The Sustainability Centre

The woodpecker's drum echoes across Hampshire woodland as you pitch beneath the canopy — this is camping that feels like education by accident, surrounded by wildflower meadows and demonstration gardens that hum with purpose.

Tent campers and campervan tourers who fancy something different will find a home here, tucked into the South Downs between Petersfield and the Meon Valley. It suits families keen to show kids where food actually comes from, couples after a restorative off-grid weekend, and anyone who doesn't mind composting loos if it means waking to birdsong instead of traffic. The woodland setting draws walkers straight onto downland trails, while fly fishers have Meon Springs less than twenty minutes' walk through the beech hangers.

Facilities are deliberately low-impact — this is a working sustainability education centre first, campsite second — so expect the basics done thoughtfully rather than gleaming shower blocks. Dogs are welcome by arrangement. Campfires need checking on arrival, probably dependent on season and fire risk. The vibe is gentle, thoughtful, and utterly unplugged — a place where doing less somehow feels like more.