Alciston Court Farm

Alciston Court Farm campsite is at the foot of the South Downs and within the national park. It’s a great place for walking and cycling with The South Downs Way a great route for both. Firle Beacon (three miles) is a view-tastic spot to head for if you don’t mind a steep climb. If you prefer more gentle undulations, you could stick to the old coach road, a mostly traffic-free route linking Alciston with the villages of Alfriston (two miles) and Firle (three miles). Both are a little further if you go by car via the A27. Drusillas Zoo Park is less than two miles from the campsite and a great day out – especially for families with younger kids with animals, rides and play areas. Middle Farm (three miles) offers an opportunity to meet less exotic animals in a farm setting and Knockhatch Adventure Park (eight miles) is home to more thrills and spills. For grown ups, there’s Charleston Farmhouse (two miles), once the home of the Bloomsbury Group of artists and writers. You can tour the house to see the art they left behind and also for visiting exhibitions. Firle Place, a stately home, just a little further away (five miles from the campsite) is another place to see great art and architecture and beyond that is Glyndebourne (six miles), home of English opera with a full summer programme. The charming town of Lewes is eight miles from the campsite and it’s a similar distance to the seaside at Seaford or the Seven Sisters Country Park on the outskirts of Eastbourne. Brighton is 15 miles away.

The campsite is in a field at the foot of the South Downs in the village of Alciston. There are pubs in two of the neighbouring villages, both only about a mile away. The Barley Mow is a family-run freehouse in Selmeston and The Cricketers Arms in Berwick which is a country pub with homemade food and local Harvey’s ales. Selmeston also has a petrol station with a shop. Middle Farm is a good place to pick up local produce for the barbecue and picnic lunches. It’s less than three miles up the road and also has a tea room. Alfriston has more options for eating out and stocking up with a couple of cafes, a couple of good pubs and a couple of shops on its small and pretty high street.