Welcome to Stone Pit Meadows, and specifically our first ever blog post!
We are a family run glamping site – hidden in the rural heart of the Kent High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 20 minutes from the picturesque South Coast, and the historic Cinque Port town of Rye.
This first post is dedicated to Peter Bourne, my father and co-founder of Stone Pit Meadows. He spent nearly 20 years cultivating and enhancing a small corner of our family farm. Most of the farm is used to grow vines for Chapel Down, but Dad kept 12 acres which he developed as wildflower meadows, ponds and ancient woodland. He truly felt that one is a temporary steward, not an owner, of land. We are only looking after it for the benefit of others, and future generations.
It therefore made perfect sense to open up a small glamping site, where guests from near and far can enjoy what he created, a peaceful haven sensitively curated so as to enhance, not compromise, the ecology and biodiversity of the land. So, 5 years ago we opened Stone Pit Meadows. Initially just 3 furnished Bell Tents in a large wildflower meadow…and the response was incredible. Since then we have opened an additional 2 Shepherds Huts…and repurposed a pond on the site for wild swimming which has proved so popular with guests (both 2 and 4 legged!).
Sadly, just as we were starting to achieve real growth and success, Dad passed away suddenly in April 2025. We, as a family, will continue to run Stone Pit Meadows, honouring his desire to open up the farm for others to enjoy. This blog will chart our journey through this season, and hopefully many more to come!
Here is the two of us doing a “photoshoot” (my husband with an iPhone!) at the top of the farm for an article about the site featured in The Mirror. We both inherited the family gene of hating to have our photo taken, but this photo stands as a reminder to me to celebrate what we started together, and the legacy that he has left behind.
