East Sussex with Kids: Knockhatch Adventure Park Review

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Welcome to my review of Knockhatch Adventure Park in Hailsham – if you’re visiting East Sussex with the kids and fancy a fun day out then you’ve come to the right place. We had a really great day there, combining it with the Meerkat Experience. In my review, I’ve included details about the attractions, what age children Knockhatch Adventure Park in Hailsham is suitable for, where it’s located, where to stay in East Sussex, photos and what we thought. And, make sure you keep reading for some money saving tips – and to find out how you can visit for free!

Visit: July 2022 (Updated January 2025)

Where is Knockhatch Adventure Park located?

Knockhatch Adventure Park is located in Hailsham in East Sussex. It’s around a 1.5 hour drive from London, 40 minutes from Brighton and 20 minutes from Eastbourne. If you’d like to travel by train, the nearest station is Polegate Train Station, which is around 4 miles from Knockhatch Adventure Park.

What attractions are there at Knockhatch Adventure Park?

If you’re visiting East Sussex, or the surrounding areas, pop Knockhatch Adventure Park on your holiday itinerary – it has lots on offer to keep the kids busy all day so let’s begin the review by delving into the attractions. Finn and Lola enjoyed themselves, with the waterslides being their favourite as usual! The adventure park has a blend of playgrounds, family activities, rides, soft play and animals – all of the ingredients for a fun family day out. Here were some of our favourite rides and attractions:

Dragon Castle: Knockhatch has a brilliant playground with a giant wooden castle – bring a flask of coffee and you can put your feet up while the kids play!

Rowing Boat Lake: We really enjoyed the rowing boat lake – we went in pairs and my son insisted on doing all of the rowing in our boat which was great!

Wave Runner Waterslide: Unsurprisingly, the Wave Runner waterslide was Finn and Lola’s favourite attraction at Knockhatch. It was a hot day when we visited so getting a little bit wet was the perfect way to cool down!

Lost World Play Barn: The play barn at Knockhatch is fab – not only would it be a lifesaver in bad weather but it was also just great fun for the kids. It’s best to bring the kids some trousers to wear though (if it’s shorts weather) to avoid friction marks from the slides, and socks are required too.

The Meerkat Experience: Despite my son looking a bit disinterested 😂 Finn and Lola really enjoyed the meerkat experience at Knockhatch, particularly as the cheeky little things came right up to them a few times. They were just a bit grumpy that they had to wear long sleeve tops and trousers (for obvious reasons) and the day we visited was crazily hot!

Other attractions and activities: There are also other attractions such as bouncy pillows, crazy golf, soft play and paddling pool areas. Unfortunately, the dino safari simulator ride was closed when we visited, so I can’t comment on that one! There are animal areas to explore with a children’s farm, meerkats, owls, wallabies and lots more. It isn’t on the same level as a zoo – the animals are more of an added extra to compliment what the rest of the site has to offer – but Knockhatch Adventure Park offers a great blend of animals and activities.

What age is Knockhatch Adventure Park suitable for?

Knockhatch Adventure Park is probably best suited to children from toddler age up to about 12/13 years old – though having said that there were teenagers there on a school trip when we visited and they looked like they were having a lovely time! There are a range of different activities to suit different age children so it’s a great base for a fun family day out with something for everyone. (And my husband and I enjoyed it too!)

What facilities are there?

Knockhatch Adventure Park has restaurants and food huts around the site, as well as toilets and a gift shop. As I mentioned above, there are also soft play areas (and an indoor slide / adventure area) so if you need to huddle in the warm in bad weather you can still keep the kids busy until it clears. There’s tons of parking, which is free. There’s no rainy day refund at Knockhatch, so make sure you check the forecast before you visit and have raincoats etc to make the most of it. There are indoor and outdoor picnic areas, so you’ll have somewhere to eat whatever the weather. We brought our own food with us, so I can’t comment on the cost or quality of what else was on offer – but the kids did enjoy an ice-cream whilst we were there.

When does Knockhatch Adventure Park open?

Knockhatch Adventure park opens daily from 10am, with the park only closing for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. It’s open 361 days a year but not all of the attractions are open during off-peak times so make sure you check what’s on offer before you visit. Knockhatch closes each day at 5.30pm.

Where are the best places to stay with kids near Knockhatch Adventure Park?

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay near Knockhatch Adventure Park you’ve got hotels like Premier Inn Eastbourne Polegate or the Best Western Citrus Hotel as options for a short stay. Or, if you’re planning a longer trip, holiday parks like Park Holidays Pevensey Bay (around 20 minutes drive away) or Combe Haven Holiday Park (about half an hour away) are both fabulous sites for a UK staycation with the kids near to Knockhatch Adventure Park. Check out my article on the best places to stay in Sussex with kids for even more options.

What are else is there to do in Sussex with kids?

Sussex is packed with brilliant family days out, from animal adventures to seaside fun and scenic countryside walks. Little ones will love Drusillas Park with its animals, gentle rides and soft play, while Sea Life Brighton is perfect for colder weather. Sussex’s beaches, especially Eastbourne and Bognor Regis, are ideal for paddling and picnics – or head to Arundel Castle or the Battle of Hastings for a historical adventure. Families can enjoy classic seaside fun on Brighton Palace Pier, ride a real steam train on the Bluebell Railway and spend rainy days at Butlins Bognor Regis. Fishers Farm Park is brilliant for younger children and there are plenty of lovely walks to enjoy in the countryside too. There’s absolutely loads to do, so make sure you check out this article for all the details: The 10 best things to do in Sussex with kids.

How much is Knockhatch Adventure Park – is it good value for money? (And some money saving tips!)

For us, this was a really cheap day out. At the time of booking, Buyagift had Meerkat Experience voucher for 2 people at Knockhatch Adventure Park for just £49 – this also included entry to the park for the children participating and accompanying adults (though unfortunately free adult entry is no longer included). I also had a £15 off discount code for Buyagift, so we actually only spent £34; which worked out £8.50pp for a day at the adventure park and the Meerkat Experience for the kids. Bargain!! Booking through the Meerkat Experience saved us around £40 on our entry tickets! Through Knockhatch’s own website, booking the Meerkat Experience is £60pp and spectators are charged standard entry price on top – so (whilst it was a really enjoyable experience for the kids) I don’t think it’s good value if booked directly.

For the ultimate free day out, you can also get entry tickets to Knockhatch Adventure Park with Tesco Clubcard vouchers – so saving your points could mean you could visit without spending a penny! If you’re paying the standard entry costs (without the meerkat experience) then I think Knockhatch Adventure Park is good value for money – it’s a full day out with plenty on offer to keep the kids busy. Knockhatch has different prices for different days; currently these range from £14.39 to £22.99 per person, with children under 2 years old entering for free. (Prices accurate January 2025.) However, some attractions are closed on the off peak (green ticket) days so we waited to book on an orange ticket (peak) day to make sure that everything would be open. Bring a picnic to keep costs down, and you’ll have a great time. I hope that my review of Knockhatch Adventure Park in East Sussex has been helpful – have fun!