Ready for an adventure that feels miles away from the ordinary? PGL Marchants Hill is just a short hop from London, yet set within 45 acres of stunning Surrey woodland. Its proximity to the capital makes it perfect for shorter residentials – offering both convenience and rural charm to inspire your primary pupils, secondary students, or youth group.
What’s special about Marchants Hill?
An area rich in history and natural beauty: Originally a refuge for child evacuees during WWII, Marchants Hill continues its legacy of shaping young lives – now through powerful outdoor adventures. Perched on the edge of the Devil’s Punchbowl, this centre offers a unique activity – a guided hike around the local forest to take in some of the area’s outstanding scenery.
Thrills and top-class facilities: Marchants Hill offers an impressive range of activities from Fencing and Trapeze leaps to Giant SUP paddling. Exclusive experiences like the Tunnel Trail and Forest Walk add even more variety. With modern facilities including a sports hall, classrooms, a large playing field, and a disco area for evenings, it’s the ultimate mix of adventure and comfort.
Explore Marchants Hill
Centre Facilities at Marchants Hill
Marchants Hill has everything you need for an action-packed trip. Between activities, make use of our indoor and outdoor spaces including classrooms, sports facilities and gift shop. With leader lounges for adults, campfire areas for bonding, and accessible accommodation, Marchants Hill delivers adventure and learning in a comfortable and modern environment.
Accessible Bedrooms
Sports Pitches/Courts
Leader Lounge
Leader Wi-Fi
Classrooms
Retail / Shop
Camp Fire
Car Park
Vending Machines
Table Tennis
Indoor Activity Zone
Drying Room
Chill Out Zones
Sports Hall
Adventure is hungry work
What’s on the menu?
At Marchants Hill, we make sure everyone is well fed with three delicious meals a day, lovingly prepared by our brilliant catering team.
Allergies, intolerances or dietary needs? No problem – we’re fully set up to cater for special diets and other requirements.
Accommodation at Marchants Hill
Big adventures deserve a great night’s sleep – and we’ve got just the place to unwind. Our cosy, comfortable accommodation is designed to help every guest feel at home.
Awe-inspiring programmes at Marchants Hill
Built by experts, loved by kids – all our programmes have been carefully created to bring out the best in every young person.
Find the perfect adventure for your group:
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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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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Multi-Activity Weekend Breaks
The best of PGL Multi-Activity for Group Adventures. 48hrs of non stop excitement, perfect for weekends and short breaks.
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Primary to Secondary Transition
Specifically designed to help your KS2 (P7) pupils build confidence and develop tools to successfully take the next step in their educational adventure.
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REACH – GROW!
GROW! adventures provide secondary students with breakthroughs to boost CHARACTER-DEVELOPMENT!
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REACH – MASTER!
Brilliant outdoor skill adventures to help your Year 5 pupils solve real-life problems and master the great outdoors!
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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 – 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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REACH – UNITE! for Year 7
Especially designed to help your Year 7s strengthen RELATIONSHIPS through the power of adventure!
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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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Amazing activities at Marchants Hill
Marchants Hill is packed with a huge variety of epic activities, exciting challenges and fun games to discover.
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.
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'?
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
Eco Explorers
Embark on an engaging nature trail featuring themed boards, each brimming with fascinating facts, quizzes, puzzles, and sensory activities. Be immersed in the natural environment, discovering and learning about your surroundings in an enjoyable and interactive manner. This hands-on approach fosters a deeper appreciation for nature while promoting teamwork and exploration among the group.
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.
Forest Walk
Our staff lead a walk into the forest around the centre to discover the natural environment through activities, set tasks and games that will help your pupils get the most from their experience.
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
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
Tunnel Trail
On their own or in small groups, your pupils can discover a series of underground tunnels. The tunnels vary in size and they have various tasks to carry out during their exploration. Completing the tasks will improve pupils’ self-confidence, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Please note this activity will only be available between May and September at some centres due to weather.
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!
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.
Game Show
In teams, guests are set a Q & A style challenges to get them thinking & increase their general knowledge.
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 Games
A selection of exciting games to help burn off the final bit of energy before bed. These games include, battleships, can off & cornholes.
Quiz
In teams, guests are set a Q & A style challenges to engage their brains & increase their general knowledge.
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 nearby locations
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
Kent – Grosvenor Hall
From the moment our visitors enter the gates, they are immersed in the high-adrenaline excitement of the centre as they pass the activity bases and breathtaking lake! As they explore the centre our guests continue to discover everything Grosvenor Hall has to offer including a sports hall that caters for a wide range of indoor activities.
Explore Grosvenor Hall
Sussex – Windmill Hill
Welcome to Windmill Hill, an impressive Grade II listed mansion house on the beautiful Sussex Downs… where big adventures, new discoveries and unforgettable experiences can be found around every corner!
Explore Windmill Hill
View all locations
Adventure is never far away! Our amazing activity centres span across England, Scotland and even France.
View all locations
Wiltshire – Liddington
As one of PGL’s largest centres, Liddington is bursting with outdoor activities and sports facilities. Buzzing with activity and packed with challenges to conquer with your group. Situated on the ancient Ridgeway track bordering the North Wessex Downs, yet conveniently located just minutes from the M4
Explore Liddington
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
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.
PGL Marchants Hill Residential Trips FAQs
What kind of groups do you cater for?
At Marchants Hill, we cater for a range of different groups, including:
Primary Schools
What’s included in the cost of the PGL trip?
With PGL, the cost of camp includes accommodations, activities, equipment, food and drinks! So there’s nothing else for you to worry about since everything is covered in the price per person.
What happens in the evenings?
In the evening the fun continues! We have a fantastic entertainment programme for the evenings where we’ve got discos, campfires, quizzes and more! If you want more singing around the campfire, then just let us know and we can plan that into your itinerary. We’re here to create the perfect schedule for you and your group.
What should I pack for my child's overnight stay?
Some essential items that you should make sure are packed in your child’s bag are:
• Tops/t-shirts (for daily adventure activities)
• Trousers/leggings (for daily adventure activities)
• Sports kit (for sports teams and sports activities)
• Evening clothes (for discos, quizzes, evening games and more)
• Towels
• Toiletries
For an extensive list of what to pack, see our packing guide!
Does my child need waterproofs for their residential trip?
We strongly recommend that your child brings waterproofs to Dearne Valley. You never know what the weather is going to be like, so by bringing a waterproof jacket you can be sure that your child is staying as dry as possible when taking part in our exhilarating outdoor activities!
Does my child need to bring money?
Your child doesn’t need to bring money, but they can if they wish to buy a souvenir from the on-site gift shop. We have lots of PGL goodies to choose from including caps, mugs, pens, teddy bears, t-shirts and more! We even have a uniformed group badge to let everyone know that your child has visited PGL with their unit.
Can I contact my child during their camp stay?
Of course! If you should need to contact your child please do so through the designated teacher/adult that is accompanying them on their trip – your school/group should have provided a mobile number for parents. If you’re still struggling to reach your child, then please call us – we can either get a message to your child or arrange a call for you to speak with them. Our biggest centres span over 240 acres, so bear with us… it might take a little time to get hold of them on their adventures!
Do you cater for special dietary requirements?
We’re able to cater for a variety of dietary requirements at all of our locations, please visit our Menus and Mealtimes page for further information.
What safety measures are in place?
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 Grosvenor Hall, with risks being outlined and managed. The risk assessment covers the grounds of Grosvenor Hall, 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?
Yes, there is on-site parking available.
Testimonials
Testimonials
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