Coffee in hand, you sit in a deckchair on the veranda, looking out over green fields and listening to the sound of birdsong in a nearby woodland. You watch as your children head back from the chicken coop with eggs in hand for breakfast. It’s the start of another day at Canfields, a safari tent site on a farm tucked away in the picturesque village of Rudgwick. For city folk, this image of rural bliss may seem like a distant summer holiday dream but, pinch yourself, it’s not. Book now and you could be in that deckchair by next Saturday morning. This farm full of cows, sheep and chicken is a commutable hour from London; as good for a relaxing weekend as for a week’s holiday.
Canfields is a Feather Down farm; part of a network of farm stays offering off-grid holidays in roomy safari tents (or ‘tented cottages’ as the Feather Down team likes to call them). Lit only by candles and oil lamps, the rustic but homely accommodation is provided by Feather Down and invariably lovely with log burners and cute kids’ cupboard bedrooms as particular highlights. And while the well-set up accommodation varies little, the on-site experience is as unique as the farms you’ll find it on with hosting left in the capable hands of Feather Down’s partner farmers.
At Canfields, that farmer is Tim. He’ll greet you and show you around and, if you’ve booked to rent-a-coop for your stay (a fun extra that’s available here), he’ll introduce you to your hens too. He’ll show you to your two-bedroomed tent and point out the honesty shop, shared pizza oven and showers. There's a central mown pitch where kids can get stuck into lazy games of football and rounders plus an outdoor water-play area with waterfall shower and sandpit. But behind the site’s five safari tents, is perhaps the best play area of all; a beautiful bluebell woodland where there's den-building, stream-damming and deer-spotting fun to be had.
Campsite cooking is part of the Feather Down experience and camp kitchens are always well-stocked but, if you don’t fancy cooking, there’s a cheesemaker and farm cafe just over the field and a village pub a 10-minute walk away. Further afield, the walks get longer. Canfields lies between the Surrey Hills and the South Downs National Park; home to a national trail each. Walkers can take their pick, road cyclists will likely head for the hills and mountain bikers south to the Downs. Beyond them, the south coast at Worthing is also just 25 miles away. Whether you spend days at the beach, walking in countryside or simply listening to woodpeckers on site, it’s hard to believe that your deckchair is a mere 20 miles south of the M25.
There's excellent walking and cycling right from the farm; much of it within the South Downs National Park and the site sits about midway between two national trails: the South Downs Way (17 miles to join it at Amberley) and the North Downs Way (15 miles to join it at Guildford). Closer to home, there's the Downs Link, which connects the two, and there's local bike hire from South Water Cycles. There are also plenty of countryside pursuits: fishing at Furnace Lakes Fisheries (three miles away), racing at Goodwood (01243 755022) or Fontwell (01243 543335) both about 20 miles away, opera at Glyndebourne (01273 812321) and polo at nearby Hurstwood (01483 272828). Budding Tiger Woods' can revel in the choice of five golf courses, all of which are within fives miles from the farm: Wildwood, Foxbridge, Gatton Manor, Slinfold and Cranleigh. But if you're looking for a more relaxing day trip, then you'd be hard pressed to beat Denbies' (01306 876616) award-winning vineyard in Dorking (16 miles from site). You can take indoor tours throughout the year or an outdoor vineyard train between March and November.
It's foodie heaven at Canfields where you can buy burgers and steaks from the farm (booked direct, in advance) and basic supplies from the on-site honesty shop. There's a great farm shop and café, The Milk Churn (01403 823980), just across the field. Don't miss the chance to try their own Sussex Charmer cheese on toast and perhaps pop to the nearby Firebird Brewery to pick up something to wash it down with. Rudgwick village boasts four local pubs: the Fox (01403 822386) a 10-minute walk away, The Mucky Duck (01403 822300), the Sir Roger Tichborne (01403 751873) and the Richard Onslow. The village also has a few shops including a Co-op for campsite supplies. Horsham (nine miles away) boasts a more diverse selection of food spots, including the Artisan Patisserie (01403 274142); great for tea, cake, and a loaf of fresh sourdough bread and Restaurant Tristan (01403 255688), for modern European cuisine.