Scaldbeck Cottage
UK England East Anglia Norfolk Blakeney
Travel along the main north Norfolk coast road between Sheringham and Hunstanton and, just west of the village of Morston, you’ll pass a very missable hand-painted sign bearing the legend ‘B&B and campsite’. This is Scaldbeck Cottage, which turns out to be a fine-looking traditional Norfolk flint cottage with a small camping field just beyond its garden. It’s a thoroughly informal affair and perhaps one of the best campsites anywhere in Norfolk, let alone the North Norfolk Coast.
Access to the site is around the back of the cottage, under some trees and past upturned rowing boats, while a path off through the garden leads to the loo and shower. Do pop a mallet in with your luggage, because although the grass looks soft enough, the ground beneath it is really quite hard after the first inch and will take a certain delight in bending your pegs should you attempt to ram them in with your foot.
Just a five-minute stroll from National Trust-owned Morston Quay, a vast marshy tract of land where boats bob in and out at high tide, the site is ideal for hikers who want a base from which to walk sections of the Norfolk Coast Path. Simply take the excellent Coasthopper bus to whichever point you want to walk along, then let it bring your weary legs back in the evening. To fuel you up, the bus stops at The Anchor Inn, a 10-minute stroll down the road, too, and you can re-freeze ice-packs at the campsite if you're taking a pack lunch. In the event of fire, famine, pestilence or the sword, the cottage also has a couple of rooms available for B&B.
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Details
Facilities
Maximum occupancy of 12 people. One loo, 1 shower, an outdoor washing-up area, picnic tables and recycling bins. Campfires permitted in designated area (must bring own wood), BBQ and breeze blocks available. No electrical hook-ups but sockets for recharging phones.Suitable For
Tents, dogs – yes. Campervans, caravans – no.
Nearby
The 47-mile-long Norfolk Coast Path goes right past the campsite and takes in some of the best bits of the county’s coastline, from salt marshes and mudflats to cliffs. Head to Morston Quay (¼ mile) for seal-watching boat trips with Bean’s Boats (01263 740038) or Temple Boats (01263 740791) which take you out to Blakeney Point. The campsite owners are happy to book it for you. There is also a sailing school (01263 740704) at Morston Quay with various courses for children and adults.Food & Drink
Grab a light bite at the Wiveton Hall Café (01263 740515), famous for its appearance on the BBC cult reality show Normal For Norfolk – the food is excellent and you’ll also be contributing to keeping the stately pile alive. For a good pub, try the Anchor Inn (01263 741392), a short walk away in Morston along the coastal path – excellent food (book ahead). The Wiveton Bell (01263 740101), a couple of miles inland on the other side of Blakeney, also serves great food and has a lovely garden, while The Langham Bluebell is a family-friendly pub and eatery with a pizza oven in the garden.Opening Times
March–October (or later, if weather permits).
The Owner Says
We are a tents only campsite (Please note: no hire tents, camper vans or caravans) with space for a maximum of 12 people only. £6 per head. A shower, hand-basin and toilet room exclusively for the campsite is attached to the main cottage a few yards away. There is a fresh water sink unit on the camping field. Ice-pack refreezing and plenty of sockets for charging phones. Please contact us directly for availability and to book. Check in at Scaldbeck Cottage when you arrive so we can show you your pitch. Checkout time: 12 noon.
Location
Contact Scaldbeck Cottage, Scaldbeck Cottage, Stiffkey Road, Morston, Holt, Norfolk NR25 7BJ
Getting There
Reviews
Add Your ReviewRated ★★★★★ over 16 reviews
Smashing little campsite
Perfect quite spot
Lovely quiet site
small, noncommercial, on the coast
Opportunity to be at one with nature and recharge.
Em Linford
I stayed in the cottage for a night whilst running the Norfolk Coastal path. The owners are genuinely friendly, helpful and local people. The stay was very comfortable and the quality of food and ambience of the Anchor Inn at Morston very welcome.
Short break to explore
relaxing
Just returned from another lovely weekend in Norfolk
Stayed at this site a couple of times and although it's a basic site the loo is always clean and I've met some lovely people
I love this part of Norfolk there's so much to do a weekend is not long enough
The site itself is indeed tiny and in my opinion perfect
Perfect in every way
This is a small and quiet site with all the facilities you need for a relaxing break. Its light on showers but with so few people it doesnt matter and its always good to shower with a friend ;-)
Excellent location for hiking along the coast.
I'd certainly return and recommend it to friends...
The Only Place to Camp
This is where to come if you've had enough of characterless sites, over-priced guest houses in ubiquitous Farrow and Ball colours. It's a beautiful, peaceful site with shower and toilet. It may be a small but there is a great sense of space. Friendly, curious, atmospheric and above all genuine. Informality is the key here. Ned and Roberta are a knock-out team, their breakfasts will set you up for walks, cycling or sailing (at nearby Norfolk Etc), and The Anchor pub in the village will look after you in the evening. Failing that there are trestle tables and barbeque facilities.
Chill-out camping
My wife and I took our 2 year old daughter to camp whilst the older boys were at a youth pilgrimage in nearby Walsingham.
The site is perfect for those who love the camping side of things rather than the on-site entertainment camping. We were shown around when we arrived and told to just pitch up where we wanted.
The picnic benches were an unexpected bonus and we made good use of the campfire as well to cook so jacket potatoes (once a scout...). The facilities were always clean and supplied with loo roll etc and the shower was good with plenty of heat/pressure
Even with the max number on site there was still no real queue for the shower and toilet which was our one concern with a young child.
Booked again for next year :)
Wonderful stay!
My husband and I have just returned from 5 days of camping at Scaldbeck Cottage and we had the most wonderful time. We usually stay further down the coast but decided on a change of scenery and it certainly is some of the most amazing scenery. The campsite is literally a stone's throw from the marshes (and I can't throw!) just the other side of a line of trees. It is the quietest, most serene campsite we have ever been to apart from the birds who start early on their dawn chorus, I can't say this was a bad thing to be woken up by!
We decided to have breakfast cooked for us half way through the holiday and it was really tasty, try the homemade jams as they are amazing! As you will read from other reviews there is only one loo and shower together, however, there were times during our stay that the site was full to their quota of 12 people and I had to wait once for a matter of 20 seconds, I couldn't see this as an issue. There were also times when we had the campsite to ourselves which was bliss.
We weren't really that interested in birdlife but they certainly persuade you to be interested, it's teaming with wildlife on the doorstep. There is a pub in the village, the seal trips on the quay, and it's only just over a mile (you can walk the coastal route or drive) to Blakeney which has a good selection of restaurants/pubs and some shops.
This campsite is certainly on our saved list, a wonderful stay.
Scaldbeck Cottage
We stayed in this wonderful campsite for 2 nights at the beginning of April and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We were the only people on the site and it was great to have it all to ourselves.
Good points:
Only 12 people max - so no crowds.
Brilliant location - right next to the public footpath and Morston Marshes. This is a great place to visit if you enjoy nature.
Ned, the owner, is very friendly and can provide you with lots of information on how to walk to the seals, tide times, kayaking spots etc.
You can have fires, either on the floor or in the large BBQ.
The shower is excellent and is included in the price.
There aren't any rules to adhere to - it is a very informal affair.
Bad points:
The only slightly bad thing is the chickens wake you up in the morning if you are a light sleeper! There is only 1 toilet and shower which are in the same room, so if 12 people were staying on the site then this may be a slight problem.
If you visit this campsite then you are sure to have an amazing time.
