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Reviews of Southdown Way Caravan And Camping Park
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Southdown Way Caravan And Camping Park
Southdown Farm
Lodge Lane
Keymer
Hassocks
West Sussex (Browse area)
BN6 8LX
Tel: 01273 841877
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This site has an availability calendar. You can check for availability here
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Pitches: 80
Open: 01/01/2025 to 31/12/2025
Rating: 
   
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Photos (24)
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 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 |
 Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 Rallies Welcome |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
 Motorbikers Welcome |
| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 Washing Up |
 No Bathroom |
 Baby Changing Facilities |
 Laundry On Site |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 Battery Charging |
 No Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 Freezer / Fridge |
 Motorhome Point |
 No Wifi Access |
 Shop On Site |
 Bar <1 mile |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile |
| Activities |
 Kids Playground |
 No TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 No Evening Ents |
 Fishing <10 miles |
 No Wild Swimming |
 Indoor Pool <5 miles |
 Outdoor Pool <5 miles |
 Horse Riding <5 miles |
 Cycle Hire <1 mile |
 Golf <1 mile |
 No Tennis |
 Beach <10 miles |
 Watersports <10 miles |
 Boat Launch / Mooring <10 miles |
| Other Features |
 No Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 Campfires Allowed |
 Open All Year |
 No Waterside Pitches |
 Public Transport <1 mile |
 Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access |
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Reviews:
151 in total, now showing 121 to 130
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| Date of Visit: April 2008 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: GrigsonA |
3 reviews from this member |
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 The 'newest' campsite we've ever been on! There has been a huge investment into this site (never visited before the new amenities - so can't comment in relation to how it used to be).
Showers are brilliant, lots of room in the cubicles (be warned though no shower curtains when we went so take a bag to keep your clothes dry) hot water and although they work on a push button it wasn't a 2 second dribble and then press again, we are talking perfect power shower!
Lovely lovely site. Owners very helpful, they advised us of a pub that was child friendly and it was perfect - The Greyhound Inn - well worth a visit.
Issues we found were - nothing to keep the kids busy - there is a field but it wasn't really suitable to play ball in.
The other issue which noticed is the pitches are of very good size but getting your unit into a pitch could be a little tricky due to the lay out of the hardstanding.
Will return when site is established as I think it's the sort of site that needs a second visit. 
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| Date of Visit: May 2008 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: StockyJ |
3 reviews from this member |
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Just back from the campsite following a three night stay. Despite the bank holiday weekend the site was relatively quiet and the pitches not too close together.
No electric hook up yet for tents although this is planned and is already in on some pitches. Currently this was only on the hardstanding side where the motorhomes and caravans were.
The new toilet block is great and the ladies area comprises of six showers and six toilets. It is cleaned daily. Hairdryers are 10p but don't last too long and the showers are the push button type. They are very roomy and the water is hot. There is also a new laundry room which was almost finished and will be a great asset.
You can purchase bottled water / coke at reception but the camp is very close to Keymer village where you can find most things you may need. We loved the village of Ditchling just a mile up the road where there is a great shop which sells up market produce and fresh pies, cakes etc.
The camp is beautifully sited and rural with views of the Jack and Jill Windmills. We did not visit any of the pubs in the area so cannot comment. The reception area currently does not have information about the surrounding area and it's attractions but the staff are very friendly and helpful and were very approachable. The site has new hedging planted which will make good screening once it gets established.
There is some building work being carried out at the top end of the field but not sure if was connected to the site. It was not intrusive in any way. The area round the new toilet block has yet to be landscaped but once finished I'm sure will be fine.
Very Basic site with not much to amuse the children but as only 10 minutes drive into Brighton and surrounding areas is an ideal base to explore the South Downs. I would definitely use the site again if in the area in the future.
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| Date of Visit: May 2008 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Car-Free Camper |
1 review from this member |
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Just to confirm that the new facilities block is now complete; the new toilets are very nice, well lit and had been freshly cleaned when we arrived, though toilet paper was running out by the next morning so make sure you bring some!
This site is in a really lovely location and has very friendly and accommodating staff, so anyone who's been put off by poor facilities in the past should definitely give it a try now!
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| Date of Visit: March 2008 |
Unit: Other |
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| Reviewer: JoeG |
9 reviews from this member |
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Further to my previous review in July 2007, I can confirm that the site is currently undergoing a major redevelopment. A great new amenities block is nearing completion towards the southern end of the site, and it looks like the camping fields are being redesigned. Once finished, I suspect the site will be well worth a visit.
I'll check again in a few weeks as no doubt they're aiming to be ready to relaunch a vastly improved experience for the spring season.
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| Date of Visit: August 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Chykie |
8 reviews from this member |
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We've been using this site for a few years now for Brighton pride weekend and since the change over in ownership in February I have to say this will probably have been the last one. A VERY disappointing visit.
The site itself is a fair size, two large fields worth of space. Room for whatever sized tent you care to take along and its perfectly placed for Brighton (just a ten minute train ride away) They take groups of how ever many you fancy dragging along with ya (in our case about 25 of us) Theres a Tesco 10 minutes car ride away (and it was a god send this year for reasons other than picking up the stuff we forgot!
The ladies toilets were horrendous . They stank to high heaven . Hadn't seen a bog brush in god knows how long . Two of the 3 ladies loo's was leaking from the back of the bowl so as you imagine on the busiest weekend of the year we were swimming in pee . Not good at all . The toilet rolls ran out after about 4 hours of us arriving . This is where Tesco came in useful . Not just to buy to loo roll but to use their toilets . The showers weren't much better one only ran cold, the other ran constantly unfortunately this meant the 1 non-leaking toilets wouldn't flush properly. The gents toilets were equally as unpleasant (because we were going to use them if they were any better but no such luck!) Apparently the toilets were closed from 10.30 til 11.30 for cleaning . But I'm not sure what the chap was doing in there for an hour because it certainly wasn't cleaning . How long does it take to leave one toilet roll?
Sundays were worse . No staff on a Sunday so you can imagine how bad things got!
I like the new 'no noise after 11 ' policy .
I hear the place has been bought by a charity, this site could be a nice little earner for them because campsites in the area are so hard to come by and it has so much potential but no one in their right mind would camp there in the state it is at the moment . I DO HOPE it improves and they sort out the cleaning/plumbing because this site COULD be a gem!
I really am disappointed. I hope the charity want to keep the site and I'd be gutted to think they were gonna just give up on the camping part of the farm but it really does need sorting out!
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| Date of Visit: July 2007 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: JoeG |
9 reviews from this member |
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Given the previous reviews I went to check out the site for myself rather than book up and regret it. I'm glad I did.
I was advised that the new-ish owners have plans to install hedging, more hookups and a dedicated block of new amenities on the far (south) side of the field (nearer the main road) for caravans, which should address some of the very real issues identified by previous reviewers.
No point beating about the bush - the privies, showers, basins and washing up facilities were downright grotty / unpleasant. With time, the owners will no doubt bring the amenities they inherited up to scratch and the whole place will become a much nicer prospect. In the meantime, they really just need to bite the bullet and spend a few hundred quid of their customers fees to refurbish, clean and fix what they've already got - all basic stuff and 90% could be sorted within a week or three given a bit of effort. This would then tide them over until the new amenities have been built, and would make the site a viable choice for 2007.
Given the current poor standard of amenities and cleanliness, I would not contemplate taking my kids to this site and could not recommend it for adults either. Alas, there appear to be no other choices for caravan users within about 7 miles at the current time.
On the very positive side:
There appears to be an on-site warden.
There is an on-site shop offering basic supplies.
Caravan access appears very good.
The site is very well located to Keymer and Hassocks, which are nice villages and are well served by local shops, pubs and takeaways, etc. Historic Ditchling is quite close by too.
For the dedicated shopaholic, Brighton is only 10 minutes south by car, or two stops by train.
The South Downs Way, the London to Brighton Mainline (Hassocks station), the A23 and the A27 are also just a few minutes away (by car).
Once the new amenities are ready, I feel that this site has a very bright future and is sure to be in demand in the absence of any local competition. Until then, I suggest that you consider looking elsewhere.
Worth checking the reviews again in Spring 2008.
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| Date of Visit: June 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Jonh62 |
14 reviews from this member |
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A Basic site and only small shower block/WC's, however quite adequate if you are looking for a couple of nights away. Quite a noisy site up until about 10pm but then everyone seems to respect the rules and the noise dies down. My only gripes would be that the owners/managers don't seem very interested when you arrive and the lack of standpipes and waste disposal areas, otherwise good value for money but probably wouldn't rush back.
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| Date of Visit: June 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Siddle_d |
3 reviews from this member |
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Around 8 (25-30, no children) of us spent a weekend at this campsite in the beginning of June.
This site has so much potential.
The location is fantastic, 5 mins walk from Keymer and a couple of pubs, 15 mins walk from Hassocks town centre with it's shops, restaurants and train link to Brighton, in the shadow of the Jack and Jill windmills and ideally situated for a walk in the South Downs (we started in Poynings, round to Fulking, up to the South Downs Way, along to Devil's Dyke and back down into Poynings.)
The field is nice and level with good size pitches, large open spaces for kids to play and access to all areas is quite easy. BBQ's are allowed and if you don't have one the site will even supply you with one on loan.
However, switch your attention to the cleaning facilities and the site comes up very short indeed. We didn't really use the dish washing facilities but a quick look inside the room and warning signs were there, no hot water, just a kettle. We did use the toilet and shower facilities and in a word, they we're terrible. By all accounts the womens were worse than the mens. In the womens, there were two showers, one of them broken completely and one of them only semi useable (i.e. Nothing to hold the shower head up, poor drainage etc). Other than that the womens weren't very clean and they constantly ran out of toilet paper. The guys toilets were a little better. 2 fully working showers costing 50p for 10mins of hot water. My girlfriend decided to use one of the guys showers since the girls were so bad. The electricity was dodgy and the lights would constantly flicker. The toilet paper ran out on both nights and the general standard of cleanliness was terribly.
So, would we go back again? No, not until they sort out the cleaning facilities anyway. We heard rumours they were in the process of doing so and even saw some builders but we didn't see the new facilities.
It is such a shame since everything else about this site is great. It's just the everything else doesn't make up for the shoddy facilities.
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| Date of Visit: May 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Upminster 1 |
1 review from this member |
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We went to this site on the bank holiday weekend, it was not busy.
Really, really disappointed with this site. It has so much potential and not a great deal of money needing to be spent on it to bring it up to date.
Location is great, shops,pubs (we had 4 children, all under 4, and six adults) all walking distance. Train ride to Brighton was easy and children loved it.
It is in a valley and the cold wind whipped through and by early evening no-one was sitting outside enjoying the fresh air. Solution would be for hedging and trees to be planted.
The washing up facilities - no hot water at all apart from a kettle which I have to agree took 10 mins to boil. The farthest sink did not have a plug that fitted so the water just drained away before you could do any washing up!
The toilet facilities were adequate as far as how many toilets and showers there were. Never had to queue. I do not mind the charge for the showers but there is no excuse for the lack of toilet paper (we were there for 3 nights too many) and every evening they ran out. Only 1 shower was working in the ladies and the cleanliness was the worst I have ever been in and I have been camping for 10 years now.
Until this site has an overhaul we will never go back which is a shame because location is great.
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| Date of Visit: April 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
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| Reviewer: Osprey |
18 reviews from this member |
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This site could and should be fantastic. Hassocks station is 3/4 a mile away with a regular train into Brighton, 6 miles away. It also boasts good shopping and a couple of decent pubs both within walking distance. Situated at the foot of the Downs with a lovely view towards the Jack and Jill windmills. Easy to get to from the main road. However, Southdown farm is looking somewhat tired and in areas positively grotty. The whole set up changed hands, to a charity, back in February and they are working to provide a haven for partially sighted people. I therefore have to hope that the new owners will sort it all out soon. The road noise is awful, it is sited on the corner of two busy roads. This could be reduced by fencing and sensitive planting of noise reducing trees. There is also regular aircraft noise from nearby Gatwick. The old stabling block and farm yard, now resembles something the army might train in before going to war. The facilities are beyond insufficient. 2 (gents) showers, still at 50p a throw. These were never cleaned for the whole weekend of my stay. The fixtures are old, dirty and the whole area needs refitting. The dish cleaning area now has no hot water at all unless you boil the kettle provided which took , and I'm not kidding, 10 minutes to boil! The two fields are potholed, I guess, as a result of the cows that once grazed there. It needs rolling badly. These are certainly a pain when they are under your groundsheet. The electric hook ups look archaic and thrown together. If you read this the benefit of the doubt needs to be with the new owners in the hope that they can bring it all up to something resembling a decent place to stay at. However allowing people to arrive and pitch their tent at 11.30 at night doesn't bode well for the future of Southdown farm. Camp sites are rare near Brighton and I really hope the friendly staff don't rest on their laurels.
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151 Reviews in total, now showing 121 to 130
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Common Questions
Is Southdown Way Caravan And Camping Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Southdown Way Caravan And Camping Park? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Southdown Way Caravan And Camping Park dog friendly? YES View all facilities
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