Star Field Camping

In the rolling scenery of the High Weald AONB in Kent, this gently sloping camping meadow is aptly named. Cloudless nights, of course, can’t always be guaranteed but, when they arrive, the stars here are dazzling. Bedded down in the long grass of this former hay meadow, you can throw another log on the campfire and gaze endlessly into space. For those leaving the well-lit haze of London, it’s a particularly popular spot. It can be tough to believe this small rural site is just half an hour from the M25.

Given its proximity to London, Star Field is a pleasingly paired-back and basic affair. It will suit anyone who wants to really cut the cord from urban life as this camping and glamping site is entirely off-grid, with neat composting toilets and gas-heated showers. The sheer space on offer means your pitch only ever feels hemmed in by nature – by long grass, cowparsley, wildflowers and trees rather than other campers.

There’s a sliding scale of comfort and wildness from the basic camp pitches where you pitch your own tent to two fully-furnished safari tents; with bell tents between. Wildest of all are the ten camping pitches which share facilities and space in the main camping meadow. For wildish glamping, choose an unfurnished bell tent. It has its own composting loo, picnic bench and even beds inside but it’s a step less tamed than the furnished bell tents which have bedding, a shower and an outdoor kitchen too. Most luxurious of all are the pair of safari tents which have their kitchen inside, a stove, a sofa and solar power to boot.

Star Field is set in one of the most picturesque meadows on Charity Farm, now under the fourth generation of the same family. It began life as a chicken farm before diversifying into selling hay, straw and forage from a small on-site country store. Over time, the store expanded and you can now buy the latest knitwear or a Joules raincoat when you come here camping as well as half a dozen farm-fresh eggs from the clutch of free-range hens which still occupy the farmyard above the campsite. For more than that, Cranbrook Farm Shop is next door, stocked full of local produce and goodies.

Elsewhere, you can walk to Bedgebury Forest right from the site (or get there by car in under five minutes with parking free of charge). It’s a half-hour walk into Cranbrook, the smallest town in Kent and a thoroughly pleasant place, with a host of excellent independent cafés and pubs. A working windmill, built in 1814, dominates the local skyline there, while the local church also holds a little known historic artefact, the prototype for the clock on Big Ben. It’s 10 minutes to Sissinghurst Castle, 15 minutes to Bodiam Castle and 20 minutes to Scotney Castle – all owned by the National Trust – while the coast around Hastings and Camber Sands is 35 minutes or so by car. In all, though, this campsite is the sort of place where time will happily be ebbed away around the campfire or simply doing nothing at all. After all, that’s what disconnecting and being off grid is all about.