The 12-acre field on the edge of Tinkers Wood has been ploughed, furrowed, and grazed for nearly a thousand years since it was recorded in the Domesday Book. And yet, after all that time, little seems to have changed. Walk up the incline to its northern edge and you’ll have uninterrupted views of fields and trees all the way to the distant South Downs. Although it’s only 40 miles from London, modern life is hidden in this vista and it’s easy to imagine that people have been gazing at a similar scene for centuries. Now it’s your turn, thanks to a little pop-up campsite that’s setting up for summer.
Nowadays, long grasses and wildflowers will tickle any bare knees as you make the five-minute walk from the farm car park to the level area at the top of this sloping field. It’s been left to grow wild, attracting not only campers but deer, birds, and dragonflies too. Thankfully one of Tinkers Wood’s trio of enthusiastic hosts, Emma, Rollo, or Ben, will drive your kit up in the farm Land Rover so you can enjoy the stroll. In Lower Hilltop you'll find five camping pitches with a communal fire pit; and on the plateau of 12 Acre Field at the top of the farm sit three bell tents and a single shepherd's hut.
While some campsite owners insist that their provided accommodation is glamping, here the opposite is true. The aim is to provide back-to-basics camping and something akin to it; simple, informal retreats in nature made easier with the bell tents and hut. Although beds are made and plenty is provided, you still know you’re camping out. There’s no electricity, loos are composting and bell tents are pitched on the ground. If you want a campfire you'll have to light one in your fire bowl, or get the communal fire going. That’s not to say it’s without comfort; there are woodburning stoves, comfy beds, two hot-water showers and a field kitchen for food prep, and the bad-weather boiling of kettles.
Behind the site is the woodland the place is named for and there’s a gate to lead you there. In spring, it’s bluebell filled, and in summer a shady retreat. At night it's a perfect spot for star-gazing (including the odd shooting star). This is the edge of the Ashdown Forest. It’s an underrated open-access public space in the southeast, a mixture of heathland and woodland, crisscrossed with trails within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It's easily reached from London and, from here, it’s easy to reach the south coast. It’s also home to places that inspired one-time resident AA Milne to write his Winnie the Pooh stories. The surrounding East Sussex countryside has plenty more to explore: National Trust properties, a steam railway, and lovely pubs with great food and beer gardens. Much of it is historic and scenic, like your perch in the 12-acre field.