Travel: Go wild...and unplugged... in the country with a break in Sussex

Sitting on a deckchair looking out at twisted old oak trees, an expanse of fields and my two children, Rosie, 13, and Poppy, 10, playing Frisbee, I’m as relaxed as I might feel on a sun lounger in Greece.

The sky is blue, my Prosecco is cold and the only thing I have to worry about is firing up the barbecue for dinner. I love a flashy hotel as much as the next person but, sometimes, stepping back into more simplistic times is better for the soul.

We’re at Feather Down in Sussex, staying in a canvas hideaway with no electricity or wifi. We have panic-packed portable chargers, while also suggesting we try a digital detox. There’s no TV, no screens and the only noise I can hear is my daughters’ chatter and the squawking of the birds.

No electricity seems surprisingly easy to deal with. The wood-burning stove heats water, food and the tent, an outdoor barbecue makes cooking easy, candles and gas lanterns give us light, and there’s instant hot water in the shower.

We are blessed with great weather as we head out of the back of the field, straight into the woods, where you can walk into Battle. We spot a writhing slow worm basking in the sunshine and, after a wander, head back to sit beneath the trees, making mini acorn posies and waiting for the sun to go down.

Come dinnertime, we grill peri peri chicken, halloumi, peppers, asparagus and courgettes outside, and eat under candlelight.

One of the big pulls of this Feather Down location (there are 75 farms across Europe and the UK) is it’s also a vineyard, and one evening we meet the co-owner.

He fizzes with enthusiasm as he regales tales of his super-expensive hobby, informing us there are now about 850 vineyards in the UK, and wine is now the fastest-growing part of agriculture in the UK.

Six little rabbits prick up their ears to listen to Neil educate us, turning to reveal their fluffy white tails as they hop away.

After gobbling our breakfast basket of freshly laid eggs, warm baguettes, homemade plum jam, local sausages and bacon, and a mini urn of milk, we head to nearby Source Park in Hastings, the world’s largest underground skatepark. We’re kitted out with bikes, boards and helmets, and wander into the Plaza where steward-cum-coach Alfie attempts to teach us what to do.

I nail the stance, but pushing off and getting my feet in the right spot without falling off is impossible. Over on the ramps, my husband James is BMXing up and down, attempting a few jumps before clattering to the floor. Twice.

The girls have a good go, riding until Poppy falls off, then exchange their bikes for scooters, taking tips from a 12-year-old local, who advises them on how to do tricks. Other kids (and the odd adult) pile in but we’re battered and bruised within half an hour.

We stop off at Brewing Brothers next door, quenching our thirst with pints of Belushi IPA and Pig & Porter Twisted Smile wheat beer, where they also sell a plethora of pasta with brilliant names – a bowl of Britney Shears or Mark Zucchiniberg, anyone?

Hastings Adventure Golf is worth swinging by, too. Right by the beach, there are three different courses.

We hire paddleboards and kayaks at Bodiam Boating Station. The river ripples like a delicious batter being mixed up, as the oars plunge into its depths.

On a Rye Harbour River Seal Safari, we spot a colony of 17 grey and harbour seals, lounging out on the banks, trying to soak up the tiniest ray of sunlight peeking through the grey skies.

Gulls waddle up and down, while the odd heron and cormorant watch over proceedings. I spot oystercatchers and curlews dipping their long beaks into the River Rother.

Back in our canvas hideaway, we shelter when the weather turns, listening to raindrops crash down on the thick fabric.

We light the wood stove, put on fluffy socks and make warming hot chocolate – the epitome of hygge. Going back to basics might not be first on the family holiday hit list but, as the cost of living continues to pinch, sometimes it’s exactly what you need.

P.S.

Rye Harbour is home to one of Britain’s largest coastal wetland reserves. More than 280 species of bird, 500 plants and 2,000 insects have been recorded here, and you might even spot a rare Nathusius’ Pipistrelle bat.