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We stayed here for 5 nights in July, 3 children and a dog and here's the positive and negatives:
Positive
(1)The owner is really relaxed, you turn up, choose a pitch and really are left to get on with it with no interference
(2) Lovely play area for the children that you can easily get to. (I can imagine if you camp too near though it's noisy particularly at night when children are out until late)
(3) Well stocked shop
(4) Lovely walks for dogs
(5) Campfires
Negative
(1) The owner is relaxed but perhaps a little too relaxed. Unfortunately it results in other campers literally pitching on top of your tent - free for all and no privacy! The pitches need to be marked
(2) Noisy site especially as there are lots of groups and this goes on until later than midnight so not good for those with small children
(4) This is where the site falls down. The toilets and showers are unclean. They are basic which is fine but unclean considering it isn't a cheap campsite is unforgiveable. There was hair and dirt everywhere. There is also no where to hang your clothes so you end up getting very wet!
Would we visit again - bottom line is no because for what you get it is overpriced and unclean. However, if you are going in a group and don't mind a free for all it would suit you down to the ground. :)
This site hosted a large family get together and it did reasonably well. It obviously can get very busy and the management seem to struggle with keeping on top of everything (cleaning facilities as noted in other reviews). We pitched in the quieter second field, but there are no hook ups here. The washing up facilities here have very low (cold only) water pressure, so are barely serviceable. A 40 litre water-roll took 20 mins to fill!
Disappointingly, we found the site management 'oppressive'. It clearly states that no music is permitted after 11pm which is perfectly fine. However the site manager patrols on his golf cart and would not permit us to play any music whatsoever during the day - although it was mellow instrumental music and barely audible. It certainly could not be heard by our neighbours some distance away who were also large groups and having fairly noisy parties and had not complained to us or him. His argument was that our neighbours are not playing any music so we couldn't which is ridiculous. We are in our late forties, but felt treated like school children in some military training camp. Our advice is the management need to relax a little and learn about providing 'hospitality' to fee paying guests. And it's pretty expensive here too.
We wanted somewhere local for a weekend with another family and at 50 minutes away, this ticked most of the boxes. We know the area fairly well so nothing particularly new for us to see but if you haven't been to Brighton/South Downs area its a good base. We had an evening meal at the local pub (The Royal Oak - 5 mins by car) which is typically old English with fine range of ales and serves up a decent selection of home cooked dishes (mid-range pricing).
The site is pretty even for tents and the main field arrangement makes it safe & visible for the kids. The lower field by the pond looked decent too.
Plus points:
Accessibility
Base location for South Downs area
Friendly owners / staff
Good playground / sports area
Minus points:
Not particularly interesting setting
No hot water or plugs in washroom sinks (not sure how you are supposed to shave. )
Shower & toilet blocks a bit low-rent
Some aircraft noise
We had an OK time but not one we'll be returning to.
My wife and I spent a week on site in June and whilst it was a good base it wasn't the best site we've been to. I'd say it's fantastic if you want a weekend away with the kids where they can just run off and play whilst the adults relax, but it's not ideal for a couple or just adults during high season or at the weekends.
The positives:
The site is well located for things to do and was a nice flat site. We camped in the top field, but if I were going back I'd camp in the lower field away from the road and play area. The owners were friendly and helpful, and it was nice to have a shop on site even if it's not open all day. It was nice to be allowed fires, although we didn't actually have one during our week on site.
The negatives:
Personally I had issues with the cleanliness of the gents showers and toilets. I used 3 different showers during my stay with varying degrees of temperature from stone cold to very hot and everything in between including very hot to begin and stone cold at the end. The shower I used on the first day had a dirty mark on the tiles which was still there on the day we left. I gave it a rub and it did come off. That suggests that they showers weren't cleaned in the week we were there. On the day we arrived there was a strong smell of bleach in the showers, and my wife ruined a pair of trousers that came into contact with the bleach that had been poured on the floor. So cleaning does take place, but the quality of that cleaning is questionable. Neither my wife nor I saw a cleaner in the facilities during our time on site, although we were off site during the day time.
In addition to the poor cleaning there wasn't a great standard of keeping the facilities stocked. The soap ran out on all but one sink in the Gents during out week and hadn't been topped up when we left. It was the same story with the hand towels.
The lack of hot water in the toilets was a real issue for shaving. I shaved in the shower one day, but with no mirror it was a less than perfect job and very awkward. After that I just let it grow.
Other info:
The site is excellent for families. However, we had kids running through our camp all the time and as a result you couldn't turn your back on your BBQ or stove for a moment. You do need to be very vigilant when the kids are about.
We went to the restaurant down the road, Baloos, and the food was excellent, but we were turned away on 2 occasions; once when we arrived toward the end of service and the Chef had packed up, and another when they were meant to be open but told us they were closed. The two times we were turned away they were bordering on being rude, but the occasion we did eat in it was lovely.
The Royal Oak also does food, but we didn't try it. The one day we did go and enquire (at 4pm) they hadn't set the menu for that evening yet which didn't fill us with confidence. The beer was good however.
There is a nice Indian restaurant in Henfield which is open reasonably late if you need to escape the rain or everything else is closed/full.
Henfield has some lovely shops including an excellent butcher and baker and some lovely cafes. The Taste Deli did some very nice breakfasts, cakes etc if you wake up to the rain.
If you travel into Brighton ignore the signs for the park and ride. They no longer run it. We parked by the Withdean Stadium for free and got a bus from there (not cheap!). If there are 3 or more adults in your group it's cheaper to park in town however (which also isn't cheap).
Overall:
Personally I wouldn't go back, at least not as a couple. For families who just want to let the kids run free and enjoy themselves it's great, but it just didn't live up to my expectations and it was a bit expensive considering the negatives.
Well this site ticked all the boxes for us. Definitely want to visit there again.
The location of this site is great. A short drive from the nearest town if you need supplies but far enough away from everything to make you feel like you're 'away from it all'. There is a restaurant just down the road but we didn't need to venture down there.
The facilities really impressed me. We went over the bank holiday weekend so the site was busy but the showers and toilets were spotless most of the time. They even have separate family showers for those that like to all go in together which definitely makes it easier when you have a large family. The shop was extremely well stocked and they hire fire pits for £5 a night with a £20 returnable deposit. We chose to use our bucket BBQ for a firepit instead though. The firewood from them is a little more expensive that you could get from garages or at home but this didn't really bother us. Next time we'll probably pick some up on our way.
Good value for money. I chose this site as they're not taking the mickey with silly high prices as a lot seem to be doing around here now.
All the staff were so polite and helpful. There were the same people there every day which is lovely to see the same faces and get to know people.
They're very child friendly. The big play area in the middle of the first field is fantastic and they had 2 football goals next to it as well for those who like footy. There's a wooded area as well and the kids had endless fun playing manhunt and hide and seek. The 2nd field has a lake at the bottom of it and we camped there with our littlies which is fine for us but I guess if you're worried about that sort of thing you'd just camp in the other field or right at the top.
I would definitely visit this site again! It was a fab weekend and I wish I could have stayed for longer
We have just spent 5 days on this site, over the bank holiday weekend with 4 other families. We were in a touring caravan whilst the rest were in tents. We had a number of children 8 -13 years old and 3 dogs.
Whilst the stay itself was fine, it was all let down by poor facilities. The main issue was the electricity on the site was very poor. It struggled to provide enough power when it worked and every night, the whole campsite tripped out, leaving the toilet blocks in darkness bar the emergency lights. Numerous people were in the middle of showers at the time. We were constantly asked to turn anything off we didn't need on but each time, all we had on was a single light. We thought it might be ok after the hoards of people over the bank holiday left but no, the problem remained. The toilets only have cold taps, maybe as there was never any hot water. The showers and washing up sinks were not even luke warm every time we used them.
I reported the issue several times but the cause was always different with no actual fix available. People on site using heaters, a local factory using all the power, and not tripping on site but at electricity board. We were surprised that they were still packing more people on site whilst it couldn't cope with those already there. We were wary of using anything electrical and planned to ask for electricity payment back but on our leaving day, the office was closed until after our departure time.
We fished and the lake looked great although the fishing was very slow. The play area was great, in the middle of the plot so you can keep a watchful eye.
Overall a site that has potential, but needs to invest in its facilities.
We wanted a local site for our last weekend of the season, and what a great choice we made. It was very busy when we arrived and the poor bloke on reception still managed to be really friendly, someone soon came to help him out and we were shown where we could choose to pitch. We wanted EHU so we stayed on the front field with the play ground in the middle for kids. Ours are a little old for that now, but they also had some goal posts so enjoyed a good old kick around. We had a lovely spot that got the sun all day. It was a walk across the field to the toilets (which there were plenty) and showers, which were always clean. We showered late afternoon and had lots of hot water.
My husband and kids really enjoyed the fishing, a very pretty pond, where they managed to catch a couple of large fish.
We didn't leave the site, or felt the need to over the weekend.
It's lovely to know we have a great site just up the road and we will be going back next year.
My family went to this site during late summer holiday. We were so lucky to be assigned a pitch next to the lake.
Staff are friendly and warmhearted, though we arrived at their busy time, they came out the reception to direct us clearly. The reception sells goods with reasonable price.
Lots of natural walks surrounding this site, we had a lot walk during our stay.
Children's playground is surround by family vehicles, other vehicle is not able to access into, so children could play without worries.
The site is just under the airline route, so we saw and heard many times air planes every day. And it is a pity that the washing up area has no hot water, and the hot water in shower block is quite limited during rush hour.
Just got back from a great camping stay at Blacklands farm. My wife and 2 dogs stayed here while I had to work and I joined them in the evenings and the weekend.
Nice clean site with nice clean toilet and showers. We only live 7 miles away but fancied a local stay in our campervan.
This was our first stay here and will stay here again, with the fishing rods next time.
Nice friendly staff and well stocked shop selling local meats and eggs.
It was very busy over the Bank holiday but it did not feel over crowded and no trouble to be seen. Thank you all for a fantastic get away break.
The campsite was great, really nice facilities for young children to use, such as a playground and a woodland to explore. Lots of showers and toilets, which are accessible and always kept clean and tidy.
The staff at blacklands are really helpful an generous with information, regards to things around your area. 5/10 minutes away, is the main town which includes lots of little shops, pubs and restaurants, good service and wonderful food to suit everyone.
15 minutes away is devils dyke, fantastic views and great value for money! the campsite is about 20/30 minutes away from Brighton, an amazing town packed with things to do in the day or nightime.
The campsite is supplied with lovely facilities, and a corner shop for basic nesseties, a brilliant stay, would definitely recommend!
We have just returned from a 2 night stay at Blacklands farm and I have to say it was a thoroughly pleasant experience, and we are already planning a return visit!
We were very warmly welcomed and shown where we could set up. We had come with family, and were able to set up together.
The field is set up around the playground, which is great for the children as we could see them from our tent, meaning they were free to play.
The toilets / showers were clean and well maintained (apart from a few spiders!) - this was carried out throughout the day. Showers had hot water first thing, but this ran out by 9ish - it was a very busy period though.
The little shop on site supplies lots of useful things. I highly recommend a visit to Blacklands Farm very soon!
Our first family camp - made the trip over from Bristol so was initialy a bit nervous due to the distance away from home in case anything went wrong - however this was soon quashed.
Directions to the site were easy to follow and the model cow at the entrance helped identify the site. We were greeted by Tim who was excellent and very friendly and we were informed about the facilities and where to pitch.
The size of the fields mean that you can more or less pick your own spot which was very nice. The kids immediately ran off to the playground which is in the middle of the main field and can be seen from anywhere on the field which is very re-assuring.
There was easily enough there to keep them happy and the soon made friends of the other children on the site. The shower blocks, toilets and washing up facilities were very good with the only small concern that there were quite a few spiders and webs on the ceiling - but then your are in the country so.
The water at the showers and washing up basins was more than hot enough and it was excellent to have two family shower rooms on the site. The toilets were kept clean and well stocked throughout the week.
Brighton is around 20-30 mins away with Newhaven Fort a must visit just a little further away around the coast. If you are up to a walk then a visit to Wilderness Woods is a brilliant way to spend the day with events happening there regularly to keep the kids happy too.
While washing up I took an expensive ring off my finger and accidentally left it at the wash basins (I didn't realise until the day we were leaving) - however - refreshingly and a testament to the general feeling of the site - someone had handed it in at the shop, so when leaving I asked and Tim was more than happy to return it.
The on site shop is small, but is well stocked with the essentials and a few extras - we can recommend the bacon from the shop - lovely.
The strict no noise after 11pm rule is observed by all and it was excellent to site out under the stars with no noise at all. We will definitely be going back again as soon as possible.
We recently stayed at this beautiful site with our motorhome conversion (original vehicle was a mini bus).
From the moment we phoned to enquire about booking we were met with friendliness. We were met by Keith when we arrived, who was friendly and helpful.
We arrived on the Saturday afternoon and got set up. There arent marked pitches, but this wasn't a problem, we hooked up to the electric.
The location is fantastic, Henfield itself is beautiful, with 2 great places to eat, Balloos and the Royal Oak. Brighton is a 20 minute journey, we brought a motorbike with us for travelling round. You are about 10 minutes drive from Devils Dyke, which is a must see.
The campsite is quiet after 11pm which is perfect.
The showers and toilets are clean and adequately stocked. The shower is a push button timed one, but we were able to have showers without any issues, the water is hot.
This is definitely the best site we have ever stayed on, friendliness, location and great value.
Stayed at Blacklands Farm Campsite 27th – 31st July 2012
We were a largish group of 6 adults, 3 teenagers and a little jack russell with one tent requiring EHU
On arrival to the site we were met by the very friendly staff of which nothing was ever too much trouble and this was the case over the 5 days we were there.
We were shown to a pitch which was not quite big enough for our group, however this posed absolutely no trouble to the owners and we were quickly shown an alternative area of the field that was more suitable. We were also shown where all the facilities could be located.
During our stay we found the shop to be well stocked and open quite long hours with information about the site and local area very knowledgeable, would definitely recommend The Royal Oak (45 minute amble) for both real ale and food (a little on the expensive side but well worth it. )
Negatives
I would definitely suggest that the showers / toilet block is given a good clean through and then some regular cleaning throughout the day. Springs on the back of doors to keep the majority of the insects out. Finally, a hot water taps on the sinks so you can have some hot water when you shave.
Would definitely recommend this site is given a go
Just returned from an excellent weekend at Blacklands Farm as part of a group of fathers and sons. My son spent hours playing in the playground and the older boys would have played football all day and night! Gave us plenty of time to relax and enjoy the outdoors (and sunshine!) while keeping an eye on them.
It was good to be able to pitch with others and create our own camp area. Sitting around the campfire on Saturday night was a big plus.
The site had a lively feel during the day and evening - of families and friends relaxing and enjoying themselves but was never too boisterous or threatening and was pretty quiet by about 10. 30 both nights.
The toilets were tired looking but very functional, regularly checked by the staff and kept clean and stocked up. The family shower with removable hose and temperature control, lots of space and a bench was also very useful. Good wash-up facility - although not under cover so glad it wasn't raining.
The staff were friendly and helpful.
We enjoyed exploring the woods with the boys and didn't need to leave the site.
Will definitely go back with the rest of the family.
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Common Questions
Is Blacklands Farm child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Blacklands Farm? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
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The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing On Site 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
Outdoor Pool <5 miles 
Horse Riding <1 mile 
No Cycle Hire 
Golf <5 miles 
Tennis <5 miles 
Beach <10 miles 
Watersports <10 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
Open All Year 
Lakeside Pitches 
Public Transport <5 miles
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
We stayed here for 5 nights in July, 3 children and a dog and here's the positive and negatives:
