It’s Easy to get too and Stay Longer.

With a Wild Luxury glamping holiday you are already one step ahead. You don’t need to take a huge amount of stuff. When you arrive everything is ready to go and not a single tent peg needs hammering in. Better still Norfolk is one of those very few places in the world where you only find yourself there if you have decided to make the journey. The county is blessed with nobody just passing through, everyone is here for a purpose. If yours is to relax and discover a beautiful part of the English coast then you have come to the right place.

You can get to Norfolk in probably less time than your flight would be delayed. From London and the home counties in around 3 hours, the same also goes for many places in the North and South West.

This means that you don’t lose a day at the beginning and end of your holiday. More importantly when you arrive home you feel like you have had a break rather than you need another one!

 

Great beaches

You can’t really talk about Norfolk without immediately mentioning the beautiful coastline. Norfolk is blessed with some of the best beaches in the UK. Holkham is where they filmed some of the scenes from the movie ‘The Beach’ and it’s easy to see why. Miles of golden sands that seem to go on forever.

Pretty coastal villages snuggle up to picture postcard beaches at places such as Burnham Overy and Brancaster. Many of these with harbours bustling with activity from fishing boats to young sailors discovering how to master the seas. Not forgetting popular resorts such as Hunstanton with its striking cliffs that have all the traditional seaside activities from fairs to seaworld and you can still find a donkey ride. For a quieter life take Anna’s Walk, a five mile circular walk around the village of Thornham and Holme Dunes. Holme Dunes was named by the Times as one of England’s best Wild Beaches in 2019. You can access this walk from our glamping site at Thornham or just drive into the village and pick it up at Anna’s House on the High Street.

 

     

Award-winning Attractions

The Norfolk coast has some of the best attractions that you will find anywhere in the country. We find that many guests put a day aside to explore at least one of these great attractions. What really makes them stand out beyond others is their originality and uniqueness. BeWILDerwood, often described as a “curious treehouse adventure,” in a woodland area just by the Norfolk Broads and features treehouses, rope bridges, slides, zip wires, a maze, and two special areas for children under five called “Toddlewood-on-the-Hill” and “Tiptoe Valley”. Perfect day out for a young family.

Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure is a family-owned adventure park with a distinctly Jurassic theme including animatronic dinosaurs in natural settings, Predator High Ropes, Dippy’s Splash and ZoneSecret Animal Garden. Not forgetting if it rains Dinomite – Norfolk’s largest indoor play area.

The Poppy Line, or the North Norfolk Railway, runs from Sheringham to Holt and takes you along a 10 mile stretch of some of Norfolk’s best coastline as well as through some picturesque villages. Hop aboard one of the steam locomotives and relax as you chug your way along the railway track. The Muckleburgh Collection is a real treat for any military enthusiast and is home to the largest private collection of military vehicles in the world. Blakeney Point is home to the largest colony of seals in the UK, with around 500 common and grey seals. Boat trips set off from nearby Morston Quay and are a great reason to leave camp. If you are visiting during June and July then you may even be lucky enough to see the seal pups too.

This is just a handful of attractions for more info including an interactive map showing them all then visit Love Norfolk – The Best guide to Norfolk Attractions and Days out.

   

Food

Yum! Well, where do we start on all that is culinary in Norfolk. There is so much great food in Norfolk as well as some local treats like Samphire, a weird local seaweed that is picked off the salt marshes in abundance in June to August. Often served steamed in hot butter and eaten like asparagus it is truly delicious. Many favourites do come direct from the sea like Brancaster Mussels and Thornham Oysters not forgetting the iconic Cromer crab. You will find all these being sold often by fishermen from their front gardens in the coastal Norfolk villages. At Thornham close to both our glamping sites you will find Gurneys Fish Smoke House that will stock all of these delicacies.

If you want something a little more immediate then you will find many local pubs and restaurants serving all these and much more; Holkham venison burger, Sandringham red poll beef or maybe a Binham Blue Pizza obviously washed down with a pint of Oyster-Catcher. The Brancaster brewery recommends this is best drunk watching the sun go down over the marshes at Brancaster Staithe.

You can’t mention food on the Norfolk coast without mentioning Fish and Chips. You also can’t mention Fish and Chips without mentioning Eric’s at Thornham and Holt. Eric’s has in 2020 won the Fry Award for Top 10 UK  Fish and Chips in the UK! As an added bonus Eric’s is just a 5 minute walk from our Thornham Glamping site.

Go Here for information on the Best Pubs and Restaurants to visit on the Norfolk Coast in 2020.

   

Dog-Friendly

Woof! The Norfolk coast is a very dog-friendly place and it’s not just our glamping sites that welcomes responsible dog-owners with open arms. The beaches are a great place to take your hound and a ball and chucka is an absolute necessity. You will also find great places to explore and walk including Sandringham Park, The Peddars Way and Coastal Path and Ringstead Downs to name but a very few.

Most pubs are very pet friendly and at the Orange Tree in Thornham (and other places) you will even find a special ‘canine’ menu so after a long walk you and your pooch can tuck in at the same time. Many pubs have gardens which are perfect in the summer and pet-friendly bar areas at other times.

The Deli also in Thornham is a great spot to bring your pet along for a spot of brunch with garden areas and a very special barn extension with roaring log fire in winter.

 

   

The Biggest Skies

If you want to see one of Norfolk’s biggest attractions then find yourself a nice patch of ground, maybe sand, grass or woodland leaves. You will find plenty of choices around our glamping sites. Then simply lie on it and look up and see the biggest skies in England. The Norfolk Coast has a unique position in that it is one of the few places on the East coast that faces in parts, west. This means that you will witness some of the most striking sunsets anywhere in the world. Crimson suns that are burnt into the skyline with often purple and pinks to complete the perfect picture. If you wait a few hours you will see stars across the whole sky. It sometimes seems the whole galaxy has come out twinkling, just for your amusement.

If you are visiting Norfolk for the first time or lived here a lifetime then the skies still have that magical ability whatever time of day to make you stop, stand and just look and go WOW!

   

The Royal Coast

In the 1990’s Saatchi and Saatchi ran a poster campaign for Courage, a brewery in the south of England. Posters in graffiti writing asked “‘If the North’s so great how come the Queen doesn’t live there? These were regularly enhanced with the rejoinder, ‘Because she doesn’t drink beer.’

The Norfolk Coast is very proud that for the past century or two the monarchs have chosen to spend much of their time in our part of England. Indeed Sandringham is often referred to as the Queens ‘favourite’ home. Sandringham with its large country park as well as the house itself is for much of the year open to the public. It also hosts major events close to the royal’s heart throughout the year.

Indeed this part of the world has a number of Norfolk stately homes with famous connections and a long heritage. Holkham Hall and Walpole’s Houghton as well as Blickling and Oxborough. These all host an array of events from the traditional Christmas fair to festivals and even outdoor cinema nights. There is always something new to experience. Visit The Love Norfolk Events Guide for details of what’s happening when you plan your glamping holiday.

 

Great Private Camps

Glamping should be a lot more than a bell tent beside a bush. The Wild Luxury camps were established over 10 years ago when there were just 50 glamping companies in the UK. They were chosen because they seemed to be the most perfect spots to escape from the world.

Our original site, The Hideaway  was where we camped as kids. A quiet corner of a 2000 acre estate where the sun sets directly in front of you and you can’t see any other lights at night. A quiet escape where you can fall asleep by a campfire and be woken by the dawn chorus. You can walk for miles, explore the woodlands, befriend an animal or just relax.

Thornham Bay is much more in it. You can walk out to a quiet beach or the coastal path. Just a few minutes walk from camp you will find a rural market with farm shop, fish smokery, eateries and artisan shops. A stroll down into the village brings you to three great pubs packed with character and local characters.

Our lodges are based upon South African Safari lodges which means they are divided into different rooms so you all get a bit of space and privacy. Three bedrooms are complimented by a sun-deck, living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom with power shower and separate loo. Lodges are kept warm by a powerful woodburner and outside you will find a barbeque area with seating and outside dining table. This is more than an escape, this will be a very different home-from-home for all the days you stay with us.

 

 

Loads of Activities

The great thing about a glamping holiday on the Norfolk coast there are so many things to do. What is more these could cost from a few pennies to several pounds but the fun can be the same.

Crabbing is a favourite past time. All you need is a bucket, a crab line and a bit of patience and (we almost forgot the most essential part) some smoky bacon to bait your line. Prepare for shrieks of laughter and horror as you fill your bucket! Remember to always put the crabs back!

Mud-sliding.  Burnham Overy Staithe is a river which spreads out into a series of creeks and salt marshes before the sea. This provides the perfect opportunity as the tide comes in and out for some seriously, squelchy, fun-inducing, glorious mud-sliding.

eXtreme Adventure is another popular option with an aerial high ropes course way up in the canopy of the trees along with long zip wires and the amazing giant swing. The site also has segways and an outdoor children’s play area. Wind and Kite surfing is one of the major sports on the Norfolk coast whether you are just being dragged along the sand by the kite (intentionally or by accident) or surfing and buggying. Kite surfing and kiting can be done most places, with Brancaster and Hunstanton beaches being very popular.

Norfolk Sea Fishing Trips where you can try your luck on Tope, Cod, Bass & Mackerel fishing all along the beautiful Norfolk coast ! Also offering short Mackerel trips for novices or anyone wanting to pursue the joys of sea fishing. Abraham’s bosom is a very pretty outdoor leisure area near Wells beach. The area has a 7 acre lake with 60 canoes and rowing boats , 8 professional trampolines [with coach] bouncy castle with ball pool, crazy golf, mini golf and a pool room with 3 tables. All this surrounds a lovely picnic area. A great idea for family days out in Norfolk.

Norfolk is a great place for both beautiful walks and fantastic cycling trails. If you haven’t brought your own bikes they can be hired locally and delivered directly to you.

This is really just scratching on the surface of things to try on the Norfolk Coast. Check out The LoveNorfolk Activity Guide  for more info.

   

A Real Escape

We think the best reason to come glamping in Norfolk is because it is just such a wonderful way to get away from it all. This is a holiday that is all about you and your loved ones. Unplugged from the real world and an opportunity to reconnect and recharge.  There is so much to do and see or maybe just hang around camp and chill.

Come and join us in Norfolk and start making memories that you will cherish long after you return home. After all, what are holidays for if it isn’t to Make Life An Adventure?