DOWNE @ 11 ACRES – IT’S YOUR CAMPSITE – COME AND SEE HOW IT’S IMPROVING!

Eleven Acres Campsite at Downe is one of our district’s properties, dedicated to your use and enjoyment. It offers a unique camping experience, featuring expansive woodland areas perfect for bushcraft and environmental activities. It’s also ideal for traditional camping, with multiple altar fires where you can practice patrol camping and cooking on fires. You can come for the day, or for a longer stay, including a two-week summer camp—any duration to suit your group!

As spring approaches, we’re continuing to revitalize the entire site, creating a fresh, bright atmosphere for this year’s camping season, whatever the weather may bring! The new woodland glade already has primroses blooming on the forest floor, basking in the spring sunlight.

NEW CAMPING SEASON, NEW LOOK AND FEEL

By Easter, we aim to install additional altar fires, bringing the site back to its previous capacity. If you’ve read previous newsletters, you’ll know this is part of an ongoing effort to improve the site’s safety, usability, and appeal.

The Brownsea Hut and Shower Block are also being refreshed, with a new color scheme, updated tiling, repairs to sanitary ware and plasterwork, and an overall crisper experience. The Brownsea Hut will receive a much-needed ceiling replacement and insulation upgrade, along with new lighting and safety systems. Thanks to Howdens Joinery at Beckenham, we’ll also have a neat kitchenette.

For this season, we’re introducing a new feature: an externally accessible fridge room for campers. The altar fires, both new and existing, will be safe, available, and ready to use, increasing the site’s capacity. Each campsite will also have its own picnic bench, which we’ve cleaned and treated.

If all goes as planned, the car park will also be fully usable, with an interim covering to prevent the quagmires!

WORKDAYS

We’re organizing two workdays on the weekend of April 5th-6th. Volunteers of all abilities are welcome. Please share this with other leaders in your group and the families of your members. Whether you can contribute a couple of hours or two days, every bit helps.

Many hands make light work! Drop Andy a line to see how you can help (details below or through the website enquiry form).

BUT IT DOESN’T STOP HERE!

We will continue reviewing plans for how to best utilize Brownsea Hut for all sections over the summer, with a future project focused on improving safeguarding and increasing the Shower Block’s capacity. We also have several other projects lined up for the car park, woods, fire circle, chapel, and accessibility improvements across the entire site.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on, and it’s all being done for you! Come and experience the adventure of camping in a SSSI ancient woodland and enjoy the peaceful countryside away from the noise, traffic, and light pollution of Royal Greenwich.

WHAT’S IT ALL FOR?

Come camp, sleep over, or just enjoy a BBQ day out at the campsite this year and get to know your site!

For more details or to arrange a visit, contact Andy at andystanley.ml@gmail.com.