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Frequently Asked Questions
Booking & Arrival

Arrival Times

ARRIVALS FROM

Reception opens for new arrivals from:

  • 9am for arrivals without electric hookup (playground field non-electric & paddocks non-electric)
  • 11am for day visitors and arrivals with electric hookup (playground field electric, paddocks electric, and off-peak hardstanding electric)

It is essential to please not arrive on site before these times.

LATEST ARRIVAL

The latest arrival time is 8.30pm. All arrivals later than this are strictly by permission only, which must be obtained in advance by email (best by reply to your booking confirmation email).

DAY VISITORS DEPARTURE

All day visitors (excluding day visitors with the purpose Overnight Guest selected on the booking) must have left the park by 10.00pm.

VEHICLE MOVEMENT

No vehicle movement is permitted on the campsite between the hours of 10.30pm and 6am. Outside this period, no vehicle is to progress beyond the car park in the main farm courtyard on any late arrival or return.

ALL-QUIET PAST 11PM

We operate a strict policy of all-quiet after 11pm. After 11pm, all social events must have completely wound down, and movement around the grounds should be kept to an absolute minimum.

DEPARTURE TIME 11AM

All campers must have vacated their pitch area by 11am on the day of departure.

LATE STAYS

Please see below for late stay information.

Payment & Cancellation

The payment and cancellation related policies in effect may vary seasonally, and between the different field options that we offer. So, to see the exact policies for your requirements and dates, it is necessary to advance through the initial stages of the booking process to the point that the panel of itemised prices is shown - from where it's possible to open up the applicable policies.

The applicable policies are also reproduced in full at the foot of booking confirmation emails.

Some essential policies are universal to all bookings however:

  • Refunds are not given
  • Deposits are not charged
  • Full payment can be made no earlier than four weeks before the scheduled date of arrival
  • Full payment must be made no later than the end of day seven days ahead of arrival (which is referred to as the payment cut-off point), else a booking is automatically cancelled
  • Where payments have been made towards a booking on which an outstanding balance remains payable at the payment cut-off point, the system will cancel the booking and issue a credit for the balance of payments made thus far.
  • Bookings are subject to a booking lock-in point. This does vary depending on the field option and time of year, but is generally four days before the scheduled date of arrival. In that case, for a Friday arrival, make your final changes by Monday evening, because the booking will lock-in from 12am, Tuesday morning. Past the booking lock-in point: under no circumstance will credits be issued should you cancel or otherwise not attend on the dates you have booked for; the date of arrival can no longer be changed; the number of nights staying can no longer be reduced.
  • After a booking has locked in, the arrival date can still be brought forward, and the number of nights staying can still be increased. It is also possible to extend your stay at any point during your stay, right up until the end of your day of departure.

Booking to Fish

Prior arrangement is not required (or is in fact available) for campers looking to fish—so you don't need to mention that you will be fishing when you book.

All that is required is to purchase fishing day tickets at campsite reception at some point after your arrival, and (strictly) before looking to set up on any particular swim.

Day tickets are not available from the fishing warden directly—so never set up on a swim with the expectation that the warden will subsequently sell you a ticket, you must first purchase tickets at reception.

For all further information about fishing, please click through to our fishery's own website at the link below. If you do need to contact us with fishing related enquiries, please best use the contact page found on the fishing website to get in touch with the fishing warden directly.

Updating Bookings

Bookings are easily updated or cancelled online via the booking update service. Just click the booking update service button in your booking confirmation email (no password is required).

If you have misplaced your booking confirmation email, then click through to the booking service below, find where it says Access My Booking, and submit the email address used when placing the booking.

Groups & Placement

Group Bookings & Policies

Although we do permit small numbers of tents and vans to gather together in group camps, any social event in the evening must stay sensible - with everything winding down fully by 11pm.

Please see below for a complete guide to booking and camping with us as a (family based) group.

Reserving a Pitch Location

Beyond the choice of field (the playground field or the paddocks), all pitch locations within the fields are allocated on arrival only.

We appreciate that many campers (and groups) might have a preferred pitch location they would like to request in advance (in their chosen field).

However, given the flux of arrivals and departures in warmer months, the only way to effectively promise anyone that a specific pitch or area would be available for them on their arrival, would be to divide the field up into demarcated numbered pitches and have the booking system manage allocation.

If you have camped with us before, you will understand how very considerably that would alter the current more informal dynamic - where everyone always manages to comfortably fit in around everyone else, with, almost invariably, everyone content with their location.

Because it does not seem correct to offer to any one person what must ultimately be denied to another, pitch locations are therefore allocated on arrival only in all cases.

In warmer months, a warden will meet you on arrival and will try to accommodate your first choices as far as their other considerations permit.

With hardstanding pitches in the off-peak season (October to May), all pitches are numbered — but, our system does not allocate a particular numbered pitch to any guest in advance. Instead, arrivals are free to occupy any vacant numbered pitch according to the instructions (and map) linked to in their booking confirmation email.

For further information on placement as a group, please see below:

Amenities

Serving Hot Food

The Onsite Shop

Through to the end of the first weekend in September, the shop can be expected to be open all day, mostly every day. The main exception will be with quieter midweek dates in June and later September, when a more limited schedule of opening will sometimes be in effect — according to times then advertised at reception.
On any date between now and the end of September, where you find the shop closed, it should then be possible to have the on-site warden open up for you (on a sensible basis).
Available in the shop you will find:
Bean to cup coffee machine (tea and hot chocolate also)
Smokeless logs, kindling, & fire-lighters
Disposable gas cartridges (220gm & 450g screw top, 190gm pierceable)
Fresh bread & milk
Bags of ice
Grocery staples
Sweets & ice Cream
Marshmallows
Preserves & cakes
Locally sourced free range eggs
Locally produced bacon, sausages, burgers
Children's toys
What we don't have
Tents/camping equipment
Fishing rods to hire or purchase
Exchangeable gas bottles

Playground Opening Dates

The playground will be open for the coming bank holiday weekend (3rd-5th May, 2024)

The playground is expected to remain open across the winter period this year

However, in the off-peak period, we do reserve the right to close the playground at short notice, which will happen in the event of significant rain/snow fall.

We will, of course, be sure to advertise any closure here as soon as that is evident.

Note that in the event of unexpected closure of the playground (for any reason), this will have no bearing on the rates payable on bookings or the applicable terms and conditions (including cancellation and credit award stipulations).

Disabled facilities

We have multiple disabled access showers and toilets across our facilities blocks.

Public Transport

Unfortunately there are no public transport links within walking distance to the campsite.

Henfield is served by the Brighton-Horsham Bus Route 17. Taxi services local to Henfield are mostly single operators - so we recommend finding one online in advance, to make sure you have a taxi arranged before setting out.

You can walk from Henfield (about two miles from Blacklands) across country, but only if you are prepared to carry everything on your back of course. The public footpaths are not always clear as actual paths - in places, it's necessary to cross or skirt open fields instinctively before the path becomes obvious again. Follow the purple route HERE - and please bear the very distinct possibility of getting lost in mind.

Hassocks, 5.4 miles away, is served by train from London and Brighton. A taxi ride from Hassocks train station costs in the region of £20 – call Five Star Taxis on 01273 846666.

Hiring a Tent

We do not have tents for hire we are afraid. For all camping and touring, it is necessary to bring (and erect) your own tent, trailer tent, caravan, or motor van.

Regulations

Late Stays

Please note that the late stay option below is not for use where your departure date is a Friday or Saturday.

Where you are scheduled to leave on any day Sunday—Thursday, you can stay late by booking in through our online service as day visitors on that day.

It should be emphasised that this option is not something to organise on the day of departure when already onsite — but something that must be booked in advance.

You will need to have all of the persons that will remain on site past the scheduled departure time of 11am covered on (one or more) day visitors booking(s) — and also any extra cars in attendance (one car is included with day visitor bookings, the same as with an overnight booking).

When booked in that way, you will be free to leave your caravan, camper van, or tent, along with cars/awning/gazebo/pup tent, in situ for as long as you like up to a latest departure time of 8pm.

Please make a note in the additional information when placing the day visitor booking that it is for a late stay.

Where the booking covering your prior overnight stay was with electric, the electric cable will however need to be disconnected by 11am. It may be possible to make an arrangement with the warden to leave your electric connected (for an extra charge taken on the day), but most often this will not be possible, and the warden's decision will be final.

Awnings

In the warmer months when tent camping is available, just select the awning option when booking and you will be free to make use of a porch/full awning with your caravan, camper van, or motorhome.

In the off-peak period (hardstanding bookings), it does happen that prevailing weather conditions saturate the ground to the point that awnings are not permissible. When the ground does permit however, awnings can be used at no extra charge. Please be sure to always consult with the warden before erecting an awning in this period.

Youths

We regret that we do not cater to any number of unaccompanied under 21 year olds - or any group with a majority of under 21s, with or without adult accompaniment.

The single exception to this is with officially organised DofE (or similar) expeditions prearranged with us by an official (school/scout/similar) body.

Music

MUSIC
Music is permitted, but only when taking every consideration for others around you.

Please bear in mind that this is a rural setting where we wish to maintain a back-to-nature ambience.

So all radio/tv/music must be kept to the lowest of volumes only - so as not to be audible or disturbing to your neighbours in any way.

Dogs

Dogs are permitted, but must be kept on a lead at all times.

Do not bring dogs that are prone to barking, and of course, please clean up dog mess immediately afterwards, both on the grounds, and from the surrounding area.

Fire Pits/Campfires

Actual campfires built directly on the ground are not permitted under any circumstance.

Off-Peak Season

Note that fire pit hire is not available when the reception/shop are not open, and so is not an given option on hardstanding bookings in the off-peak period.

In Warmer Months

In the warmer months (when the reception and shop are open), we have fire pits for hire, which are extremely popular, and prove perfect to build a very nice (and safely sized) little campfire.

Note that as fire pit hire is an essential part of the experience for many campers, to guarantee availability, you must add a fire pit to your booking in advance (rather than indicating this on arrival). Logs and kindling, however, are available to buy onsite and do not need to be reserved in advance.

Note that it is absolutely forbidden to collect ground (or fresh!) wood anywhere on site or in the local area. Such wood burns with a very great amount of smoke.

Fire Regulations
  • Small log fires are permitted within fire pits hired directly from us only. Note that it is strictly not permissible to bring your own fire pit, fire bowl, chimenea, etc. Our fire pits are generally about 30cm in diameter (and do not come with a griddle). They must stand directly on the ground at all times when in use (not raised up on any kind of stand or table).
  • Note that it is not permitted to bring your own wood. The only wood that is permissible to burn in the fire pits (or indeed, on the campsite) are the kiln-dried logs we sell in our onsite store. This is not for reasons of profit (the logs are very competitively priced) - but to ensure that only smokeless fuels are used — to save the campsite from choking on smoke and fumes.
  • Under no circumstance whatsoever must wood or kindling be collected from the campsite grounds or local area.
  • Cooking on fire pits/BBQs is permitted. Note that our fire pits do not come with a griddle — but you are welcome to bring your own. Please ensure that the remains of any food are removed from the actual fire pit before returning them.
  • Very small (portable or single use type) BBQs burning charcoal briquettes(never wood) may be brought along and used - but must always be raised from the ground adequately so as not to burn the grass in any way.
  • It is also permitted to bring and use your own gas-fired BBQs/grills.
  • A full bucket of water must always be at the ready directly next to any fire pit or BBQ that has been lit but not yet cooled to ambient temperature. PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR THIS REASON, YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN BUCKET WITH YOU.
  • Before going to bed, it is essential to make sure fire pits and BBQs are fully extinguished. The extinguished fire pit should then be left in situ until the morning, when the ashes that are fully spent by that point should be deposited in the ash bin found in the refuse area.

Swimming/Boating on the Lake

The lake is dedicated to fishing, so unfortunately for those who might like to take a dip, or go for a paddle, there is in strictly no swimming or boating on the lake of any kind.

Car By Pitch

In the playground field cars are parked up around the edges of the field, so cars will be close to pitch locations, but in most cases, not directly besides.

In the paddocks cars can be parked directly next to pitch locations.

Commercial/Sign Written Vehicles

Commercial and sign written vehicles can be brought on site, but once any camping gear has been unloaded, they must then be parked up in a designated area for commercial vehicles.

The vehicle will be free to leave the campsite (to then return to the designated area) during your stay—but it must not progress from the designated area onto the campsite again until it comes time to load up on departure. Note that the designated area will likely not be close to your actual pitching area.

Seasonal Pitches/Storage

Blacklands does not offer seasonal pitches, nor any kind of caravan or motorvan storage. .

We don't operate any form of short or long term parking/storage options for caravans/motorvans. It strictly won't be possible to have your caravan/motorvan anywhere on the grounds by any means without a valid booking for that date.

Note that if you wish to set your tent or van up one day before your scheduled date of arrival, then it is permissible to place a booking for the tent or van only for that one night (without any persons, electric hookup, or extras added to the booking).

Please see our complete campsite regulations below
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