If there is such a thing as the perfect campsite for families, The Fire Pit might just be it. Nestled on the fringes of the classic Norfolk village of Wendling, the site is a family-friendly camping extravaganza, inviting young and old alike to play, create and explore the surrounding wild beauty. With not a car or caravan in sight (leave your motor at the car park then trundle your gear over in the wheelbarrows), your little campers can run around the ginormous playing field (conscientiously adorned with 420 sapling trees from the Woodland Trust) till their heart's content.
The main camping meadow has just 15 pitches, along with a magnificent, two-level, Hazel Dome Bender Tent, built using recycled materials and accommodating up to eight people. Alongside, the vast playing field has a mud-kitchen, giant tyre slide and swing and a retro double-decker bus for kids to play on, while, for the parents, a former warehouse space has been transformed into a large, funky coffee and cocktail bar, complete with a pool table, indoor games and sofas. And if all of that's still not enough? There’s even an onsite yoga yurt where, after all those tasty lattes, you’ll can truly power down.
Perhaps the best bit of The Fire Pit Camp is that, owing to its smaller, more boutique scale, it can only be hired out in its entirety, meaning that, if you get a big enough group together, the whole place is yours to enjoy. Through winter you can book the Wren's Nest only, but for the rest of the year it’s ideal for a large-scale family gathering, a big group party and the chance to get creative and have your own annual mini-festival In all there is room for up to 60 people.
When you do break away, there's a multitude of great days out to be had just a short drive for the site. The campsite is situated midway between the pleasant market towns of Dereham and Swaffham and Norwich is within easy reach. The delights of the North Norfolk Coast, too, are just half an hour or so to the north. Explore the the harbour at Wells-next-the-Sea and take the miniature train along to its beach, or hide from rain in the compact Norwich streets if the weather turns bad. There’s an offering for every type of holiday – come sun, rain or a cloudy something in between.
Dereham is really close to us and has all the shops you may need. The Gressenhall Museum & Adventure Play Farm is local, as is a steam train station (not for travelling to camp...the nearest stations for general travel are in Kings Lyyn & Norwich). Swaffham is 8 miles away and has a Saturday market, from there it's easy to reach the ruins of Castle Acre priory and Oxburgh Hall if you are fans of English Heritage or National Trust sites or great pubs The Dabbling Duck, George & Dragon and Cocoes Deli. Norwich is only 18 miles away, a great city with a fab Castle, 2 cathedrals, great parks and a really good offering of markets, festivals, culture, vintage events and music as well as restaurants such as Benedicts, Woolf & Social and Gonzo's - the coffee shops are off the scale and Norwich is the Vegan capital of the UK!
We are really central to all things Norfolk and make a great base to go exploring...days out that we recommend that are only about 30-50 mins away are The Boards, several RSPB sites, Bewilderwood, Roarr the Dinosaur Adventure Park, Pensthorpe, The Sainsbury's Centre Gallery and of course all the stunning North Norfolk Coast line and blue flag beaches, such as Wells, Holkham, Brancaster and Eric's Fish & Chips in Thornham with farm shops and loads of pubs near by.
The on-site warehouse bar sells coffees and teas as well as artisan cocktails.
Greenbanks Hotel and Restaurant is super close to us (01362 687742). Local pubs are The Dabbling Duck (where you will often see the Royal family chilling out in!), Strattons and Cocoes Deli, The George & Dragon and in Norwich we love Benedicts, Woolf & Social, Blue Joanna's and Gonzo's. It's also known as the vegan food capital of the UK, try The Tipsy Vegan, Erpingham House and The Little Shop of Vegans!