Camping in Isfield

Isfield sits in the flat, willow-lined water meadows of the Ouse Valley, and while the setting looks made for a night under canvas, wild camping without the landowner's permission remains illegal in England, so any pitch needs to be a proper campsite or a farmer's field offered with explicit consent. The village itself has no campsite, but the wider Ouse Valley and High Weald around Uckfield, Barcombe and Sheffield Park have a scatter of small rural sites, from simple grass touring pitches to glamping bell tents and shepherd's huts set among orchards and farmland, typically open from Easter through to September when the ground is driest and the meadows are least likely to flood. The river itself is prone to standing water in winter, so anyone camping nearby is better placed on slightly higher ground back from the floodplain, and it is worth checking recent weather before pitching close to the Ouse at any time of year.

For those without their own tent, glamping has become the more comfortable way to experience this stretch of countryside, with pre-pitched options nearby offering proper beds and covered cooking space while still keeping you close to the river paths, the Lavender Line and the villages of the valley. Campfires and barbecues should always be kept off the ground and well away from hedgerows and dry grass in summer, and dogs are usually welcome on a lead given how much of the immediate area is grazing land and nature-rich water meadow. Anyone touring further afield will find larger, more established campsites around Sheffield Park and towards the South Downs National Park a short drive south, which suit longer stays and make a good base for combining a night or two outdoors with a day trip into Isfield for the railway and the riverside walk.