Located in the stunning Sussex Downs, this bustling activity centre is a popular choice for visitors from London and surrounding areas. Windmill Hill is filled to the brim with adventure activities specially designed to challenge expectations, foster personal growth and enable team successes.
There are plenty of great facilities at this centre too, including a sports hall and sports pitches, as well as classroom space and recreational areas.
About Windmill Hill
Windmill Hill, Windmill Hill Place, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 4RZ
5 miles east of Hailsham
Total Beds: 446
No of accessible beds: 37
Location Type: Countryside
Select your group type
Centre Facilities at Windmill Hill
Car Park
Lounge / Bar
Retail / Shop
Vending Machines
Swimming Pool
Leader Lounge
Leader En suite
Leader Wi-Fi
Accessible Bedrooms
Camp Fire
Sports Pitches/Courts
Table Tennis
Food at Windmill Hill
Enjoyable mealtimes with nutritious and tasty food.
Accommodation at Windmill Hill
Lodges
Lodges
Accommodation Type: Dormitories – En suite
Guests: Lodges with en suite rooms, sleeping 5-6
Leaders: Twin en suite rooms
Programmes
Multi-Activity
Our most popular multi-activity course. We pack so much into each day, it’ll be an outdoor learning experience they’ll never forget.
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Netball Tournaments
Intensive match experience with a tournament officiated by England Netball. It’s a great opportunity to improve motivation and teamwork, whilst having great fun!
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Brownie Takeover Weekends
Weekends just for Brownies, developed in partnership with Girlguiding
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English as a Foreign Language
Three hours of mixed nationality English lessons each day combined with excursions and adventure activities. Courses run throughout the year.
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Kids’ Adventure Camp Immersion
Fully integrated adventure camps with native English-speaking guests. A variety of programmes including motorsports, horse riding and film making.
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REACH – GROW!
GROW! adventures provide secondary students with breakthroughs to boost CHARACTER-DEVELOPMENT!
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REACH – PIONEER!
Let us guide your pupils through their first PGL experience, supporting them and building their confidence along the way.
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REACH – SPRINT!
The best of PGL Multi-Activity for Group Adventures. 48hrs of non stop excitement, perfect for weekends and short breaks.
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REACH – UNITE!
Especially designed for secondary schools to build RELATIONSHIPS through the power of adventure!
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REACH – UNITE! for year 6
The most thrilling way to begin Year 6? Bring everyone together with our new UNITE! outdoor adventure that builds relationships and boosts teamwork.
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Revision Weekends
A blend of teacher-led study time and adventure activities to help students remain motivated, focussed and engaged during some serious revision time
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Tailor Made English Experience
Choose your own itinerary of UK excursions and adventure activities
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UK Explorer
Combine inspiring UK excursions and adventure activities with a fully personalised itinerary, for a trip to capture their imagination.
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Venue Hire
Planning an event of your own? Use one of our centres for great value accommodation and facilities, plus a wide range of optional activities.
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Activities
Abseiling
The tower is over 10 metres high. The task – to walk backwards off the top, gradually working back towards ground level, suspended only on a rope. It’s all about trust, courage and confidence. It’s also a very dynamic way to learn calculating and controlling risk. Some children deal with heights more easily than others, but the support and encouragement of the rest of the group is important for each individual’s success and will help strengthen peer relationships.
Aeroball / Airball
A cross between trampolining, basketball and volleyball - it’s an exhilarating, high-energy sport. Four players learn the basics required - then spring into action! The aim is to get the ball in the opposing player's net. As well as being lots of fun, your group will develop team tactics and improve communication skills along the way.
All Aboard
All aboard is all about building trust and strengthening peer relationships – at the top of a 6 metre pole! Teams of up to four pupils scale the pole to reach the small platform at the top. Balancing on the platform becomes more difficult as more team members arrive to share the space. The challenge is to cooperate and support each other. The task is complete when all four team members successfully stand together at the top of the pole. Weight limit: 150kg
Aquafun
Have a splash with inflatable fun in the pool
Archery
Our Archery sessions offer the chance for every pupil to experience success. Accuracy, control and a steady hand are vital for achieving the best results and many children discover a talent for a new skill. Handling bows and arrows may be a brand new experience for your group and presents a variety of new challenges! We encourage safety awareness from the outset and teach the basic skills on an indoor or outdoor range.
Archery Tag
Let the battle commence! Archery with a twist - you are aiming for each other! In this game of skill and teamwork you are equipped with foam tipped arrows to battle it out in action packed games. You will do some basic skills training before entering the arena to see who comes out victorious! Available March to September
Axe Throwing
Discover your inner Viking on our NEW Axe Throwing ranges. Hone your skills, and get your eye in, as you aim for maximum points on the target. Technique over strength will be the key to mastering this activity and as the session progresses you'll discover the best ways to fling an axe down the range. But, by the end of the session, will you be brave enough to 'call the Crux'?
Canoeing
Canoeing is exciting, challenging and fun. It’s also a great opportunity for students to learn new skills such as paddling and steering in order to control their craft effectively. Communication skills also play a part as students work together and encourage each other.
Challenge Course
The PGL Challenge Course is legendary – it’s a well-loved and popular activity with plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved; it can even get quite competitive sometimes! As your pupils negotiate the various obstacles that lie ahead, it’s an experience that will promote teamwork, lateral thinking, problem solving and decision-making – as well as being physically challenging too.
Climbing
Your pupils will need to combine different skills including perseverance, strength, an ability to deal with heights – as well as trust in their belay partner and equipment. Those who have never tried it before will find it an exhilarating experience. Climbing at PGL may take place on indoor walls or outdoor climbing towers; whichever it is, we always use a top-rope belay for safety. Weight limit: 140kg
Disc Golf
Your group will love trying their hand at this exciting, fast-paced sport in the great outdoors! A flying disc sport, players will take it in turns to throw a frisbee disc at a target as they make their way across a 9-holed disc course! The perfect introduction to both frisbee and golf, Disc Golf is the ideal way to incite a little healthy competition amongst groups!
Fencing
Fencing is a great workout for both body and brain. It’s challenging, exciting and involves good eye-to-hand coordination, fast footwork, lightning reflexes and even quicker decision-making. It’s a sport that offers huge potential for the enthusiast to learn more and progress at club level, but it’s also accessible and great fun for beginners too. Our qualified instructors will teach your pupils the basic principles and safety procedures before they progress onto outwitting their opponent in this great Olympic sport.
Giant Stand Up Paddleboard
The giant stand up paddleboard is a fun and relaxing way for your students to enjoy being on the water. It's a great activity for building confidence on a board through teamwork, balance and coordination. Available May to October.
Giant Swing
The ultimate test of nerve and joint decision-making. Two or three of your students are harnessed into the swing, while other members of the group haul them up to 10 metres into the air. After the group in the swing decide together how high they want to go, a pull on the ripcord will send them plummeting earthward. It’s a fast and exhilarating drop, but good communication will get the right balance between fear and fun! Weight limit: 150kg
Jacob’s Ladder
It’s an exercise in teamwork and friendly cooperation. Your group’s objective, in teams of three, is to climb to the top of a suspended ladder of logs. The gaps between each log become wider, the higher you go. Pushing up, pulling up, standing on shoulders – it’s all about working together to achieve a joint purpose. The activity promotes friendship, communication, discussion, leadership and decision-making as each team progresses to the top. Weight limit: 150kg
Micro Scooter
Watch on as your pupils hop aboard our marvellous Micro Scooters and whizz around with friends as part of this action-packed activity session. Groups will be shown how to manoeuvre safely as they spend time getting comfortable with their scooter, before participating in a series of exciting team games and challenges to help develop confidence and competence... along with those all-important coordination skills!
Orienteering
Orienteering makes an excellent introduction to practical map-reading and is an exciting way to get to know your surroundings on centre. Pupils work in small teams or in pairs to locate control points across the grounds of the centre. As it’s essentially a competitive activity, the idea is for your group to find all the controls more quickly than the others. The activity helps them to improve decision-making, map reading and correctly judging distances.
Problem Solving
Problem solving sessions test your pupils’ initiative and ingenuity. Children work in small teams to solve puzzles and complete set tasks - it’s a great way for your pupils to get to know each other really well. By the time they finish they’ll have an appreciation and understanding each individual’s ability (including their own!) when it comes to planning, communicating and making decisions – skills which are all key to achieving the objectives of each task.
Raft Building
Down to the water’s edge and your pupils’ challenge is to design and build a robust and working raft. There’ll be a number of components available, including large plastic barrels, ropes and poles. Our staff can give as much or as little support as you’d like but it’s a great teamwork exercise and will help your pupils improve their communication, problem-solving and decision-making. Once rafts are ready to launch, the fun begins on the water!
Rifle Shooting
Shooting our lightweight air rifles tests individual skill and requires high levels of concentration and physical control. Children need to control their breathing, keep a steady hand, concentrate hard and focus on accuracy. Do all this, and there’s a good chance of being rewarded with the success of a good score!
Sensory Trail
The sensory trail is a challenge in more ways than one. During the activity your pupils will negotiate a series of obstacles – blindfolded – with the other members of their group for guidance. It’s a challenge, which raises questions about our abilities and assumptions, and demands mutual trust, self belief, and effective communication to complete the course successfully.
Stand Up Paddleboard
SUP is a fun and relaxing way for kids to enjoy the water, build confidence on a board, and learn a new skill - this activity has quickly become a favourite!
Survivor
Once the ‘wilderness’ scenario is set, your pupils need to develop effective teamwork to build their shelter. Basic navigational skills and meteorological skills help them decide the layout of the site. They will have to identify and share out the key responsibilities for getting each task completed, and communicate well to get the most from the project. Work as a team to build a wilderness shelter on centre, and learn how to stay warm and dry using whatever you can find. You’ll need to plan your camp taking into account the prevailing weather and then share out the tasks to get the shelter built before time runs out...
Trapeze
Each stage of the trapeze counts as a success and requires courage and determination. The challenge starts with a climb to the top of a 6 metre pole. Next, a climb onto the small platform will require balance as pupils stand to make that leap for the trapeze! It’s an exhilarating and heart-pounding activity that will bring your pupils together in their support for each other. It also gives each participant a very real sense of personal achievement. Weight limit: 150kg
Zip Wire
Once at the top of the zip wire platform, pupils are securely attached to the overhead wire before making their flight across the sky! Their route may take them through a forest or even over a lake. It’s a hugely exhilarating experience that requires personal courage and determination – it pushes most children beyond their natural comfort zone. It’s also a chance for the rest of the group to offer support and encouragement. Weight limit: 90-120kg (varies by location)
Ambush
If you love hide and seek, you’ll adore Ambush which takes this popular group game and ramps it up an extra notch! After sundown your group will split into small teams, with one team hiding within the centre grounds, leaving a trail for their competitors to follow. Great for developing strategic and team building skills. Ambush is usually run in the dark, and torches are advised. Available September to March
Archery Tag
Let the battle commence! Archery with a twist - you are aiming for each other! In this game of skill and teamwork you are equipped with foam-tipped arrows to battle it out in action packed games. You will do some basic skills training before entering the arena to see who comes out victorious! Available March to September
Balloon Splash
Each team completes a series of challenges or games to earn coins that will allow them to purchase items from a mystery box! Teams will then work closely together to create the best contraption to protect their water balloon from destruction.
Campfire
The ultimate way to enjoy the great outdoors as a group! Enjoy a campfire tailored to your requirements. Get hands-on constructing your campfire during the day, and it will be lit ready for you to enjoy in the evening. If your group loves to sing or simply relax with some games around the campfire, our team can cater for all ages in the idyllic settings of our campfires.
Cluedo
Team PGL need help to solve a great mystery onsite! Groups are given a map with locations of characters on, and a score card to find out who committed the crime! In groups they’ll work to locate the character somewhere onsite and have a task to complete to receive information about the suspect. This game can take place in the evening, so torches are advised.
Creation Station
After a busy day in the great outdoors, our Creation Station session offers the perfect chance to relax and socialise with friends, while creating a keepsake to take home. Choose from a selection of arts and craft activities; from rock painting to creating friendship bracelets. The ideal way to unwind and flex your creativity!
Disc Golf
Your group will love trying their hand at this exciting, fast-paced sport in the great outdoors! A flying disc sport, players will take it in turns to throw a frisbee disc at a target as they make their way across a 9-holed disc course! The perfect introduction to both frisbee and golf, Disc Golf is the ideal way to incite a little healthy competition amongst groups!
Disco
A popular last night choice, guests learn the moves to popular hits with “follow-the-leader” sessions, plus lots of unique PGL dances! A fun and sociable evening.
Movie Night
Lights, camera, action! Our on-centre cinema experience offers groups the opportunity to chill out with friends after a long day of action-packed adventures, and enjoy a film! Perfectly coupled with a trip to the on-site shop to grab a movie snack!
Passport to the World
Hop aboard PGL airlines to take a trip around the world! Here, groups are given a map with a mixture of country flags located around the site. Each country has a plaque located on the point on the map. The plaques have questions to answer related to that country, which must all be answered correctly before returning to base. It might be dark when this activity takes place, so torches are advised.
PGL Tournament
At PGL Tournament guests will play a series of exciting team games and complete a selection of individual challenges to determine which team is the best! Challenges include: Basketball Shoot, Human Skittle and Ultimate Frisbee
Pool Party
Have a splash in our heated outdoor pool. Enjoy fun poolside games and music with your Groupie, and under the supervision of a PGL Lifeguard
Quiz
In teams, guests are set Q&A-style challenges with lots of interaction and plenty of variety to keep them motivated and to maximise their participation. As well as general knowledge, rounds may include dressing up, dancing and miming.
Silent Disco
Party the night away without the noise of a disco. Every guest has their own set of headphones, where guests can select music from a number of channels to find the tunes they enjoy. Then spend the evening dancing away with friends or trying to guess what song your friends are listening to.
Explore other locations nearby
Isle of Wight – Little Canada
Nestled between 56 acres of woodlands and the inlet waters of Wootton Creek, this unique centre on the Isle of Wight is bursting with challenging activities on land and water, and is instantly recognisable by its charming log cabins on the riverbank.
Explore Little Canada
Suffolk – Bawdsey Manor
This impressive mansion house is located on the Deben Estuary and has panoramic views across the Suffolk Heritage Coast. The centre has over 140 acres of beautiful grounds, packed with a huge range of adventure activities to inspire and motivate your group.
Explore Bawdsey Manor
Surrey – Marchants Hill
With over 45 acres of beautiful grounds, Marchants Hill is a vibrant and bustling centre nestled in the ‘Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, within walking distance of the Devil’s Punchbowl. This centre offers the best of both worlds – green spaces and fantastic transport links!
Explore Marchants Hill
We go above and beyond to protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care.
Our long-standing dedication to safety has led to us holding over 15 governing and safety accreditations, and we voluntarily apply for Ofsted inspections to be on the Childcare Register.
Everything we do is built on five protective pillars:
Safe People People are at the heart of all we do. From our ‘safer recruitment’ process (including enhanced DBS for all centre colleagues) to our in-depth training programmes, continuous development and supervision, we go the extra mile to ensure our guests are in the safest of hands.
Safe Places Our centres are continuously monitored, maintained and risk-assessed by dedicated teams to ensure our places are safe and secure, always. What’s more, ongoing investment in our locations is powering breakthroughs in guest comfort and satisfaction.
Safe Spaces We believe adventure is for everyone. We’ve developed our spaces with SEND, accessibility and inclusivity in mind, and can make further adjustments for guests’ individual needs wherever possible – our goal is to deliver enriching experiences for all.
Safeguarding As the leader in our industry, we are committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults in our care. Our teams are trained to recognise and report safeguarding concerns and aware of their responsibilities to safeguard guests.
Safe Travels Our travel partners are carefully vetted to ensure they meet our high standards and are able to demonstrate effective safety management systems – providing transport that is safe, reliable, suitable for children and adaptable to the needs of our guests.
Safe People People are at the heart of all we do. From our ‘safer recruitment’ process (including enhanced DBS for all centre colleagues) to our in-depth training programmes, continuous development and supervision, we go the extra mile to ensure our guests are in the safest of hands.
Safe Places Our centres are continuously monitored, maintained and risk-assessed by dedicated teams to ensure our places are safe and secure, always. What’s more, ongoing investment in our locations is powering breakthroughs in guest comfort and satisfaction.
Safe Spaces We believe adventure is for everyone. We’ve developed our spaces with SEND, accessibility and inclusivity in mind, and can make further adjustments for guests’ individual needs wherever possible – our goal is to deliver enriching experiences for all.
Safeguarding As the leader in our industry, we are committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults in our care. Our teams are trained to recognise and report safeguarding concerns and aware of their responsibilities to safeguard guests.
Safe Travels Our travel partners are carefully vetted to ensure they meet our high standards and are able to demonstrate effective safety management systems – providing transport that is safe, reliable, suitable for children and adaptable to the needs of our guests.
FAQ
What kind of groups do you cater for?
At Windmill Hill, we cater for a range of different groups, including:
Primary Schools
What’s included in the cost of the PGL trip?
Everything your school or group needs is included in the cost of the camp at Windmill Hill, with accommodation, activities, equipment, food and drinks all covered in the price per person!
What happens in the evenings?
The fun doesn’t stop after the day’s activities! After dinner, our evening entertainment programme will keep your class or group amused until it’s time for bed. We’ve got discos, campfires, quizzes and loads more! We want to create a schedule perfect for your group, so if you have anything in particular then just let us know and we’ll do our best to plan it into your group’s itinerary!
What should I pack for my child's overnight stay?
Here are some essential packing items for your child’s stay at Windmill Hill:
- Tops/t-shirts (for daily adventure activities)
- Trousers/leggings (for daily adventure activities)
- Evening clothes (for discos, quizzes, evening games and more)
- Sports kit (for sports teams and sports activities)
- Swimwear (for our thrilling Aqua Park and other water activities)
- Towels
- Toiletries
Does my child need waterproofs for their residential trip?
Yes, we recommend that your child brings a waterproof for their trip to Windmill Hill. We’ll be outside enjoying adventure activities no matter the weather, so bringing something to keep them dry in case it rains is a great idea!
Does my child need to bring money?
We have an on-site gift shop at Windmill Hill, and if your child would like to buy a souvenir to bring home then they’ll need some money. We suggest £10 per child either as cash or on a pre-paid card. We have lots of goodies to choose from, including caps, pens, t-shirts, mugs and more! We even have uniformed group PGL badge that your child can take home to show everyone that they have been to PGL with their group!
Can I contact my child during their camp stay?
Yes, you can contact your child while they are at Windmill Hill. If your child has a phone then they can contact you during free time (highlighted in our Mobile Phone Policy). But if they’re not bringing a phone to Windmill Hill, then they can always let a member of the PGL team know that they’d like to contact home and they’ll get that organised. You can also get in contact with your child if needed, by calling our Windmill Hill centre or through contacts provided by your child’s group leader.
Do you cater for special dietary requirements?
Yes, we can cater for many dietary requirements. When you book, let us know about any dietary requirements your child may have or anyone in your group, and we’ll make sure that they’re catered for. We can support diets for religious, cultural or medical reasons. We regularly provide meals for coeliacs, diabetics, guests with food allergies and vegetarians/vegans.
What safety measures are in place at Windmill Hill?
We have a huge emphasis on safety, starting with the recruitment of our staff and continuing through to all of our activities. As a founder member of BAPA (British Activity Providers Association) and a licence holder for activities in scope of AALA (Adventure Activities Licencing Authority) regulations, we make safety our priority.
A risk assessment has also been carried out at Windmill Hill, with risks being outlined and managed. The risk assessment covers the grounds of Windmill Hill,, as well as all of the activities available at the centre.
Our Activity Instructors are experts in their area, trained and assessed both in-house and by external assessors. They’ll be there during every activity to make sure they’re completed safely and correctly.
New staff complete a comprehensive induction and job specific training followed by regular observations, feedback, reviews and assessments.
Is there parking available at Windmill Hill?
Yes, Windmill Hill has parking facilities available on-site.
