Feather Down

Sunninglye Farm

Escape to a simpler life with Gill and Jo

Sunninglye is tucked away amongst the rolling hills of the High Weald, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the border of Kent and Sussex. It is here that the Miles family have farmed for over 50 years, caring for varied farm animals that you will get to know during your stay. Their five canvas hideaways are sheltered within a shady hilltop copse, each one enjoying an extensive view across surrounding fields and woodland. Chickens will peck happily around your new home while the flock of sheep graze the adjoining fields, where wild fallow deer are frequently to be seen. There are also dogs, cats, pigs, goats, a horse, and a donkey who live at Sunninglye and will become part of your stay. They were all a big hit with Sainsbury's who gave Sunninglye a glowing review in their magazine in 2021 as the ideal spot for a family holiday in Kent.

Kent at its most active

Sunninglye is a wonderful base for a family holiday in Kent should you choose to leave the farm, with the spa town of Tunbridge Wells, only a few miles away. There are also historic houses and gardens like Penshurst and Sissinghurst or popular National Trust properties such as Scotney or Bodium Castle, as well as Hever or Leeds Castle all within a short drive away. For the most active adventurers there is Go Ape at Bedgebury Pinetum just ten miles away, as well as Bewl Water aqua park for water-based activities. Sandy beaches at Camber or the more traditional seaside town Hastings are only forty minutes drive away.

What to do at Sunninglye Farm

Sunninglye is a perfect place for a family walk for both the young and old to discover. Enjoy a walk through the woods, build a camp and collect campfire wood, or spend a few hours playing on the pond in a boat, kayak, or coracle. There is also a raft building activity and brunch adventure, or pony pampering. Each tented cottage has a well-equipped kitchen and wood burning stove, as well as its own individual campfire site with an outdoor cooker, come BBQ where you can cook and relax after a day in the fresh air enjoying the farm's fields and woodland. You also won't go hungry here as the farm has a well-stocked honesty shop with both necessities and local produce. How does s'mores over the campfire sound before you retire to your cosy Feather Down bed?

What can you expect?

Dogs allowed
Honesty shop
Pizza oven

What animals will you find on this farm?

You too?

What our guests like

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Close to water
Near water
Surrounded by forest
Play area
Animal menagerie

Our canvas hideaways

Canvas hideaway with farm-house shower

6 persons

Canvas hideaway with private outdoor shower

6 persons

Canvas hideaway with en-suite shower

6 persons

Meisenkobel

6 persons

A unique experience

Back to basics

Live in nature

Have adventures together

Including wood for the wood-burning stove
Including welcome package with bed-linen, towels, candles, matches, washing-up liquid and other basic items

One of the world's best family holidays

Highlight

Pizza Night

The farmer will usually fire up the pizza oven during your stay. Everyone gathers round to tell their stories of the day’s adventures and invent pizza toppings you’ll never find on the high street

Highlight

Ask the farmer

The farm tour is a must if it’s on offer during your stay. But you don’t wait till then. The farmer will be delighted to tell you more about farm life at any time.

Highlight

The farm shop

It’s great for the basics and usually even better for local produce and low food miles. And every Feather Down farm shop operates on an honesty basis.

Options during your stay

Farmers Soup

Receive ingredients, firewood, the recipe, and cooking utensils to prepare a delicious farmer's soup at your tent, enough for 4 - 6 people.

Farmers Stew

Recommended!

You will receive the recipe, ingredients and cooking utensils to prepare a delicious Farmers Stew at your tent, enough for 4-6 people.

English Breakfast Hamper

Comes with free-range eggs, bacon, sausages/chipolatas, bread, butter, jam /honey/marmalade, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, fruit juice. Exact content may differ slightly per farm.

BBQ Box

A selection of locally produced meats such as sausages, burgers, ribs, minute steaks. Enough for 6 people and the contents of the box differ slightly per farm.

Pets

Bring your dog along. A maximum of 2 well-behaved dogs per canvas hideaway. The price is per dog, per stay.

Please note: You are required to keep your dog on a leash while on the campsite.

Build your own Raft

The raft building will include enough materials to build a raft as well as paddles and lifejackets - price is per family.

Brunch Adventure

Brunch outdoors by our pond. Includes sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, fresh rolls, butter, marmalade, orange juice, tea, coffee and the equipment and wood. When you've finished, leave everything in the container and we will collect it!

Pony Pampering

Spend an hour with the ponies, grooming mucking out and learning basic stable management under the instruction of an experienced adult. For ages 6+.

Brunch and Raft Building

Guests have enjoyed combining the brunch adventure with the raft building. We offer a special price for both activities taking place at the same time

Meet your hosts

Jo, Gill and Rob

We are the Miles family and we share this peaceful spot with sheep, pigs, cats and dogs, including Margo and Cyril, our pet kunekune pigs and Norman the donkey. Jo and Jill will look after you during your stay.

Looking forward to having you try all our challenges, and having a wonderful time at our farm.

What do our guests think?

Average rating

9.5

Ms Webster

20/05/2022

Sunninglye Farm is set in glorious grounds. The Featherdown Glamping experience here is as good as it gets. Lovely farm tour & meet the animals. Our girls particularly loved the wild pond and the boats and spent all afternoon there. Making pizzas in the pizza oven another highlight as was pony pampering. Thank you to Gill a wonderful host. Definitely coming back.

Mrs Malik

20/05/2022

We had a great stay. Our host, Gill, was amazing. She took the children to collect eggs, bottle feed lambs, pony pamper. The pizza oven was a great touch which made dinner on Saturday night quick, easy and delicious. We had the brunch adventure down by the pond which was magical. We loved slowing down and focusing on the basics. The children loved the honesty shop and would frequent it may times a day and because everything was so reasonably priced we had not worries about what they took. Beautiful memories made 🥰

Mrs Williamson

13/05/2022

Thank you so much to Gill for a wonderful weekend on your beautiful farm! Boating on the pond, feeding the lambs, running wild in the woods, playing football on the sports field & using the many rope swings kept our kids easily entertained for the whole weekend & they are desperate to return. A really special place with a lovely host.

Mw Tjwa-Stork

25/04/2022

Slowing down in beautiful welcoming environment .

Mrs Knight

29/10/2021

A wonderful break in nature. The very comfortable accommodation allowed us to relax and enjoy everything the farm had to offer.

Mrs Snizek

15/10/2021

We had a lovely weekend away from the city. Our host Gill was friendly and very helpful. The views from our cabin were stunning. The BBQ box and breakfast box that we ordered from the farm contained fresh and delicious food. We enjoyed a country walk, gathering eggs, time on the farm relaxing, delicious meals and fresh air. We would definitely rebook Sunninglye Farm.

Mrs. Gerrie

17/09/2021

A perfect weekend to unwind and forget about it all.

Mr. Standley

13/09/2021

Having stayed at over 10 Farms this was up to the same standards. The hosts were very welcoming and helpful. The tents are obviously older here and are showing age related degredation.

8.8

Mrs Ungerer

10/09/2021

Best glamping experience ever! Gorgeous location with stunning views. Luxurious accommodation. Attentive and friendly hosts really made us feel welcome. Honesty shop is a nice touch in case you forgot anything.

Mrs. Shorey

03/09/2021

Bucolic bliss

Mrs Langley

27/08/2021

As usual it was just perfect. Freedom, and space in a beautiful setting.

Mrs McCarthy

20/08/2021

The children loved the farm experiences - collecting eggs, feeding the pigs and lambs and those pesky chickens!!

Mrs Cannon

16/08/2021

My family and I have had a wonderful time at Sunninglye Farm. Our host Gill was wonderful and welcoming its our second time of visiting and I know we will be back again. The pond and boats is a must. Fire pit and s’mores were a real hit with our children. Lovely to be in a camping environment but warm and dry! We all enjoyed feeding the animals, piglets, lambs, donkey and horses. Fabulous.

Mrs Hill

13/08/2021

Instantly transported to a peacefull magical relaxing environment. The children loved the animals especially Norman, the pond was so much fun, especially trying but failing to build our own raft, but still being able to use the kayak & boat. So much for us to do together as three adults and three children, fun was had by all!! The host family were ever so lovely, on hand if you needed anything & made us all feel welcome.

Mrs McGarry

23/07/2021

Fantastic setting, friendly hosts and great facilities. What more could you ask for!

Mr Kirkwilson

09/07/2021

Amazing break. Gill was very welcoming

Mrs Hides

11/06/2021

Great weekend at Sunninglye - we loved the site, the lake, the animals etc. Gill was an excellent host. We will be back!

Ms Johnson

31/05/2021

It was wonderful and our children loved every second of it . There is a real sense of freedom, the kids enjoyed feeding the animals in the farm, kayaking on the lake, the facilities were excellent and our host Gill was wonderful.

Mrs Holt

31/05/2021

A truly magical experience; Jill and her family have created a beautiful setting in the Kent countryside and we had an unforgettable holiday with our friends. She managed our group of 10 boys with ease introducing them to bottle feeding lambs and even tummy tickling the piglets! The accommodation is fantastic with lots of space and the children loved the hidden cupboard beds. All the extras were carefully organised and we ate the best home made sausages on our bbq evening. We’ll miss having chickens roaming around us , but we’ll definitely be back. Thank you Sunningley Farm for a fantastic, restful (as much as is possible with 10 boys in tow!) and memorable half term break.

mrs Bransby-Meehan

24/05/2021

Idyllic .... our only regret is that we didn't book for longer

Mrs Scott

30/04/2021

We had a wonderful time at Sunninglye Farm, thank you so much to Jill for making us feel so welcome!

Mrs Nitek

23/04/2021

An absolutely fantastic weekend thank you so much!

Miss McGirr

16/04/2021

Beautiful setting, glorious to get back to nature and away from the city. Lovely welcoming hosts who seemed keen to ensure we had everything we needed. Particularly lovely experience bottle feeding the lambs & a special treat for the kids cuddling a newborn. The raft building activity and playing around in the kayak on the pond was fabulous. I would definitely visit again & recommend without hesitation.

Mrs. Ross

26/10/2020

This was the best Featherdown Farm experience we’ve had. Every detail was considered by Gill and family, who were excellent hosts. Wood was stored in a bin behind the tent, there was a good supply of kindling and tea lights and the shop was well stocked with essentials. The bread from the local bakery was delicious and easy to order. All tents had incredible views of rolling hills and sheep and deer if you were lucky. We normally look after chickens in a small pen, though at this farm the chickens run wild, and were so tame you could stroke them. We loved waking up early to collect eggs. There were two gorgeous cooney cooney pigs wandering around the campsite and our kids loved gathering acorns to feed them. As well as a farm tour, Gill conducted a daily animal tour and our kids loved taking themselves off to feed the other pigs, horses and the donkeys. This was a lovely safe space for the kids to explore, for family walks and relaxing. This is our 8th Featherdown and absolutely our favourite farm. We’ll be booking again!

Mr Kerridge

26/10/2020

A real opportunity to wind down and enjoy the peace and quite of the countryside. Log stove kept us warm and full of hot food despite the cold and wet October weather

Mrs Bell

23/10/2020

Lovely relaxing stay in a beautiful place with fabulous hosts

Ms Dunmore

23/10/2020

Really fun and relaxing

8.8

Mr Hollidge

19/10/2020

Brilliant for the kids

Mrs Braithwaite

16/10/2020

Such a great escape. The pond, with boats and fishing, is great fun. Meeting the animals is wonderful for adults and children. We loved the enormous acorn eating pigs, Norman the donkey, sheep and the chickens! Highly recommend.

Mrs Lee

09/10/2020

A total break from daily life

MRs Niotakis

02/10/2020

The Sunninglye farm set up is excellent - there are a lot of activities to do (kayaks, raft building, feeding the animals, walks) and amenities (good showers, well stocked store, swings and playground for the kids). It is also easy to get to if you don't have a car (train to Tunbridge Wells and a quick taxi). I've been twice and will definitely be back

Mrs Wiseman

25/09/2020

Peaceful

8.8

Dr Durling

18/09/2020

Away from it all, with so much for the children, a real break

Mrs Clout

18/09/2020

A very special and peaceful spot. The children were in heaven.

Mr Birch

11/09/2020

excellent

Miss Craik

31/08/2020

A beautiful location and chance to connect with nature

Mrs Baines

31/08/2020

Relaxing , enjoyable and friendly family who run it .

Ms Jenkins

31/08/2020

It was so perfect for kids and very relaxing for adults

Mrs Kimber

28/08/2020

Absolutely wonderful place to escape from day to day life and live the farm life! Kids in their element being free to explore the woods, meet and pet the animals with the highlight for them being collecting fresh eggs from the chickens !

Mrs Cannon

24/08/2020

Our holiday at Sunninglye Farm has been amazing. Lots of cherished family memories have been created.