Plumpton College Camping Sun & Moon

The sun, moon and stars seem to have aligned this summer to bring a few extra camping pitches to the South Downs National Park. A cancelled festival, an empty field at an agricultural college and a guy with a can-do attitude have all combined to bring Plumpton College Camping to life. In sight (and striding distance) of the chalky South Downs ridge, this 60-pitch, tents-only campsite will be welcoming campers for a few weeks in July and August.

It’s one of two temporary campsites being operated under the Sun and Moon Holidays banner, first in 2020 and now again in 2021; the brainchild of Scott Doane who is a dab hand at campsite logistics having run a well-being festival for the last five years. The set-up is a simple one with toilets and showers provided by the college, washing-up facilities in the open air and flat, spacious, grassy pitches for anyone wanting to stay in this frankly idyllic location. And if setting up a tent is not your idea of fun, Scott will set one up for you. He has 20 bell tents available to hire – with beds (but no bedding).

This part of Sussex, so easy to reach from London and Brighton, is well served by camping and glamping sites but demand is understandably high. Plumpton College Camping offers the opportunity for more families to holiday here in a year when other longer-established sites may be turning people away. And, in addition to that, the location is a stand-out selling point. It’s less than a mile to the top of the Downs from where you can walk west towards Ditchling Beacon, the highest point on these hills, or east towards Offham, enjoying far-reaching views all the way.

There’s a pub within walking distance and many more in the surrounding Sussex countryside. This is the rural side of the Downs and the leisurely pursuits of walking or cycling to a pub garden or picnic spot are quite the done thing. Head over the hills though and you can soon be in Brighton, the bustling, boho capital of the South Coast, with its enormous shingle beach and quirky shopping laines. The quaint town of Lewes is about the same distance and well worth a wander. Antique shops, book shops and independent cafes line the streets and the twice-monthly farmers’ market is great for picking up local produce. Take it back to camp, stoke up the barbecue and wait for the stars to come out over your Sun and Moon campsite in the South Downs.