I had a tour of a West Sussex activity centre and was astonished by the vehicles hidden in the woodland - including six helicopters

Most of you are probably aware of Driver Wood Activity Centre in Old Hollow, which is situated in 40 acres of woodland in on the Sussex/Surrey border.

But do you know what lies within those 40 acres? Well, £440,000 (and counting) investment has meant they have state-of-the-art activities – including paintball, airsoft, air rifle shooting, laser tag, gel blaster wars, Nerf wars and axe throwing – and some incredible spaces decorated with forts, towers, hideouts and much more.

What amazed me most was the vehicles they had for players to hide in, shoot from and use as a base.

Now, when I did paintball as a youngster, I just remember trenches, sheds and corrugated iron to hide in/behind. But here is a whole different world.

There were military vehicles including a Russian ZiL, planes, six helicopters, drop tanks, buses and even black cabs - it’s easy to see why it has been voted by the players as one of the best sites in England and is one of the most exciting and realistic activity spaces available in the UK.

And now Gareth Homewood, who runs Driver Wood, is working on his next activity space – Codename: Icarus.

Inspired by Call of Duty, the focal point of the space will be a helicopter, complete with rotating blades, on a raised pad. The fact the blades will be rotating makes it one of a kind in the UK. In addition to that there will be strobe lighting and other effects such as smoke and surround sound, to make it an intense and enjoyable experience.

They have also got working flame throwers, flame turrets and a Katyusha rocket launcher which will fire smoke grenades. “It’s all safe, of course,” said Gareth.

Within the 40 acres, there are six fields in two sections. One side is allocated to rental where they have the paintball, Airsoft etc for beginners, catering from age six up. The other section is for the ‘pros’, or the ‘hobbyists’.

These are people who take this seriously and have their own equipment – which is checked before they are used on site. Gareth said: “We call them the Airsoft professionals.”

And they also host emergency services so they can do training at the site in proper scenarios.

But just walking around it’s astonishing how much work (and money) has gone into making this such a unique activity centre – and it’s right here on our doorstep in Sussex.

Gareth is also working on ‘Oxford Street’ where he plans to replicate the experience of that famous London Street and it will be complete with Zebra crossings, double decker buses and black cabs.

He said: “I absolutely love black taxis. They're easy to move because they've got no engines and we just drag them around. You open the back doors, you can fight through them. I just love using taxis everywhere.”

As well as the usual activities, Driver Wood hosts big events like Santa v The Grinch on December 28 (sold out) where they have 250 people competing. Gareth also mentioned something big around Halloween – so keep your eyes peeled for that. There is also 5-star rated kitchen with fresh coffee, hot and cold food, and a wide range of drinks and a purpose-built toilet block with disabled access and a baby changing unit, along with lockers and on-site charging points.

It’s astonishing what Gareth and his team have done in those 40 acres of woodland and if you fancy checking it out, visit https://driverwoodactivitycentre.co.uk/.

And, like me, if you want to know how much a helicopter is? Try about £10,000 on Facebook Marketplace.