Camping in Brighton

Brighton itself is a dense Victorian and Regency city with almost no undeveloped land inside it, so camping means pitching on the edge of the built-up area or up on the South Downs behind it. That turns out to be no hardship. The National Park boundary runs along the northern edge of the city, and within ten miles there are working farms, chalk downland and pockets of ancient woodland, all with regular buses or a short drive down to the sea.

The terrain is chalk, which matters more than it sounds. Downland drains quickly, so pitches dry out fast after rain and are rarely boggy, but the turf is thin over solid rock and long pegs are often useless - take rock pegs and a mallet. The ridges that give the views also funnel the wind, so guy everything out properly and think twice about a tall family tunnel tent in an unsheltered field. The woodland sites north of Ditchling are far more sheltered, at the cost of the views.

Weather along this coast is among the driest and sunniest in Britain, but the Channel keeps things changeable and evenings cool even in July. May to September is the reliable window, with June and September the best compromise between warm ground, long days and sensible prices. July and August fill up months ahead, and Pride weekend at the start of August books out every site within reach of the city.

Wild camping is not legal in England without the landowner's permission, and that includes all of the South Downs National Park - there is no Scottish-style right to roam here. The Downs are almost entirely farmed or grazed private land crossed by public rights of way, and walkers on the South Downs Way should book pitches in advance at the farms strung along it rather than chance a night out. Campfires are similarly restricted: several sites near Brighton allow them in supplied fire pits, but open fires on the beach or on downland are prohibited.