Enjoy North Norfolk Making the most of North Norfolk
Room with a view…
Our Norfolk Summer began with a couple of nights away at Manor Farm campsite in East Runton, in a Bell Tent from the Little Beach Bell Company.
The tents – already erected for you – come equipped with everything you need (you can also add optional extras, which we did) for a hybrid stay away that falls somewhere between out-and-out grassroots camping and full-on-frills luxury glamping. A sort-of ‘demi-glamping’, it you will. Or camping, but without any hassle. You’re still on a camp-bed, but off the ground. And you didn’t have to put your tent up, and you don’t have to take it down. In fact at the end of our stay, we just tidied up a bit, zipped up the tent, and drove away. Easy peasy.
Manor Farm is an excellent location, and our tents had a hilltop position that served up the most glorious views. We were super lucky with the weather and the afternoons were spent sitting outside in the sunshine, while the kids played in the huge field we were in, or in the playground on the campsite. There is no electricity in the tents (obviously, they’re tents), and my phone battery was almost dead and my eldest used up all my 4G by piggybacking on my hotspot, so this ended up being the most ‘off grid’ I’ve been in literally years. What a lovely, weird feeling. It made our experience super-wholesome and even more relaxing. We actually managed to fly a kite – first time we’ve ever managed it without the string all getting tangled and someone, usually an adult, having a complete meltdown.
We did a lot of walking. From the campsite, we could walk to East Runton (which we did – to go to the beach, and later to get Fish & Chips from Wills Plaice), and Cromer (which we also did, to eat at Sundown and hit up the arcades). On one occasion, we walked to East Runton, and then along to beach to Cromer, and then back to the campsite. I worked out that we walked about 12 miles each day of the two days we were away. And we didn’t use the car again until the day we left.
Did we feel refreshed and rejuvenated after our mini staycation? Absolutely. Would we do it again? 100%. The combination of the tent provision, and the amazing location were the perfect pairing. (Plus, we were lucky with the weather, and that can make quite a difference, obviously).
I can’t actually imagine a better way to start the summer.
Discover more here about The Little Beach Bell Company, and if you want to hear Owner Matt talking about his business, we speak to him about staying away in Norfolk in Episode 10 of Season Two of our Norfolk & Good podcast.
Enjoy Norfolk more. Our tips:
- We added extras to our booking with the Little Beach Bell Company, so we only had to bring our clothes, a little bit of food and drink (we mostly ate out), beach stuff and bedding (sheets are provided).
- Get an Enjoying Norfolk Card and save 10% off a two night bell tent hire with The Little Beach Bell Company.
- If you’re planning to visit East Runton beach, check the tide times. We can’t stress this enough. High tide at East Runton = no beach whatsoever. At low tide, it’s a fantastically unspoilt beach with great waves for boogie boarding and pools for rockpooling.
