Camping in Findon

There is no legal wild camping in England without the landowner's permission, and the South Downs around Findon are no exception, so any camping trip here means booking an official site rather than pitching up on the open Downland. That said, the chalk hills around the village, crowned by Cissbury Ring and, further along the ridge, Chanctonbury Ring, are classic South Downs walking country, and a handful of small campsites and glamping operators in the villages around Findon and further along the Downs make the most of that setting, offering everything from a simple grass pitch to a fully-equipped bell tent or shepherd's hut with a view over the Weald. Sites in this part of West Sussex tend to be small, family-run affairs rather than big holiday parks, which suits the quiet, walker-and-cyclist character of the area.

The camping season here runs broadly from Easter through to the end of September, mirroring the rest of the South Downs, with the driest, most settled weather usually in June, July and August. Early September has an added draw for campers: the Findon Sheep Fair on Nepcote Green, one of the oldest fairs in Sussex, dating back to a market charter of 1261, which turns the village into a genuine country show for a day. Outside the main summer months the Downs can be wet underfoot and exposed to wind, so a well-pitched, decent-quality tent, or a glamping option with proper heating, is worth the extra thought for spring and autumn trips. Whatever time of year, the terrain rewards it: the South Downs Way runs close by, Cissbury Ring is reachable on foot in well under an hour from the village, and the chalk grassland is home to skylarks, orchids and butterflies through the summer months. For those who prefer not to pitch their own tent, glamping sites in the wider area offer bell tents, yurts and shepherd's huts, giving much of the same sense of sleeping out under the Downs without the packing list, and are usually the easiest option to book at short notice around the sheep fair weekend.