Hope Farm Campsite, Kent

Part of the Camping and Caravanning Club Club Certificated Sites group, Hope Farm Campsite is a great destination for anyone exploring Kent. It has a variety of pitches, including 'super' pitches and grass, as well as a converted hut for self-catered accommodation. Even better, lambing happens on site!

We all love to see newborn lambs in the spring, and we found an ideal campsite to do this based on a 50-acre working sheep farm and livery, on the Kent/East Sussex borders. What better place to celebrate Easter than Hope Farm Campsite?

Not only were there new lambs (15 born one night whilst we were peacefully asleep) but also piglets, chicks, calves, hens, livery horses, fields of sheep and not forgetting birds, too – there were swallows nesting close by and it was our first cuckoo of the year.

There’s lambing here three times a year so it won’t just be spring when you can soak up the stunning countryside views and watch lambs tearing about next to the campsite.

The campsite at Hope Farm has five super pitches – hardstanding with electric hook-up, water and grey waste, plus 10 grass pitches with electric hook-up and water. We opted for a super pitch, which had an amazing view over the surrounding fields.

There are toilets, a shower, dishwashing and cassette emptying facilities on site, so everything you need for a comfortable stay. Dogs on leads are welcome.

The ‘hideaway’, a converted hut in its own private space, is great for non-camping friends. The campsite is part of the Camping and Caravanning Club CS scheme, but non-members can stay, too.

Chapel Down Vineyard, for tours and tasting, is within walking distance across the fields, as is Smallhythe Place, a National Trust property. The Chapel Down vineyard also has a 2AA Rosette restaurant, The Swan Wine Kitchen, if you want somewhere local to enjoy a meal.

Being a farm campsite, it is set in a rural location so no immediate pubs or shops. However, the on-site farm butchery supplies its own range of meat, plus, of course, newly laid eggs.

The bus runs past the farm gate (check Stagecoach for times) and you can flag it down to visit Tenterden or Rye – both places we feel merit a day trip. Tenterden is an option for browsing a busy high street, a choice of food outlets and a steam train. Alternatively, Rye offers antique shops and is a medieval gem with a fabulous chip shop we can recommend – Marino’s on The Mint!

For nature lovers, Hope Farm Campsite is a perfect destination. It fuses a great camping and touring experience with all the thrill of witnessing newborn lambs scampering around, as well as 50 acres of farm to explore.