Campsite details:
Chestnut Meadow Country Park
Ninfield Road
Bexhill-On-Sea
TN39 5JG
Pitch costs:
- £45 per night for grass pitch with EHU (May Half Term 2022)
- Glamping options including sleeping pods and lodges with hot tubs also available
Site facilities:
- Toilet & shower block
- Disabled toilet and shower facilities
- Chemical loo disposal point
- Grass and electric tent pitches
- Glamping and lodge accommodation available
- Kids play park
- On site shop and reception
- On site cafe open all day
- Woodland walks from the campsite
What we were looking for:
With two young tiger cubs being only 6 and 4 years old, we weren't looking to venture too far on our half term break. The idea of whingey kids in the car and me driving my hubby mad asking every 30 seconds if the trailer is still attached, means that we are looking at about an hour's travel max! So upon our search we found this little beauty of a campsite, located in Bexhill-On-Sea, just under an hour's drive from our home in Brighton. Score!
As you enter the campsite, you drive up a manicured driveway which feels very much like you are entering a stately home. We pulled in and the hubby went to check in at the reception / shop. It was all very efficient and he came out brandishing a map and we were at our pitch within 5 minutes of arriving.
Now, let's talk about the pitches....they are massive! Not only the actual size of your pitch, but the pitches are all placed around the outside of a large field. A lot of campsites would have wedged another 50 tents in the middle, so it was really nice that this space was kept clear. With two young boys this meant that they were free to roam and the field was constantly filled with kids playing football, rounders or flying kites. There was only one entrance on to the field from the one way system that looped around the site which meant it felt very safe to let the kids run off. Cars were rarely driving around and the quiet lane around the outside of the site made a great track for kids to ride their bikes and scooters.
We always opt for an electric hook up. The hubby and kids love camping -I am a work in progress! The idea of no electricity would send me running for the hills. This site had plenty of availability for EHU as well as non-electric pitches, which our sister-in-law opted for. As with every campsite, if you are booking as a group it's best to go for the same type of pitch so you will be next to each other. The non-electric pitches where the SIL was allocated were the opposite side of the field to us, but as the centre was kept clear, the kids were able to run back and forth freely which was a real plus point. My top tip of the trip - make sure you test how long your electricity wire is to the plug in before you pitch your tent. My husband nearly didn't live through our camp set up but that's another story!
Camping in May means that the mornings and evenings are still a bit chilly, so for us a fan heater is a must have. As is the ceiling fan for during the day. The British weather really doesn't help us pack light! Thank goodness the pitch had space for a big shelter and windbreak as the weather varied from windy rain to boiling sun within the space of minutes.
The pitches are all on a nice even ground with the site being very flat. No head rushes if pitched the wrong way or slipping down the tent this time! At one end of the field there were glamping pods and separated by a big hedge and trees were the lodges. It all felt very spacious and private despite having neighbours.
Camp Facilities:
So as I have said, camping is not my natural state of being. I need mod cons. And a good toilet block is essential. We have camped with posh port a loos before and I took a blood oath then that I would never do that again! Luckily the facilities here were really good. The toilet block was a good distance from the tent - not too far to be an annoying walk when bursting (or worse, a bursting 4 year old!), but far enough and separated by the one way system to ensure no unfortunate smells or noise from use could reach us.
The toilet block consisted of mens, ladies and around the back a disabled bathroom. I can only speak for the ladies, but the standard of cleanliness was really high. The bathroom consisted of 6 toilets (I think!), 4 lockable sinks for cleaning teeth, 4 main sinks and 4 shower cubicles. The shower cubicles were spacious and everywhere had pegs for hanging stuff to keep it off the floor.
The showers operate on a push button system and as such there is no temperature control. Be warned, the shower may run cold at first. Freezing cold! I had a minor panic but within 15 seconds it had warmed up and I never had any issues with a lack of hot water despite the amount of use. There were 2 hairdryers which could prove useful if you choose to camp without electric hook up.
Outside of the shower block are the kitchen sinks and drinking water. There were plenty of sinks and they were covered with a weather proof shelter.
Shop, Cafe and Park:
As I said, we have two tiger cubs to consider when camping and this site is great for kids. Not only was there the large green space to play on, but there is also a really nice little play park. It has more interesting items than just the bog standard swing or slide and instead has a mini assault course with hanging tyres. There is also a train which our youngest son could often be found standing on the roof of thinking he was the coolest dude that ever lived! To get to the park you had to cross the one way system, but it was so quiet and with good visibility that we felt safe letting our littlest cross the road by himself (after a few lessons of look, listen, live obviously!)
On site there is both a shop and cafe. The shop is located in the reception and this is usually open all day. When we were there they were a bit short staffed so it wasn't open as often. However the staff are so friendly and when I asked when the shop would be open the lady apologised and opened up within 5 minutes. The shop isn't massive but has the basic necessities in-case you have forgotten anything such as jam, pasta, sauces, sandwiches and the all important bottle of wine. They also had a freezer with ice cream and ice which is very handy to be able to grab when the sun is out to keep your drinks cool. I would also recommend the eggs which are delivered from a local farm I believe. They were delicious!
Having a cafe on site is great too in case you are feeling a bit lazy. I took the boys to get some breakfast there so they could be out of the way as daddy packed up the tent. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and dogs are welcome so our pooch could come in with us. Big plus points.
Local Area:
From around the back of the cafe you can get onto a little lane. One way leads you along residential streets to a little town with a Lidl. The Lidl is about a 15/20 minute walk for an adult, but with the little legs we had, more like 30/40! It's about a 2 minute drive in the car which was great being so close to restock when we needed to.
If you turn right on the lane there is a path leading along the length of the campsite. This path could do with a bit of maintenance as it is quite overgrown and there are some stingers in there. We saw it as an adventure though and we all survived the trek! Once you emerge from this little path you come out into a field with great big hay bales and lovely views.
About another 5 minutes walk is an absolute gem called High Woods. This is 87 acres of beautiful traditional coppiced woodland. There is a car park if you choose to drive (which we did the second time we went) and 3 designated paths of varied lengths to explore.
We took on the longest path with all the children and it took us about an hour. It was a lovely walk and easy for kids to traverse. There are also lots of fun little bits dotted around such as tree trunk thrones and tree swings to keep miniature people amused. On a hot day, the tree cover was lovely as well and we didn't have to worry about the kids burning. Our dog also loved it! Although dogs are allowed on the campsite, they do need to be staked out. So the woods were lovely for the furball to stretch her legs and have a good run and sniff.
The campsite is also only a 20 minute drive to the Science Observatory. We had been here before but it is well worth a visit. There is plenty to occupy the kids with various experiments inside and out for them to enjoy. The inside experiments mean it's a great place to go if the weather is looking a bit iffy! It's also great fun for the adults and a good way to spend an afternoon.
As you can guess from the title, this campsite is within driving distance of the coast. Although we didn't go on this trip, we spoke to other campers who headed down for the day. There are dog friendly beaches which is great news if you are travelling with a furry companion like us. This is deffo one for our list next time we stay.....
One other place to note is a restaurant we stopped at one lunchtime called The Custom Cafe. This is only a 5/10 min drive from the campsite but is quite unique. It's a bikers restaurant! There were some pretty amazing bikes outside to look at as well as a fun little scene that the boys were straight in! They do American style food like burgers, mac and cheese and of course, waffles! If you want to eat out but not travel too far then this is a good little find.
Pros:
- Large pitches and not overcrowded
- Peaceful location
- Beautiful woodland walks and beach nearby
- Good facilities on site including shop and cafe
- Great play spaces for kids
- Very friendly staff
- Pet and kid friendly
Cons:
- Shop wasn't regular hours and cafe was a bit slow (though they did say they had a staff shortage that week so this may now be rectified)
- Path could use a little love to cut back the plants
- Could have done with a little stool in the bathrooms for the mini one to reach the sinks easier
Final Thoughts:
I really liked this campsite. The large open space and play park meant that the kids could run around and have fun while the adults could actually sit down and have a break. Bliss!
The facilities were clean and having a shop and cafe on site really took the pressure off. We often worry about how early our kids get up. We are talking 6am every day! This campsite had quiet times from 11.30pm to 7.30am (scooters etc to stop at dusk) and this meant it really didn't feel long that we had to kill in the tent before it was acceptable to be outside. It's worth noting that even though kids could be out at 7.30am, it wasn't really noisy from this point as the field was so large so people that like a lie in could definitely do that. You lucky, lucky people.....
All in all, a great campsite for those with families. We would definitely book again...
Find out more about Chestnut Meadow here.
DISCLOSURE | This camping trip was booked and paid for independently. We were not paid to write this review.