You don’t need to travel too far to find some of the UK’s best campsites – there are three top-rated campsites are just an hour from Croydon.
With the summer season in full swing and school holidays fast approaching, there will be plenty of Londoners looking to spend a weekend away camping.
Reviews and ratings from over 2,658 campers have revealed the best campsites across England, Scotland and Wales, rated on a number of factors including location, value for money, quality of accommodation, activities and cleanliness.
To be considered in the review awards, campsites must have a minimum of 20 reviews in that year and are scored out of ten.
We’ve rounded up three of the closest campsites to the Croydon area, all within an hour's drive, and why they’re worth a visit.
These three Sussex campsites were rated among some of the best in the south east in the 2023 Pitchup.com list of top UK campsites.
Deaks Acres
Where? Deaks Lane, Ansty, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 5AS
Open from Friday 24 May to Monday 30 September 2024.
Prices start from £24 for 2 adults for 1 night in a non-electric grass tent pitch.
Starting with the closest on the list, Deaks Acres Campsite in the West Sussex countryside is just 50 minutes drive from Croydon.
The campsite was scored an impressive 9.9 rating by campers who stayed there.
This family-friendly and dog-friendly campsite offers 11 plots for campers, along with countryside walks and is within a 5-minute drive of Cuckfield if you fancy stopping at one of its many pubs.
But if you fancy cooking for yourself, the campsite also has a communal kitchen and picnicking area where you can cook yourself up a campers feast, and if it gets chilly you can also light a fire on your own personal firepit.
If you feel like a day at the beach, Deaks Acres is just half an hour's drive from Brighton, which is home to a popular beach, pier and the famous Lanes where you can find a host of independent shops.
But if you’d prefer a day exploring history, the campsite is situated a close drive to many National Trust locations like Nymans and Wakehurst Place.
The campsite is also part of a smallholding where you’ll find farm animals like goats, horses and geese, making it a great place for children to interact with the animals.
Sands Farm Weekend Camping
Where? Northlands Road, Warnham, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 3SQ
Open from Friday 12 July to Monday 9 September 2024.
Prices start from £20 for 2 adults for 1 night in a non-electric grass campervan pitch.
If you’re after woodlands, barbecues and plenty of outdoor walking space, Sands Farm is just an hour's drive from Croydon.
Just 35 minutes from the South Downs and with three pubs located nearby, it’s easy to see why this wild camping spot was awarded a 9.8 rating by campers.
The campsite, set amidst the backdrop of the West Sussex woodlands, is the perfect rural camping spot well suited to anyone looking for some peace and quiet on their next trip.
But if you get bored, the local village is just 20 minutes away, with three pubs, a butchers and a food shop, where you can buy food to cook on a barbecue back at the campsite.
There are also plenty of nearby attractions, from mountain biking at Leith Hill to leisurely walks around Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, or National Trust owned property Polesden Lacey, all within 45 minutes drive of the campsite.
If you love trains, be sure to visit Bluebell Railway in Uckfield, where you can hop aboard a vintage steam train to take a trip through the Sussex countryside
Ashdown Forest Riding Centre
Where? King Standing Farm, Black Hill Road, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1XE
Open all year
Prices start from £100 for 2 adults for 1 night in Tilly's Cabin, or £125 for the Galini Cabin
If log cabins and forest walks are more your thing, then Ashdown Forest Riding Centre is the perfect cosy campsite just an hour from Croydon.
The campsite was scored a rating of 9.8 by campers, with 97 percent of visitors saying they would recommend it to a friend and 97 percent saying that they would stay again.
The site is situated in the middle of a farm and surrounded by woodlands.
The site offers two log cabins where you can enjoy the woodland scenery, have a barbecue and even spot deer, badgers and birds of prey.
The cabins are furnished with wooden furniture, a sofa bed and carpets, and you can even do on-site activities like horse-riding.
There’s also a local village within a 10-minute drive, with coffee shops and local pubs, and after a further 10-minute drive you’ll find yourself in Ashdown Forest, which was famously the inspiration for the 100 Acre Wood in the Winnie the Pooh books by A.A. Milne.
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