There are plenty of beautiful places to pitch a tent across the South East, so it means a great deal to us to see The Sunnyfield recognised in the 2026 Hipcamp Awards. The Sunnyfield has been named among the best campsites in South East England, putting our little corner of the Kent countryside alongside some wonderful outdoor stays from across the region. For us, this recognition is about much more than an award. It reflects the kind of camping experience we have always wanted to create: plenty of space, a beautiful natural setting, evenings around the fire and the freedom to slow down and enjoy being outdoors.

The Sunnyfield is not about squeezing as many pitches as possible into a field. Our campsite is set within an eight-acre wildflower meadow in the Kent countryside, with a limited number of pitches and a layout designed to give guests room to settle in. We want camping here to feel simple and relaxed, whether you are visiting for a family weekend, travelling through Kent in a campervan, planning a few nights under canvas with friends or choosing a glamping stay where some of the work has already been done for you.

Being recognised by Hipcamp in 2026 is something we are genuinely proud of, and we are especially grateful to everyone who has stayed, shared their experience and helped The Sunnyfield become the place it is today.

The Sunnyfield and the 2026 Hipcamp Awards

The Hipcamp Awards 2026 celebrate camping and outdoor stays that stand out to travellers looking for memorable places to spend time outside. This year, The Sunnyfield was included among the best places to camp in South East England, with Hipcamp highlighting some of the details that make a stay here distinctive, from spacious pitches and the natural surroundings to wood-fired pizza, coffee and opportunities to explore the local area.

That recognition feels particularly special because many of the things that make The Sunnyfield different are deliberately uncomplicated. We believe a great campsite does not need endless entertainment or rows of facilities. It needs space, character, thoughtful touches and a setting where people can enjoy being outside properly.

Guests come here to sit around a fire as daylight fades, wake to the sounds of the countryside, look up at a dark night sky and spend time together without a packed itinerary. There are modern comforts where they matter, but the meadow and the outdoor experience remain at the centre of a stay.

For anyone searching for an award-winning campsite in Kent or exploring the best campsites in South East England, the Hipcamp recognition is a lovely introduction to The Sunnyfield. The best way to understand the campsite, though, is to experience a few days here for yourself.

Camping in an Eight-Acre Wildflower Meadow

The setting has always been one of the most important parts of The Sunnyfield. Our Kent campsite sits in an eight-acre wildflower meadow, giving guests a sense of openness that can be difficult to find at larger, more intensively developed holiday parks.

Rather than creating tightly packed rows of tents, we keep the number of pitches limited. There are around 32 pitches across the site, allowing the meadow to remain a meadow and giving campers more breathing room. Wildflowers, long grasses and the changing colours of the seasons are part of the experience rather than something pushed to the edges of it.

The campsite is also car-free, helping the field feel calmer and safer once everyone has settled in. Instead of the constant movement of vehicles around tents, guests can enjoy a space that feels much more connected to the countryside.

This approach is a big part of what we believe camping in Kent should offer. Kent has beautiful countryside, historic villages, walking routes and landscapes that deserve to be experienced at a slower pace. At The Sunnyfield, the campsite itself is part of the break rather than simply somewhere to sleep between days out.

Campfires Are Part of the Experience

Few things capture the pleasure of camping quite like an evening around a fire. At The Sunnyfield, campfires are not an afterthought. They are one of the experiences around which the campsite has been designed.

Our pitches have their own firepits, so guests can spend the evening cooking, talking, watching the light disappear over the meadow and enjoying the warmth of a real fire. For families, it can become the part of the holiday children remember most. For couples and groups of friends, it creates an easy place to gather when there is nowhere else you need to be.

If you have been searching for campfire camping in Kent, this is one of the details that makes The Sunnyfield worth discovering. Camping is at its best when the simple parts are allowed to remain simple: food cooked outdoors, muddy shoes by the tent, a mug of something warm and a fire burning as the evening cools.

It is not luxury in the conventional sense, but having the time and space to enjoy those moments can feel increasingly rare.

A Kent Campsite for Families, Friends and Slow Weekends

Different guests arrive at The Sunnyfield looking for different kinds of breaks. Families may want a safe, open campsite where children have space to enjoy the outdoors. Couples might be escaping the city for a quiet weekend. Friends may be meeting for a few nights together, while others use The Sunnyfield as a base for exploring Kent.

The relaxed atmosphere makes the campsite particularly suited to people who enjoy family camping in Kent without wanting the feel of a busy holiday park. There is room to spend time together, but the limited number of pitches helps retain the character of a small countryside campsite.

Dogs are welcome too, making The Sunnyfield an option for visitors searching for dog-friendly camping in Kent and wanting to bring the whole household along.

We also welcome groups, with options available for those organising larger camping get-togethers. The aim remains the same regardless of how you stay: to make it easy to enjoy the field, the countryside and the people you have come away with.

More Than Tent Camping

Although traditional camping remains at the heart of The Sunnyfield, sleeping under your own canvas is not the only way to stay.

Our campervan pitches in Kent give van travellers the opportunity to experience the same relaxed meadow setting. It makes The Sunnyfield a useful stop for people touring the South East, travelling towards the coast or simply looking for somewhere characterful to park up for a few nights.

For guests who love the atmosphere of outdoor living but would rather arrive with less equipment, glamping in Kent offers another way to experience The Sunnyfield. Glamping lets you enjoy mornings in the countryside, evenings around the fire and days exploring Kent without having to bring and pitch your entire camping setup.

Having camping, campervan and glamping options means different people can enjoy the same place in the way that suits them. What does not change is the setting: open countryside, fresh air and a campsite deliberately kept small enough to retain its personality.

Simple Facilities With Plenty of Character

The facilities at The Sunnyfield reflect the character of the campsite. You will find the practical things needed for a comfortable stay, but without turning the meadow into a conventional holiday park.

Our horse-box showers bring a little personality to the everyday camping routine, while compost loos suit the off-grid nature of the site. These details are part of an approach that keeps the camping experience grounded in its surroundings.

Then there is the food. A wood-fired pizza after a day outdoors is difficult to beat, and good coffee in the morning can make an early start in a tent considerably more enjoyable. Hipcamp specifically highlighted the wood-fired pizza and coffee when featuring The Sunnyfield in its 2026 awards, and they have become part of the character guests associate with staying here.

The result is off-grid camping in Kent that still includes thoughtful comforts. You can enjoy the feeling of escaping everyday routines without feeling as though every convenience has disappeared with them.

A Campsite for Exploring the Kent Countryside

The Sunnyfield is also well placed for exploring more of Kent. Our location makes it possible to combine peaceful Kent countryside camping with days spent discovering historic towns, coastal scenery, walking routes, cycle rides, vineyards and some of the county's best-known attractions.

Canterbury is within reach for visitors who want to explore its historic streets and famous cathedral, while Folkestone and the Kent coast provide an easy change of scenery when you fancy a day by the sea. Dover and the Channel Tunnel are also accessible, which makes The Sunnyfield a useful place to include in a longer journey as well as a destination for a dedicated Kent break.

For walkers and cyclists, the surrounding countryside provides plenty of reasons to leave the car behind for a while. The Kent Downs landscape is particularly appealing to anyone who wants a holiday built around fresh air rather than queues and timetables.

This combination of location and atmosphere is why The Sunnyfield can work equally well for a weekend escape and a longer camping holiday in Kent.

Why Space Still Matters When You Go Camping

One of the simplest things about The Sunnyfield is also one of the most important: space.

Camping changes when pitches are packed closely together. The sounds, views and sense of being outdoors can quickly be replaced by the feeling that you have simply moved into a temporary neighbourhood made from tents.

We have chosen a different approach. By keeping pitch numbers limited across a large meadow, there is more room for the landscape to remain visible and for guests to find their own rhythm. You can sit outside your tent, watch the meadow change in the evening light and enjoy the countryside without feeling surrounded on every side.

For people comparing the best campsites in Kent, pitch size and overall atmosphere can matter just as much as a long list of facilities. Sometimes what makes a camping trip memorable is not what has been added, but what has been left alone.

From Daylight in the Meadow to Darker Kent Skies

A stay at The Sunnyfield changes character as the day goes on. Mornings can be slow, particularly when the first job is simply making coffee and deciding what to cook for breakfast. Days might be spent walking, cycling, visiting Canterbury or exploring further across Kent. Then, as evening arrives, people return to their pitches and fires begin to appear around the meadow.

Later, when the light has gone, the countryside setting offers another reason to stay outside. Away from the brighter lights of towns and cities, clearer nights can provide wonderful opportunities to look upwards and spend some time stargazing in Kent.

It is one of those experiences that needs very little organising. Pull up a chair, let your eyes adjust and see what is above you. Combined with the sound of a fire and the quieter atmosphere of the meadow after dark, it is often the unplanned part of the evening that becomes a favourite memory.

A Thank You to Everyone Who Has Stayed at The Sunnyfield

Being named among the best campsites in South East England for 2026 is something we are delighted to celebrate, but The Sunnyfield would not be what it is without the people who choose to stay here.

Every booking, return visit, recommendation and review helps a small independent campsite grow. Guests also help shape the atmosphere of the field. The relaxed, friendly character people experience when they arrive is created not only by the meadow or the pitches, but by the people sharing the space.

So, to everyone who has pitched a tent here, arrived in a campervan, stayed for a glamping break, eaten pizza with us, sat beside a campfire or recommended The Sunnyfield to someone else: thank you.

The 2026 Hipcamp Awards recognition gives us another reason to be proud of this place, while also encouraging us to keep doing what matters most — protecting the character of the meadow and offering a camping experience that feels spacious, friendly and connected to the Kent countryside.

Come and Experience The Sunnyfield

Awards are wonderful to receive, but a campsite is ultimately about how it feels when you are there. At The Sunnyfield, that means waking up in an eight-acre meadow, having room around your pitch, spending long evenings beside your own firepit and enjoying a few days where life can move at a different pace.

Whether you are searching for camping in Kent, planning a glamping break in Kent, travelling by campervan or looking through the best campsites in South East England for your next outdoor escape, we would love to welcome you to The Sunnyfield.

Come for the Kent countryside, the campfires, the wildflowers and the space. Stay for the pizza, the stars, the slow mornings and those simple moments that make camping worth coming back to.

Plan your stay at The Sunnyfield and discover why we were recognised in the 2026 Hipcamp Awards as one of the best places to camp in South East England