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Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

Sheffield Park, East Sussex TN22 3QT

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We say

Teaser text:

This rural wonderland is filled with rope-swinging fun. Not to mention the smoky campfires and evening sing-a-longs. “Kumbaya….”

This is based on reviews from:

Cool Camping England find out more

and Cool Camping Kids find out more

Cool Camping campsite review:

Wapsbourne Manor Farm, or ‘Wowo', as it's affectionately known by regular customers, is a rare and beautiful thing – a decent campsite within two hours' drive of London. It's also the least ruled-and regulated site you could possibly find in this sue-or-be-sued compensation culture. Campfires are allowed, and to facilitate this a firewood delivery man comes around at dusk on his little tractor; camping's equivalent of room service and an evening turn-down all in one. Children's entertainment is strictly old school: climbing trees, swinging on tyres, rolling around in ditches, making camps in the undergrowth. In fact, the entire 150-acre site is a huge, natural adventure playground. There are 48 pitches in total, spread out over 3 fields, plus 8 premium woodland tipi trail pitches. There are 4 yurts which are open all year round.
This magical place always seems to have something new to discover; another field hidden behind the thicket, a secret pathway, a yurt nestled among the trees. With the evening air scented with campfire smoke, the soft murmur of sociability and the odd sing-song soundtrack, this wonderful place just oozes back-to-basics appeal. Leave the rules at home. Let the kids roam free.

The upside:

A cracking, chilled-out atmosphere and ‘to-your-tent’ firewood delivery.

The downside:

A circle of statics at reception is the only downer, but they’re an insignificant feature of this huge site.

The facilities:

There are 48 pitches spread out over 3 fields and 8 premium woodland tipi trail pitches, including 4 yurts (open all year). There is a wet weather barn by reception with several fridges and freezers for campers' use. If you want to donate your old (but functional) fridge/freezer in exchange for some camping, just contact reception!

Onsite fun:

Making camps, hiding in the woods, getting muddy, climbing trees. There is also a kids’ room with table tennis and a pool table. Wowo are now hosting bushcraft and foraging events on-site, see their website. If they do not have anything planned when you are camping, contact Nigel who will organise fishing, hiking, cycling, mushroom walks or woodland activities and can collect you from Wowo. Alternatively, contact Rob Fallon for bushcraft activites and kids parties.

Offsite fun:

Go for a wander around the beautiful National Trust landscaped gardens at Sheffield Park (01825 790231), just up the road. Kids can run about, feed the swans and ducks by the lake and enjoy the children’s trail. Family admission from £16.50. It’s also possible to combine a Bluebell Railway ticket (see If it Rains) with gardens admission. If it’s sunny, nip down to Brighton for a day of good ol’-fashioned seaside frolicking.

Food & drink:

Avoid the appalling, overpriced tea rooms at Sheffield Park Gardens at all costs. Instead, head a bit further up the A275 to Trading Boundaries (01825 790200), a delightful café and eclectic furniture and antiques shop. There is also a great farm shop, the Dairy Shop, a bit further up the road on the left. There is no shortage of pubs in the area. The family-friendly Sloop Inn (01444 831219) is a 40-minute walk from the campsite, through shady woodland and serves up hearty food and local ales. A kids’ menu is available and there is a good-sized beer garden. For foodies, there are 2 excellent gastro-pubs; the Michelin-rated Coach and Horses in Danehill; 01825 740369) and the Griffin Inn in Fletching (01825 722890), both less than 10 minutes’ drive. There is also a great farm shop, The Old Dairy.

If it rains:

With a station right next door to Wowo, the Bluebell Railway (01825 720825) has a big collection of steam locomotives – perfect for a Thomas the Tank Engine-inspired day out. You can borrow board games and books from reception, visit a local leisure centre, go to the cinema or try your hand at bowling. Alternatively, head out to the nearby in-door trampoline centre.

Nanny state alert:

If you’re concerned about health and safety, best not come here. With campfires, rope swings and lots of mud, there’s just too much to worry about.

The damage:

Family of 4 cost £30; firewood £5. Dogs allowed (assuming they can pass the tummy tickle test) and cost a one off charge of £5. The yurts range from £112 to £250 for a 2 night stay.

Open:

Open all year round going down to only their secluded woodland tipi trail pitches from 1st November to 31st March including their yurts.

If this campsite is full:

Then check out nearby Kitts Cottage

You say

Reviews:

Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

Becky_wood81

- Visited on: 02/12

5

We stayed in the Shepherds Hut which is at the start of the Tipi Trail and a great location with views over the stream, accross the fields to the woods beyond.
The Shepherds Hut came with everything we needed and plenty more: all bedding, blankets, hot water bottles, crates of wood, a basket of candles, gas stove, a kettle and a log burning stove!
We picked a chilly, snowy weekend in february so the Wood burner was amazing and kept us toast through out the night, and also boiled the kettle in the morning whilst we stole a few extra minutes under the duvet.

The staff were all really lovely and even picked us up from the Train station which is a 10 min drive away and then gave us a 10% discount off the bill for using public transport! The reception shop is well stocked with vegetables, eggs, milk, bread, marshmallows, ketchup etc! and there seems to be staff around most of the time or on the end of the intercom.

I would highly recommend a walk towards Sheffield Park, and checking out The Kitchen Garden Brewery, where you will find a wide range of wines and some amazing home brews. We picked nearly one of each and all tasted great!!!

The walk through the woods to the Sloop Inn is also lovely and only takes 20 mins to get there, although the directions are a little sketchy, but its worth it. The staff were really welcoming and the food was very tasty!

I would love to come back to this campsite in the summer months when it sounds like there pretty busy and have plenty going on in the evening, including soup and fresh bread baked on site, table tennis, films and accoustic music sessions.

For us, the peace and snow in February, tucked up coazy in our Shepherds Hut was magical!

Stayed in: other

Review submitted on: 15/02/12
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

beanjaffa

- Visited on: 02/12

5

Just been to Wowo for the first time. My friend and I and our two children aged five had a lovely time. We stayed in the Woodland Yurt which was well equipped and plenty warm enough even though we had sub-zero temperatures. We loved having the log burner and had it been warm enough we would have been toasting marshmallows around an open fire. Toilets by yurts were compost loos clean but as expected however you could always go up to the main building a use the toilet and shower facilities there which although fairly basic were clean and warm.

The boys had a whale of a time slipping and sliding in mud, paddling in icy streams (not always on purpose) and swinging in the trees. We'll be back in summer to make the most of this back to nature site.

Stayed in: luxury tented accommodation

Review submitted on: 14/02/12
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

sssingo

- Visited on: 07/11

4

Dont believe us, check our video link at the end of our write up.

Call it ‘cool camping’, ‘glamping’ or even ‘eco tourism’, the campsites in this area of our scene usually have one thing in common – no Camper Vans allowed! In fact, the very idea of pitching up in anything older and less environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius would find you banished for life.
Not so at Wapsbourne Manor Farm, or Wowo as it is fondly known. Owner, Paul Cragg, and his team ensure that your stay on his calm and laid-back site will be everything you could wish for from this type of grass roots camping.
Campers are made to feel extremely welcome when they arrive, and the mutual admiration of this, our lifestyle, is more than noticeable when driving past your neighbours in their assorted rustic abodes and fireside huts.
Upon check in, you are guided through a lovely timber barn decorated with flowers, bunting and sofas. The rustic structure also houses a range of board games, table tennis for the kids, and an old piano that everyone on site is encouraged to join in with. The woodside pitches are home to a mix of tents, Campers, teepees and yurts, with the later available to hire should you want more space than your Bus might provide.
One thing you’ll notice almost immediately is how peaceful the English countryside really is. Despite being less than 45 minutes from London, you may as well be in the depths of rural Britain. The streams that frame each camping field offer their own tranquil soundtrack, while the odd splash and screams of laughter let you know that children are close by and enjoying themselves.
In the evening, guest chefs serve either paella (Friday) or pizza (Saturday) around the main entertainment field, with local bands accompanying the sound of the crackling fires, while the Wowo team get busy chopping up the ingredients for the complimentary soup handed out to all the campers before bed.
Anyone wishing to stay by their pitch can take advantage of their own fire pit and purchase £5 baskets of logs from any of the visiting tractor drop offs. We found two of these baskets were easily enough to keep us toasty warm throughout a weekend, and will help with tales of real camping adventure in both kids and adults alike, not to mention the customary smell of campfires in your clothing!
The standard shower rooms have good water pressure and adequate lighting, but the plush new timber family block is recommended if you want to get ready in the morning all together and in more luxury. There’s also a host of pristine washing-up bays situated right next to the shop, so you can fetch your freshly cooked loaf of bread in the morning while the kids wash up the dishes. Perfect.
We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at Wowo and look forward to visiting again soon.

http://youtu.be/eDzDMfD5tCA

CONTACT:
Wapsbourne Manor Farm Campsite,
Sheffield Park,
Uckfield,
East Sussex
TN22 3QT

Tel: 01825 723414

FACILITIES:
This rural campsite has loads of Camper pitches set amongst teepees, yurts and woodland walks. There are clean and plentiful washing-up facilities, single and family shower rooms, a shop, a communal play room and fire pits for every pitch. Evening meals are offered at the weekends, complete with live music.

LOCAL AREA:
The site is at the end of the driveway to the Bluebell Steam Railway. In fact, it’s so close you can here the train whistles during the day. It is also a short drive away from Sheffield Park and Wakehurst Place, both National Trust sites. Brighton Pavilion and the beach front and Bodium Castle are also a must.

Stayed in: campervan

Review submitted on: 22/01/12
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

Tashatastic

- Visited on: 06/11

5

Just returned from a great week's camping at Wowo. The owners are lovely and the site is magical, it was just the weather that let us down!
We took our baby and our three year old who both loved the wide open spaces and rope swings. It was a joy to revel in good old-fashioned camping with the luxury of a camp fire every night. My husband provided some live music at the weekend and this is a regular feature of life at Wowo. Be warned however - this is not the place for a quiet weekend get away. London and its dog seems to descend at the weekends and you'll be surrounded by the excited sounds of crusading children hanging from the trees and generally (loudly) enjoying the freedom of the countryside. I know my kids will love this place in a few years time but I'm glad we got to experience the relative quiet of the midweek as well as the craziness of the weekend!
Overall, couldn't recommend this place enough to families but not the place for a romantic getaway! For us, it was perfect.

Stayed in: tent pitch

Review submitted on: 15/06/11
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

squidlips

- Visited on: 03/11

5

no one I know has ever regretted staying at Wowo

Stayed in: campervan

Review submitted on: 21/03/11
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

rky

- Visited on: 08/10

5

Wowo is a beautiful and well run campsite. Even the great British weather couldn't dampen our spirits despite throwing everything it had at us. We stayed in the magnificent Woodland Yurt which is in the tipi trail. The Yurt itself was well stocked with everything you could ever need (including pots, pans, torch, hot water bottles and a cool camping cookbook) and the surrounding area was gorgeous, hidden amongst the trees and with a stream right beside it. There are rope swings galore and don't be surprised if you see groups of people staring at the ground as mole spotting is a popular pastime.

Campfires are encouraged and wood is brought round daily (£5 per crate). The staff are friendly and helpful and there are some good communal areas with free newspapers at the weekend.

We walked to the nearest pub, The Sloop. The menu was confused offering italian food and curry and sandwiches were the cheapest thing on the menu - coming in at just under £9. There was a snobbish attitude when we asked for some chips which annoyed us. I would recommend only using this pub in an emergency situation!

Wowo is by far the nicest campsite I have ever stayed in but there is one thing to note - call to confirm your booking as we had a double booking situation.

Stayed in: luxury tented accommodation

Review submitted on: 15/08/10
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

nsnoodle

- Visited on: 07/10

5

Another excellent weekend camping with friends at wowo. There are more composting loos near the tents now so it's not such a schlep to the toilet block if you need to go now. And a washing up block in the field where we were camping. Campfires are excellent and everyone is friendly. Great organised activities - we had soup and singing - in the meadow field for free, which the kids loved. You can't escape the colour of the earth here - it's red, whether it's wet mud or dry dust so don't ever have a summer Calvin Klein moment and pack white clothes of any kind, they won't stay white for long. So much to explore, rope swings galore and the steam railway just there. We're already planning a return trip in August if they can fit us in. And I always forget there's a bank of fridges and freezers in the barn for keeping cold stuff cold, and now ice creams at reception. Who could ask for more?

Stayed in: tent pitch

Review submitted on: 28/07/10
Wowo (Wapsbourne Manor Farm)

nsnoodle

- Visited on: 07/10

5

Another excellent weekend camping with friends at wowo. There are more composting loos near the tents now so it's not such a schlep to the toilet block if you need to go now. And a washing up block in the field where we were camping. Campfires are excellent and everyone is friendly. Great organised activities - we had soup and singing - in the meadow field for free, which the kids loved. You can't escape the colour of the earth here - it's red, whether it's wet mud or dry dust so don't ever have a summer Calvin Klein moment and pack white clothes of any kind, they won't stay white for long. So much to explore, rope swings galore and the steam railway just there. We're already planning a return trip in August if they can fit us in. And I always forget there's a bank of fridges and freezers in the barn for keeping cold stuff cold, and now ice creams at reception. Who could ask for more?

Stayed in: tent pitch

Review submitted on: 28/07/10

Photos

Getting there

From the M25, exit at junction 6 and take the A22, following signs for the ‘Bluebell Railway’. Keep going, past the railway on the right and Wapsbourne is the second entrance on the right (look for the strawberry signs). From the south take the A275 north towards the Bluebell Railway/ Sheffield Park. Once you’ve crossed over the A272 at Chailey the campsite is located 1? miles ahead on the left.