Today’s interview is with Sarah from Wattle Hill Oast.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Sarah and Rob Harley escaped to the country from South London 7 years ago with their 4 children in tow.
Have you always wanted to run a glamping site? How did you get interested in it?
As children, my husband and I have very fond memories of family camping holidays.
As we started our own family, glamping seemed like a natural step for us and after sampling many glampsites ourselves we decided to see if we could produce something a bit different – a cross between a boutique hotel and a campsite.
What made you pick the location for your glamping site?
When we bought our property we knew we wanted to share it and the local area with other people. Our fields and woodland were sitting there empty waiting to be occupied with children playing and laughter.
Do you get a wide range of different people from different walks of life or is there certain types of guests who come to stay at your site?
Our guest are mainly families who want to enjoy the experience of camping with their children, but are often apprehensive about the toil involved in standard camping.
We are also pleasantly surprised how many hen parties choose to stay with us. They are all fantastic groups of friends that are looking to try something alternative to going out and tearing the town up for one night only.
When guests stay, do they usually cook on site or do you find a lot like to go exploring and eat out at local places?
Each tent comes with a fire pit which doubles up as a BBQ. We also have a 2 burner gas stove for each tent for a quicker, less smoky dining experience. Not everyone fancies cooking whilst they are on holiday though and we have teamed up with a local company called Pure Flavour who will come onsite and cook for you if you wish. This works especially well where there is a group booking.
There are also some fantastic local pubs and restaurants about.
We always recommend our local the Cross Inn which serves some fantastic local ales and food on request. The White Dog in Ewhurst Green offers great pub grub and a fantastic view in the beer garden. We also send people down to The Castle Inn in Bodiam which is conveniently located in between Bodiam Castle and the Steam Railway Station. Their food is also great and the garden is idyllic.
If there was one activity to participate in, landmark, or place of interest that you would recommend guests visit while staying at your site, what would it be and why?
The one landmark I would recommend visiting whilst they stay with us is of course the National Trusts Bodiam Castle. Located 5 minutes from our doorstep, it is the quintessential English Castle and is a great day out for all the family. There is the opportunity to simply walk around the fantastic grounds or you can explore the inside of the castle ruin and if your legs will take it, climb to the top of the towers.
There are often additional activities going on to keep the children entertained and if that is not enough you can also pick up a steam train or river ferry from here too.
What do you think sets your glamping site apart from others?
We are proud that our surroundings are fantastic, our changing area is newly developed to high standards, and there are plenty of fun things to do onsite that will keep everyone happy…
But what sets us aside from other glamping sites has to be the ‘wet weather’ option- the indoor swimming pool. This is a very popular part of our guest’s holiday. The heated salt water pool is a great way to either cool off after a tough day on the beach or spend some time in while the weather clears.
What has been the most memorable moment that has happened on your glamping site?
Last season some lucky guests witnessed baby chicks hatch naturally with their mother hen. It was a fantastic day and we loved sharing it with Max and Megan.
We also had a surprise 40th birthday party last year which was great fun to be part of.
Do you provide any services/entertainment/activities onsite or elsewhere for your guests?
We organise daily animal feeding, egg collecting and veg picking which is a popular part of the holiday with the little ones.
We advise our guests to use us a concierge service. We are happy to help plan trips, meal bookings or parties that our glampers require. We can also arrange transport for anyone that needs to get from A to B If no one fancies driving.
What plans (if any) do you have for your glamping site in the future?
None
