Bodiam

With little accommodation in the village itself, most visitors to Bodiam base themselves in the small towns and villages that ring the Rother Valley. Robertsbridge, Hawkhurst and Sandhurst are all within a few miles and offer traditional inns and bed and breakfasts, while Rye and Battle, both around a twenty-minute drive away, give you a much wider choice of hotels alongside their own rich history and independent shops. Staying in one of these nearby towns means you can easily combine a visit to Bodiam Castle and the Kent & East Sussex Railway with exploring the Sussex and Kent coast or the 1066 battlefield at Battle Abbey. Wherever you stay, book ahead for weekends and school holidays, when the area's limited accommodation fills up quickly thanks to the castle's popularity. A car is genuinely useful here, since public transport around the smaller villages is limited, though the heritage railway itself offers a scenic and practical link between Bodiam and towns further into Kent.

Bodiam punches well above its weight for such a small village, with a genuinely famous castle at its heart and several other attractions within easy walking distance.

• Bodiam Castle — Built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, this National Trust-cared-for castle is one of Britain's best-preserved examples of medieval military architecture, complete with a broad moat, spiral staircases, battlements and an original wooden portcullis that visitors can still see up close.
• Kent & East Sussex Railway — Bodiam station is the southern terminus of this heritage steam and diesel railway, which runs for ten scenic miles through the Rother Valley to Tenterden in Kent, calling at Northiam, Wittersham and Rolvenden along the way.
• Bodiam Boating Station — Hire a traditional rowing boat, or take a relaxed river trip aboard a small passenger boat, along the stretch of the River Rother that once carried stone and supplies up to the castle gates.
• St Giles' Church — This modest 12th-century parish church, older than the castle itself, contains a memorial brass to a knight of the de Bodeham family and is a peaceful stop on any walk around the village.
• Circular walks in the Rother Valley — Several waymarked walks start in the village, including the roughly five-mile route to the neighbouring hilltop village of Ewhurst Green, taking in farmland, woodland and wide views back over the castle and its moat.
• Oastbrook Estates vineyard — A short drive away in the Rother Valley Wine Triangle, this working English vineyard offers tastings and tours amid vines planted on the same gently sloping ground that has grown hops and orchards for centuries.

For a village of its size, Bodiam has some notable places to eat. The Curlew, on the edge of the village, is a well-regarded restaurant known for using home-grown and foraged ingredients alongside its own rare-breed pigs. In the village itself, The Castle Inn sits opposite the castle entrance and has served visitors since the building was a coaching inn, with a garden looking out towards the moat. There is also a small tea room and gift shop at the National Trust visitor centre for a simpler lunch or cream tea after exploring the ruins.

Bodiam sits in the heart of the Rother Valley, a landscape of gentle farmland, water meadows and quiet lanes that makes it a rewarding, if low-key, spot for a camping trip. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's express permission, so plan to stay at one of the established campsites and glamping sites dotted around the villages surrounding Bodiam, several of which are within easy reach of the castle and river on foot or by bike. Many of these sites make the most of the valley's flat, sheltered terrain, offering grassy pitches for tents and tourers alongside safari tents, shepherd's huts or bell tents for those who prefer a glamping stay with a proper bed.

The Rother Valley's mix of farmland and light woodland means conditions are generally mild and sheltered compared with more exposed parts of Sussex, though the ground can turn heavy after wet weather, so a pitch with reasonable drainage is worth seeking out. The best season to camp here runs from late spring to early autumn, when long evenings let you make full use of the river for kayaking or paddleboarding, and when the Kent & East Sussex Railway is running its most frequent steam services from Bodiam station. Early autumn is particularly attractive, with the valley's trees turning and the summer crowds at the castle beginning to thin.

A camping trip here works well as a base for the castle itself, for walking the surrounding footpaths towards Ewhurst Green, or for combining with visits to nearby Rye, Battle and the Kent and Sussex coast. Glamping options in the area tend to lean rustic and family-friendly, often on working farms, and can be a good option for a first camping trip with children thanks to the added comfort of a real bed and, on some sites, on-site facilities. As with any rural Sussex campsite, booking ahead for the summer months is strongly advised given how popular the castle makes this small stretch of the valley.