park and a rather excellent location for all sorts of days out. Good news if the whole family is tagging along: there’s plenty to play with around the site, including an adventure trail through the woodlands, a swing tree and places for kids to fashion their own little dens. The site is only a five-minute drive (or a 30-minute walk) from the traditional Jack and Jill windmills and the neighbouring family-run pub, which serves both grub and good ales. A vineyard is 15 minutes’ walk away from the site if you'd like to include a wine-tasting tour on your break. Otherwise, simply pedal along country lanes on the surrounding cycling routes (it’s easy enough to hire a bike locally). On your route, you might want to stop by in characterful Ditchling, home to local craftspeople and winemakers. There’s a nice selection of independent shops here, plus cosy cafés and pubs that will serve you a good spread of Sussex food, all within a 5-minute walk. Back on site, end the day with a cosy evening beside the fire-pits. The site facilities are nicely straightforward otherwise and include warm showers and a separate dishwashing area and of course our newly installed Composting Toilets.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£15
 / night
Little Thakeham Farm

13. Little Thakeham Farm

97%
(57)
Storrington, England · 15 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Almost wild camping in rural Sussex, with campfires, good footpaths and a pub within 15 minutes' walk
Pets
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£30
 / night
Hook Farm Campsite

14. Hook Farm Campsite

98%
(203)
East Grinstead, England · 18 units
Blissfully back-to-basics camping in the heart of the West Sussex High Weald
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
Painters Farm Campsite

15. Painters Farm Campsite

99%
(38)
Whitstable, England · 46 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Nestled beside the village of Painters Forstal, Faversham, Kent. Our two acre orchard site with grass pitches. The campsite lies within seventeen acres on the slope of The Kent Downs, a designated area of natural beauty. The Alma ale house at the edge of the farm serves Shepherds Neame and hot meals all year round. Two acre quiet cherry orchard site based around a Tudor Manor house 1547 that gives its name to our village. Surrounded by orchards and open countryside but within easy reach of Faversham, Whitstable and Canterbury. Pitches for tents, campervans, motorhomes and touring caravans with or without electric hook up on a level grassy site. Pets are welcome and a crew member is always around the reception or farm to help out. The Campsite is open from 1st march until 31st October. The local area is awash with things to do. Faversham once the busiest port in 17th century England for its wool trade has the longest complete medieval street in the country. A wealth of little shops, cafes and pubs as well as the country’s oldest family owned brewery Shepherd Neame. Whitstable sitting just along the coast, famed for its Oysters and Sunsets is a fun beachside community bustling in the summer months and hauntingly bleak in the winter ones. The World Heritage sites of Canterbury are just a fifteen minute trip away with all its well documented history and plentiful shops and eateries.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Campfires
from 
£26
 / night
Luna Domes

16. Luna Domes

100%
(9)
East Grinstead, England · 8 units
High-end glamping with hot tubs in the Garden of England
Pets
Showers
Hot Tub
from 
£192
 / night
Cattlestone Farm Adult Only

17. Cattlestone Farm Adult Only

97%
(122)
Pulborough, England · 36 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Friendly camping and glamping on a Sussex farm, with animals to meet, a pond to swim in, and the South Downs nearby.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£35
 / night
Quaint Farm in a National Park

18. Quaint Farm in a National Park

100%
(26)
Liphook, England · 2 units
Our 17 acre Farm is set deep within the beautiful South Downs National Park on the outskirts of the quiet village of Milland (near Liphook) in rural West Sussex (close to its border with Hampshire and Surrey). We have direct access to an excellent bridleway and footpath network through peaceful open countryside and quiet lanes as well as being on the Serpent Tail and close to the South Downs Way.​ Our Glamping Pod and Shepherd's Hut are available to book all year round. We also offer stabling if you would like to take your horses or ponies on holiday with you! Milland village (0.8 miles) has the Rising Sun pub, serving great food and drink, and Milland Stores, which stocks all your essential fresh and local produce as well as having a small cafe.
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
from 
£125
 / night
The Sunnyfield Campsite

19. The Sunnyfield Campsite

94%
(99)
Canterbury, England · 25 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Looking for a place where you can camp, glamp and campervan together with friends? The Sunnyfield is the place.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£38
 / night
Housedean Farm Campsite

20. Housedean Farm Campsite

98%
(100)
Lewes, England · 3 units
Epic views of the South Downs, and a walker’s paradise, hidden sweetly on the South Downs Way
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£16
 / night

Protected as part of southeast England’s South Downs National Park, Friston Forest sits just inland from the unbelievably beautiful white-chalk Seven Sisters cliffs and picturesque Cuckmere Haven beach in East Sussex. A handful of well-marked hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and horse riding trails meander off into the beech trees, while scenic picnic and barbecue areas as well as charming pubs can be found in the villages of Friston and East Dean. For campers, family-owned farms, thrilling clifftop sites, and the grounds of graceful country manors offer idyllic pitch-up spots, while water sports abound all along the nearby coast.

98% (1.7K) 358 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Friston Forest

The Barn KT9

1. The Barn KT9

97%
(271)
Chessington, England · 22 units · Tents, Glamping
A unique rural campsite in Surrey, a stone's throw from London's Zone 6
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
The Nut Plat Retreat

2. The Nut Plat Retreat

93%
(73)
Tonbridge, England · 3 units
Antique living wagons on the banks of the River Bourne, with a charming orchard setting, a pub down the lane and a history unlike anywhere else
Pets
Showers
Campfires
from 
£88
 / night
Chalky Downs

3. Chalky Downs

96%
(605)
Brighton, England · 10 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Traditional tent camping in a stunningly-located South Downs farm, just down the road from buzzing Brighton
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£16
 / night
Freshwinds Camping

4. Freshwinds Camping

Watermill Lane, England · 15 units
Think this 'great outdoors' lark is all tangled-up tent and midge-repellant? Then Freshwinds is the spot for you.
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£12
 / night
Dernwood Farm Camping & Glamping

5. Dernwood Farm Camping & Glamping

95%
(65)
Waldron, England · 17 units · Tents, Glamping
Camping and glamping in Sussex meadows and woodlands
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
Hale Farm

6. Hale Farm

100%
(152)
Chiddingly, England · 38 units · Tents, Glamping
A family-run, working farm in East Sussex offering spacious, traditional camping with no set pitches
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£15
 / night
Tomkins Farm

7. Tomkins Farm

96%
(164)
North Chailey, England · 42 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Relaxed camping beside a lake on an East Sussex farm, with alpacas, llamas, and camels
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£18
 / night
Scallow Campsite Glamping Pods

8. Scallow Campsite Glamping Pods

92%
(13)
East Hoathly, Near Lewes, England · 3 units
The Glamping site offers three Glamping Pods. Glamping Pod 1 has twin beds while Glamping Pod 2 and 3 have double beds. The Pods are furnished with beds, side tables, table and chairs with hanging space for clothes and coats. The site is level and surrounded by a well managed copse adjoining the road with wild flowers and resplendent with bluebells in the Spring. We are proud to have been awarded Campsite of the Year East Sussex for 2021/22 by CorporateLiveWire Prestige Awards.
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
from 
£90
 / night
Woodfire at Westerlands

9. Woodfire at Westerlands

99%
(51)
Graffham, England · 22 units
A foodie campsite with outdoor feasts, set in the heart of the South Downs
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£22
 / night
Beech Estate Campsite

10. Beech Estate Campsite

97%
(185)
Battle, England · 57 units · Tents, Glamping
Tent pitch camping and wild glamping in a Sussex woodland hideaway
Campfires
Showers
Potable water
from 
£22
 / night
The Slips

11. The Slips

91%
(85)
Henfield, England · 39 units · Tents, Motorhomes
A relaxed, back-to-basics campsite in the West Sussex countryside
Pets
Electrical hookup
Campfires
from 
£19
 / night
Ditchling Boutique Camping

12. Ditchling Boutique Camping

86%
(22)
Ditchling, England · 101 units
Hunker down in a historic village, surrounded by vineyards, hilly countryside and some rather spectacular views. With Ditchling Camping as your base, you’ll be on track for rural bike rides or visiting Brighton and its busy coast 25 minutes’ drive away. That’s because this dog-friendly site is in Ditchling – a village in the splendid South Downs National Park and a rather excellent location for all sorts of days out. Good news if the whole family is tagging along: there’s plenty to play with around the site, including an adventure trail through the woodlands, a swing tree and places for kids to fashion their own little dens. The site is only a five-minute drive (or a 30-minute walk) from the traditional Jack and Jill windmills and the neighbouring family-run pub, which serves both grub and good ales. A vineyard is 15 minutes’ walk away from the site if you'd like to include a wine-tasting tour on your break. Otherwise, simply pedal along country lanes on the surrounding cycling routes (it’s easy enough to hire a bike locally). On your route, you might want to stop by in characterful Ditchling, home to local craftspeople and winemakers. There’s a nice selection of independent shops here, plus cosy cafés and pubs that will serve you a good spread of Sussex food, all within a 5-minute walk. Back on site, end the day with a cosy evening beside the fire-pits. The site facilities are nicely straightforward otherwise and include warm showers and a separate dishwashing area and of course our newly installed Composting Toilets.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£15
 / night
Little Thakeham Farm

13. Little Thakeham Farm

97%
(57)
Storrington, England · 15 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Almost wild camping in rural Sussex, with campfires, good footpaths and a pub within 15 minutes' walk
Pets
Campfires
Potable water
from 
£30
 / night
Hook Farm Campsite

14. Hook Farm Campsite

98%
(203)
East Grinstead, England · 18 units
Blissfully back-to-basics camping in the heart of the West Sussex High Weald
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£12
 / night
Painters Farm Campsite

15. Painters Farm Campsite

99%
(38)
Whitstable, England · 46 units · Tents, Motorhomes
Nestled beside the village of Painters Forstal, Faversham, Kent. Our two acre orchard site with grass pitches. The campsite lies within seventeen acres on the slope of The Kent Downs, a designated area of natural beauty. The Alma ale house at the edge of the farm serves Shepherds Neame and hot meals all year round. Two acre quiet cherry orchard site based around a Tudor Manor house 1547 that gives its name to our village. Surrounded by orchards and open countryside but within easy reach of Faversham, Whitstable and Canterbury. Pitches for tents, campervans, motorhomes and touring caravans with or without electric hook up on a level grassy site. Pets are welcome and a crew member is always around the reception or farm to help out. The Campsite is open from 1st march until 31st October. The local area is awash with things to do. Faversham once the busiest port in 17th century England for its wool trade has the longest complete medieval street in the country. A wealth of little shops, cafes and pubs as well as the country’s oldest family owned brewery Shepherd Neame. Whitstable sitting just along the coast, famed for its Oysters and Sunsets is a fun beachside community bustling in the summer months and hauntingly bleak in the winter ones. The World Heritage sites of Canterbury are just a fifteen minute trip away with all its well documented history and plentiful shops and eateries.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Campfires
from 
£26
 / night
Luna Domes

16. Luna Domes

100%
(9)
East Grinstead, England · 8 units
High-end glamping with hot tubs in the Garden of England
Pets
Showers
Hot Tub
from 
£192
 / night
Cattlestone Farm Adult Only

17. Cattlestone Farm Adult Only

97%
(122)
Pulborough, England · 36 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Friendly camping and glamping on a Sussex farm, with animals to meet, a pond to swim in, and the South Downs nearby.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£35
 / night
Quaint Farm in a National Park

18. Quaint Farm in a National Park

100%
(26)
Liphook, England · 2 units
Our 17 acre Farm is set deep within the beautiful South Downs National Park on the outskirts of the quiet village of Milland (near Liphook) in rural West Sussex (close to its border with Hampshire and Surrey). We have direct access to an excellent bridleway and footpath network through peaceful open countryside and quiet lanes as well as being on the Serpent Tail and close to the South Downs Way.​ Our Glamping Pod and Shepherd's Hut are available to book all year round. We also offer stabling if you would like to take your horses or ponies on holiday with you! Milland village (0.8 miles) has the Rising Sun pub, serving great food and drink, and Milland Stores, which stocks all your essential fresh and local produce as well as having a small cafe.
Showers
Campfires
Wifi
from 
£125
 / night
The Sunnyfield Campsite

19. The Sunnyfield Campsite

94%
(99)
Canterbury, England · 25 units · Tents, Motorhomes, Glamping
Looking for a place where you can camp, glamp and campervan together with friends? The Sunnyfield is the place.
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£38
 / night
Housedean Farm Campsite

20. Housedean Farm Campsite

98%
(100)
Lewes, England · 3 units
Epic views of the South Downs, and a walker’s paradise, hidden sweetly on the South Downs Way
Pets
Campfires
Showers
from 
£16
 / night

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Campsites for hikers in Friston Forest guide

Where to go

Seven Sisters Country Park

One of coastal England’s most superbly scenic stretches, this 280-hectare park ripples across the Cuckmere River valley, chalk grasslands, and the undulating, salt-white Seven Sisters cliffs, west of Eastbourne. A challenging branch of the South Downs Way tracks up and down along the clifftops, with dazzling views across the channel.

South Downs National Park

Beyond the Seven Sisters area, the South Downs roll northwest all the way to Winchester, taking in chalk-dusted hills, gorgeously green landscapes, lively market towns, and, of course, superb country pubs. Adventurous souls can go hiking, cycling, horse riding, and even paragliding, while campsites, glamping pods, and caravan spots pop up everywhere from riverside farms to cliffview coastal parks.

High Weald AONB

England’s fourth-largest AONB packs in 580 square miles of Sussex, Kent, and Surrey countryside sprinkled with ancient castles, gardens, and mansions. Go kayaking across lakes, hike along the escarpment, explore the sprawling heaths, and try paddleboarding or sailing with a wealth of delightful glamping, camping, and caravanning sites to pick from along the way.

Kent Downs

Inland from Kent’s chalk-dusted coastline (where dynamic towns such as Folkestone, Margate, Deal, and Whitstable await), the Kent Downs AONB delivers almost 350 square miles of centuries-old beech woodlands, scenic farmscapes, and windswept scarps. It’s a wonderfully refreshing natural space for hiking, horse riding, and cycling with view-splayed trails including the long-distance North Downs Way. This also makes it a popular on-the-doorstep escape from London, so you’ll want to book that secluded pop-up farm campsite well ahead.