Pett Camping

97%

31 reviews

· Rye, England · 11 acres

Hosted by Caroline T.

50 tent pitches

Caroline is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

Back-to-basics camping on an East Sussex farm less than a mile from the beach

Pitch your tent in the fields at Pett Camping and you can enjoy the lovely countryside and coast of East Sussex for a night or two. Situated a mile from the closest beach, this is a pop-up site that serves the needs of summer campers by offering a place to pitch up in a couple of sizable fields. It’s all part of Lunsford Farm which, by the way, has a handy farm shop next door. In addition to that, there’s a country pub opposite a cricket pitch a five-minute walk up the road. For a weekend camping trip in the South East of England, what more could you want than that?

It’s important to note that the facilities here are as simple as they come. This is a pop-up campsite, remember, so don’t expect too much. Here you are furnished with a tap for your drinking water and a compost loo or two. There are no showers here – but part of the fun is toddling down to Pett Level or Winchelsea for a swim in the sea and warming up round the campfire later. Those are allowed if you bring an off ground fire pit to make sure the meadow grass and flowers are well protected. Campers are given the choice of where to pitch across a vast 11 acres split between Spring Meadow and Big Meadow. They may not be completely level but there’s certainly plenty of room and wonderful countryside views.

The campsite is in the countryside village of Pett with the closest beach less than a mile down the hill in the twin village of Pett Level. Life around here is pretty sleepy – just right for a relaxing weekend of walks and swims in the sea. If you want more than that, there’s plenty of history and culture on the cobbled streets of Rye in one direction and the Old Town of Hastings in the other. Hastings, of course, has more than that; all the fun of the fair – just six miles along the coast.

Our pop-up campsite is designed to give you a rustic, back-to-basics camping experience. Located in Pett, East Sussex. Easy access off the Pett Road. We provide open fields, with a limited number of 50 pitches to give you plenty of space. If things start to feel crowded, we have overflow fields available. Sorry, no electronic music allowed. We love the 'Leave No Trace' ethos here at Pett Camping and will do everything we can to help facilitate your stay in these unspolit AONB meadows. These fields have played host to countless camping visitors over the years, from the early years of the Boy's Brigade and Scout Movement, and later a Camping and Caravan site (now closed). We grew up camping ourselves and have hosted campers at the nearby farm for over 12 years. We look forward to welcoming you back to our new pop-up campsite in 2024!

What to expect

Tent pitch

Camping area selected or assigned upon arrival.

6 guests max per site

Campfires allowed

Raised firepits only please, and bring your own wood

Toilet available

Composting toilet

No pets

Drinking water available

Tap

Bins available

Recycling bin, trash bin

No showers

We plan to have showers next year! Thanks for bearing with us

Cooking equipment absent

Picnic table absent

No wifi

Wifi available at the Royal Oak, a 5 minute walk

Laundry absent

Nearest laundry service is outside Jempsons in Rye. Two washing machines and one tumble dryer.

Hot Tub absent

No playground

Things to know

Getting there

Check in: After 2:00 PM

Check out: Before 11:00 AM

On arrival: Head straight to site

Cancellation policy: Moderate

Minimum nights: 1 night

Accepts bookings: 9 months out

Park at listing

No wheelchair access

Max 1 vehicle

2WD accessible

During your trip

Follow the

Leave it better

Inclusion policyWe have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination at Hipcamp. We are committed to helping our Host and Hipcamper communities be inclusive.

Reviews

97% Recommend39 Ratings · 31 reviews

Camping at this site offers a charming, no-frills experience that lets you truly connect with nature. The campsite is beautifully situated near a beach and a friendly local pub, with ample space and lovely views. While some guests noted the basic amenities, such as a single compost toilet and tap, many appreciated the simplicity and peacefulness, making it ideal for those seeking a back-to-basics getaway. Friendly hosts and the stunning rural setting were frequently praised, though some guests mentioned challenges with uneven terrain and signage.

Summary AI-generated from real reviews

Alex S.

3 reviews

Recommends

· September 2024

Perfect pitch

Tent

Was a beautiful and simple field, well positioned for pub and seaside! Don't need much more than that.

Kira P.

7 months on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· September 2024

Lovely basic campsite-quite private

Tent

Overall the camp was really nice - we did struggle to find the entrance as the sign is only visible from one direction (this is if you’re driving through Fairlight way!) Another issue we had was that online it was stated that there were compost toilets in each field - we stayed in the field next door and there was not one in here (the field behind the water point) We didn’t realise until we had set up our tent so that was a slight issue for us. Other that that, very basic campsite (as expected). We did end up leaving a day early but this was due to bad weather and a few noisy kids (including some screaming!) in the other fields. This is not the campsite’s fault but something to note. We would potentially stay again but maybe before the schools are on holiday and the weather is a bit more cheery :)

Steven C.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2024

Tent

Loved the almost wild camping experience. Basic compost toilet and tap water available.

Frank E.

7 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2024

Tent

A great campsite with a lovely pub not too far away! We particularly enjoyed the Jubilee hike which lies along the campsite.

Kira R.

7 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2024

Magical campsite & friendly people

Tent

The campsite is beautiful. The grass is cut and clean, huge field's to pitch anywhere, the view is beautiful, sheep around which is magical. The toilet is nice with the compost, large and airy. Always has compost by the toilet filled up and always has a lot of loo roll which is fantastic. There’s a water faucet that comes down that you can use for water and even wash your hair. It’s a very beautiful location, beach is beautiful. I really loved walking along the river in Pett Village. Caroline and her family are all lovely and very helpful. I would definitely stay there again if I had a car because it is a bit rural with the location and the shops.. there are buses, but they’re not frequent so if you have a motorcycle or a bike or actually if you’re with a friend to help you with all of your tents and all of your gear then that’s absolutely spectacular but if you’re on your own like I was it’s easier with a car, but I loved it there it’s beautiful, friendly people lovely location, beautiful Walks. A quick 15 minute walk down to the beautiful beach to have wondrous pretty calming walks & swim! I highly recommend this campsite- very clean and very friendly people, welcoming host who always checks up on how people are & if you need anything. Cheers Caroline! Wishing you many happy adventures!

Naja H.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· August 2024

Closer to nature

Tent · With kids

This camp is very back to basics - there’s a loo and a tap, that’s it - which is also what gives it its charm! The field is hilly with lovely views and sheep are grassing in the fields next door, and the sea is nearby. Which meant we really enjoyed being closer to nature for this stay. Caroline was also super friendly and welcoming, and helped me out last minute changes. So would definitely recommend this campsite for sure

Location

Rye, England, United KingdomTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Caroline T.

Joined in February 2023

From the host

Open 1st to 31st August 2025. Private, family friendly camping in a field, surrounded by farmland. Back-to-basics, rustic camping at it's best. Summer pop-up camping by Pett Level beach which is only half a mile away! Set in 11 acres of fields called the Spring Meadow and the Big Meadow. Situated in the High Weald AONB. The nearest village pub, the recreation ground and children's playpark are just a five minute walk along a quiet country lane via the north entrance to the site. Village cricket every Saturday and most Sundays, opposite the Royal Oak pub. The villages of Pett and Pett Level are on your doorstep, so you can walk to local amenities including The Royal Oak pub and The Tic Tocory tea shop. The pizza van stops at the Royal Oak on Mondays 4-8pm. You can watch cricket at the recreation ground every Saturday and most Sundays, and enjoy a take-away pint from the Royal Oak opposite. The local farm shop at Lunsford Farm next door is a two minute walk and sells the basics such as milk, eggs, lamb burgers and apple juice. The Old Butcher Shop in nearby Guestling is just a 25 minute walk or 5 minute drive away, and sells bread, fresh vegtables and local meat. The Pett Village Hall has a good programme of activities such as yoga, pilates and childrens holiday activities. Plenty of local walks to other villages, more family friendly pubs, a local vineyard with wine tastings available or the nearby citadel of Rye. There are also plenty of watersports, horseriding and other actitivites available locally.

Nearby attractions

Pett Camping is less than a mile from the closest beach at Pett Level; a shingle beach with mud and sand at low tide and sandstone cliffs at one end. To the east along the coast, Winchelsea beach offers a bigger expanse of shingle and in the other direction – beyond the cliffs and Hastings Country Park – is the seaside town of Hastings (six miles) with art galleries as well as amusements, crazy golf and a cliffside funicular railway. For a sandy beach, head for Camber (11 miles). En route there you pass Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and the quaint medieval town of Rye (seven miles), both worthy of a visit. The town has lots of historic buildings, antiques shops, independent eateries, a Norman church, a town museum and Lamb House, a National Trust property that was once the home of the writer Henry James. The nearby Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is a lovely place for a walk along the River Rother to where it meets the sea with saltmarshes and plenty of birds to spot from wildlife hides on the footpaths around the site. The fields and lakes behind Pett Level beach are also a good place for birdwatching and Dungeness RSPB Reserve (19 miles) is close enough to visit too.

Food and drink

Your hosts have a handy farm shop next door at Lunsford Farm selling some of their own produce and other local goodies. For more than what's there, head to The Old Butcher’s Shop (just over a mile away) where, of course, there is plenty of meat but bread and a few other bits and bobs for sale too. You can buy fresh fish and seafood from Hastings (six miles) and Rye (seven miles) and both have plenty of other shops, takeaways and eateries too. Hastings is the place for big supermarkets. There’s a simple beach cafe, Eater’s, down at Pett Level beach, serving coffee, cake and paninis from a shipping container. Occasionally, on weekends, it stays open as a bar in the early evenings too. In the other direction, up the road in Pett, is The Royal Oak Pub. It’s a short walk of about half a mile and does classic pub food at lunch and dinner times and has a sunny beer garden. There’s another option, The Two Sawyers, about a mile along the road that does basket meals and more classic pub meals. Pett also has the Tic Tocory Tea Shop if you fancy something more dainty.

Things to do nearby