Idle Hours Owlsbury Park

View prices & book 9.6 171 reviews
Visitor image of the campsite
Visitor image of the campsite
Looking across the site
View across the pitches
Barley, our lakeland terrier enjoying her camping trip
Beautiful views
View from the site
The ponds
A bit of the view that doesn't do the site its justice
1/111
Looking across the site
View across the pitches
Barley, our lakeland terrier enjoying her camping trip

  • Wildlife-packed park with foxes, deer and badgers
  • Coarse fishing ponds stocked with carp, roach, tench and perch
  • Shops, pubs and eateries within a mile
How might you fancy a peaceful break in a rural wildlife haven, with countryside views to the South Downs, spectacular westerly sunsets and a night under the stars around a campfire? Then Idle Hours Owlsbury Park could be the place for you. Set on around three and a half acres, Idle Hours is an adults-only quiet site (strictly no groups and no noise after 11pm, please), with two attractive and peaceful coarse fishing ponds stocked with carp, roach, tench and perch. The site welcomes dogs, but please do keep them on leads while on site and remember to clean up after them. Pitches are on gently sloping grass, and amenities include ladies' and gents toilets, a hot shower, a hot water washing-up area and a chemical disposal point. Fire baskets are available and logs and kindling are available for sale. Please note there is no mains electricity on site. Despite its serene, pastoral surroundings, this site is very handy for shops, pubs and eateries, all about a mile and a half away.

Site type

Tent pitches 20
Touring caravan pitches 21
Motorhome pitches 21
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Group bookings of 2 or more units (e.g. tent, touring caravan, motorhome or accommodation hire) travelling together are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Group bookings of 4 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • Guests under the age of 25 are not allowed on site.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
  • Fishing costs: £10 per person for a day pass and £5 per person for a half day pass. A fishing licence is required. The showers are portable showers.

Languages spoken

English

Pitch types & availability

Accommodation

Tent pitchesTouring caravan pitchesMotorhome pitchesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsCaravans for hireRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating based on 171 reviews View breakdown

Peaceful

Voted 94% of visitors View breakdown

97%

would recommend this site to a friend

96%

would stay here again

  • 85%
    10
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    9
  • 9%
    8
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    7
  • 3%
    6
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    5
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    4
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    3
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    2
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    1

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

hot shower, level grass pitch…

Overall 6/10
Location 4
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 8
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked: hot shower, level grass pitch

Disliked: Would be helpful if cold drinks were available to buy. not ideal for walkers as the final approach to the site is along a busy road with no pavement

Recommend to friends Visit again

Small but very friendly site, beautiful views and location. Basic but…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Bob M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked: Small but very friendly site, beautiful views and location. Basic but good facilities.

Disliked: Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic campsite. So beautiful, so peaceful, so much nature. Great facilities and…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Adam C. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked: Fantastic campsite. So beautiful, so peaceful, so much nature. Great facilities and nice big pitches, and very welcoming hosts! Highly recommended, and we’ll be back many times in future

Recommend to friends Visit again

Faculties very clean

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Thomas N. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked: I’ve stayed here before it’s a lovely setting very peaceful and the people running it at every helpful, totally recommend it 👍

Recommend to friends Visit again

A good place to camp

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Bob P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass pitch

Liked: Quiet site conveniently located for my hiking [Vanguard way is nearby]

Facilities were clean and well maintained

Disliked: Nothing really though i was aware of the railway and the Gatwick flightpath once all the other daytime sounds had faded away. This was a very minor issue with background noise which would be true pretty much anywhere in South East England

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely peaceful site with friendly people and good facilities.

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
LUKE R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric hardstanding touring pitch

Liked: Location, people, piece and quiet

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Adults only, so peaceful

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 2
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Tracey R. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric hardstanding touring pitch

Liked: Another fab night at Idle Hours, peaceful and spotless.
Our go to place to unwind.
Julie and Paul always so welcoming.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice basic site good value

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 8
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric hardstanding touring pitch

Liked: Love quite site, very clean. No electric so tested my power station which held up well. Proper discount for single traveler’s which was great.

Disliked: Walking route needed a car and I would prefer being able to get to a walking route on foot

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful stay

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric hardstanding touring pitch

Liked: Very peaceful during my early season stay. The owners were very friendly and helpful. The facilities are basic, but super clean and very well kept.

Nearby Crowborough has a nice Waitrose cafe and Darkmaster escape rooms, which was a lot of fun.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Good facilities, well kept and clean and tidy. The shower was not…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
ian n. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric hardstanding touring pitch

Liked: Good facilities, well kept and clean and tidy. The shower was not the nicest I’ve seen but does the job. Julie was friendly and helpful and recommended a lovely walk.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Dogs allowed

Adults only

Campfires allowed

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Car parking by pitch/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Adults only Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby Sailing nearby Tennis nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Seasonal pitches

Location

Idle Hours Owlsbury Park

Hadlow Down Road

Crowborough

East Sussex

England

TN6 3RG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

51.02666°N
0.17226°W

Route directions

From the A26 Uckfield, head north to Crowborough. Take the right turn 0.7 miles after The Crow and Gate pub signed to Millbrook Industrial Estate. Go straight on, over the golf course, over the small roundabout, down the hill and past the fish and chip shop, antiques shop and vets on the left, then after the Plough and Horses pub, go over the narrow bridge and turn immediately right to Hadlow Down Rd. The site is 1.2 miles on the right. From Hadlow Down (A272), the site is 2.5 miles on the left on Crowborough/Jarvis Brook Road. Do not turn into Dogetts - this is a satnav error. The site is half a mile further up the hill on the left. From Rotherfield-Crowborough Road B2100, take the Hadlow Down/Buxted Road (after Tesco). Go 0.25 miles and turn as indicated above. Beware of the satnav error; do not turn into Doggetts Drive.

Nearest transport

Coach
5.1 mi School Lane
5.1 mi School Lane
5.2 mi Bus Station
Rail
1.5 mi Crowborough Rail Station
3.1 mi Buxted Rail Station
4.5 mi Eridge Rail Station
Ferry
17.1 mi Newhaven Harbour Ferry Terminal
Airport
17.1 mi London Gatwick Airport
17.2 mi London Gatwick Airport South Terminal
17.9 mi London Gatwick Airport North Terminal

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

For those who fancy ditching the car for a bit, the site is close to public transport links: trains and buses from Crowborough (a mile and a half away) go to Tunbridge Wells, London, Lewes and Brighton. Crowborough village has plenty of amenities, including an indoor swimming pool and gym, and a miniature railway. The area is great for golfers, with a number of courses nearby. The spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells (to give it its full title) is eight miles from Owlsbury, and well worth a visit for a stroll round the specialist shops in the Georgian Pantiles, a taste of the water from the Chalybeate Spring, or a trip on the steam railway. The town also has plenty of food and entertainment options, including a multiplex cinema. Other potential day trips include a jaunt to the coast at Eastbourne or Brighton; to Lewes, home to a castle, gardens and the biggest Bonfire Night celebrations in the country; to the National Trust gardens at Sheffield Park and Wakehurst Place; to the William Morris interiors at Standen; Ashdown Forest, home of Winnie the Pooh; or a steam through the Sussex countryside on the historic Bluebell Railway.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Pevensey Bay 16.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood
Norman`S Bay 16.9 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodExcellent
Seaford 18 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Saltdean 18.3 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Bexhill 18.5 mi Sea N/AN/AN/AGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Groombridge Place and The Enchanted Forest 6.3 mi

Sheffield Park Garden 7.3 mi

Bluebell Railway 7.4 mi

Batemans 9.4 mi

Standen 9.7 mi

National Trust

Sheffield Park Garden 7.3 mi

Bateman's 9.3 mi

Standen 9.7 mi

Scotney Castle 11.2 mi

Wakehurst Place 11.5 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

ROTHERFIELD HALL 1.5 mi

Fairwarp - Ashdown Forest - Fairwarp 3.7 mi

BUXTED PARK 3.8 mi

Mayfield - Renhurst Farm - Bassetts - Mayfield 3.9 mi

Mayfield - Batt's Wood - Wadhurst Deer-Park - Mayfield 3.9 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Offers

Conditions apply - see pitch type section for details

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

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Frequently asked questions

  • Does Idle Hours Owlsbury Park have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Idle Hours Owlsbury Park dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Idle Hours Owlsbury Park? For those who fancy ditching the car for a bit, the site is close to public transport links: trains and buses from Crowborough (a mile and a half away) go to Tunbridge … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Idle Hours Owlsbury Park?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Idle Hours Owlsbury Park? From £29 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.