Flimwell

Flimwell makes a quiet, well-placed base for exploring the High Weald, thanks to its position on the A21 right on the Kent and Sussex border. Hotel options in the village itself are scarce given its size, but the wider area around Hawkhurst, Wadhurst and the Bewl Water fringe has a good range of places to stay, from traditional country inns with a handful of rooms to farmhouse bed and breakfasts and small independent hotels. Many make the most of their Wealden setting, with gardens, log fires and views over rolling fields and woodland.

Staying near Flimwell suits visitors who want easy access to Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Bewl Water and Sissinghurst Castle Garden without being tied to a single town, since the village sits within a short drive of all three. It also works well as a stopping point for those travelling the A21 between London and the Sussex coast who want to break the journey somewhere peaceful rather than push straight through to Hastings or Battle.

Because Flimwell itself has few beds, it is worth widening the search to include Hawkhurst and Wadhurst, both a few minutes away by car, where the choice of hotels, inns and B&Bs is considerably greater. Booking ahead is sensible in spring and autumn, when the Pinetum's seasonal colour draws day visitors to the area, and at weekends year-round given how few rooms the immediate area holds.

Flimwell is a launchpad for the woods and gardens of the High Weald rather than a destination with attractions of its own, but there is plenty within a short drive.

• Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest — one of the world's most complete collections of conifers, set within a working forest with waymarked walking and cycling trails, a Go Ape treetop course and a lake, just over the border in Kent a couple of miles from Flimwell.
• High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — Flimwell sits within this landscape of ancient woodland, hedged fields and sandstone outcrops, criss-crossed by footpaths and bridleways that reward slow exploration on foot or by bike.
• Hawkhurst — the nearest sizeable village, just across the border in Kent, with shops, pubs and a village green, a few minutes' drive away.
• Bewl Water — the largest stretch of open water in the South East, with a circular trail, watersports and a visitor centre, a short drive north of Flimwell.
• Sissinghurst Castle Garden — the National Trust's celebrated Vita Sackville-West garden, within easy reach across the Kent border.

Flimwell has little in the way of its own food and drink options beyond passing trade on the A21, but Hawkhurst, just over the Kent border, has a handful of pubs, cafes and a well-regarded village bakery, and Wadhurst offers further choices for a meal or a pint after a day exploring the Weald.

Flimwell sits in classic High Weald countryside, a landscape of small fields, ancient woodland, sunken lanes and sandstone outcrops straddling the Kent and Sussex border, and it is well placed for campers and glampers wanting a quiet, wooded base. As with anywhere in England, wild camping is illegal without the landowner's explicit permission, so pitching up in the forest or a farmer's field on spec is not an option; instead, look to the area's established campsites, certificated sites and glamping operators, several of which are set within or on the fringe of woodland close to Bedgebury Forest and the wider Weald.

The terrain here is gently undulating rather than dramatic, but the dense tree cover, narrow lanes and scattered oast houses give camping trips a proper woodland feel, and sites tucked into the forest edge make the most of the shade and shelter that surrounding trees provide. Bedgebury Forest itself, a couple of miles over the county line, is a working conifer forest with waymarked walking and cycling trails, so a pitch within easy reach of it suits families and cyclists particularly well.

Late spring through to early autumn is the best window for camping around Flimwell, when the woodland is at its greenest and evenings are long enough for a fire outside the tent, though many sites in this part of the Weald stay open into autumn to catch the conifers and deciduous trees turning colour. Glamping has become well established across the wider High Weald, with options ranging from simple bell tents and shepherd's huts to more fully equipped safari tents and pods, giving campers a warmer, drier alternative to canvas without losing the woodland setting that makes this corner of Sussex worth visiting.