Spring Barn Farm

Surely one of the prettiest towns in Sussex, with its mixture of medieval and 18th-century houses, Lewes is bursting at its timbered seams with history. Beer lovers will be delighted to know that Sussex’s premier ale, Harveys, is brewed in town, and there are plenty of cosy pubs in which to sample it. Lewes is also famous for its Bonfire Night, which sees a cast of thousands parading through the streets in fancy dress with burning crosses before the pièce de résistance: effigies are burned in the nearby fields. 

Located on the undulating South Downs, in a vista of buttery hills and widescreen skies, Spring Barn Farm is manna from heaven for kids, and perfect for campers who like a good walk. Let’s start with the secluded campsite: it’s basic – little more than a field with a nearby loo block – but the views are fantastic. Look out over the downs, peer into the adjacent Children of the Corn maize field, and hear the myriad calls of animals from the adjoining farm. Kids love the farm park in the farm’s central building and the menagerie outside. If goats, rabbits, and chickens are passé, then show them the cheeky Shetland ponies and South American alpacas with their Thunderbird-puppet lips. The maze is great fun too; three acres of twisting turns in which to lose yourself.