Seizing the moment, and making the most of the glorious sunshine, we booked a last minute night away in the South Downs. We loaded up, hitched up the Hero Ranger and left Hit The Trail HQ for a mini-summer-adventure.
With no plan in place we decided to stop on the way to the campsite and visit The Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton. We have visited here many times over the years but this was the first time since the pandemic. There has been extensive work carried out at the museum over the years and despite the difficulties faced in managing and maintaining everything during the pandemic, it was as wonderful as we remembered. The museum is nestled in the stunning Lavant valley between the villages of Singleton and West Dean, and you cannot fail but be overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this eastern end of the West Dean Estate. Set in the South Downs National Park, the natural setting certainly helps to generate a calming atmosphere whilst enveloping you in the history of the buildings around you. With rural craft demonstrations often taking place throughout the day, the large duck pond with all of it's feathered inhabitants, the livestock that call the land their home and the fantastic waterside cafe offering all sorts of delicious, high quality food, there really is something for everyone.
The museum is of course now well known as the home of BBC series, The Repair Shop. Set in one of the larger barns on the site, the workshop is not open to the visiting public but with it's focus on breathing life back in to loved items, it seems at home in this unique setting.
Having left the museum we set across country to the Graffham Campsite.
Although Graffham is a Camping and Caravanning Club site, it is open to non-members and can take quite a number of tents, caravans and camper vans. The site is set amongst woodland with a huge variety of trees and shrubs creating natural privacy around a lot of the pitches. The ground is a mix of small patches of grass and loose, sandy soil. The ground is quite rough so if you are camping in a tent, do make sure you clear the area before you lay your ground sheet! The facilities are clean and the showers warm. Although WiFi is advertised the setting does make it patchy, but with the beautiful nature all around you, a couple of days off-line is a welcome blessing.
We used the Front Runner awning on the Land Rover to give a little outside cover. The awning is a great size and very easy to put out. We had taken the camping table with us that travels on the underside of the roof rack, along with a Robens Pathfinder chair and a Robens Observer chair. We purchased a Jackery solar charging unit earlier this year and, with the sun shining we were able to run our compressor fridge the whole time we were there from the Jackery.
The Hero Ranger works so well for us. We used the kitchen at the rear of the caravan for cooking (there are no open fires or charcoal BBQ's allowed at Graffham due the surrounding environment), washing up and food prep and due to the beautiful weather did not need to fit the awning on this occasion!
Although we cooked and ate at the site, we did take a walk to the village of Graffham to visit The Foresters Arms for a couple of cool beers. We have eaten at the pub on a previous visit, and would recommend it if you are in the area. There is also a very well stocked village shop close by so if you do need anything whilst at the campsite, you may well find it here.
Adventures don't always have to be had a long way from home, and for us taking the opportunity to explore more locally is often just what is needed.