Ferrygate Lane Camping

If ever a place was ready made for aquatic adventures, it’s the Norfolk Broads. You simply can't help but want to get out onto the bodies of water the region is famed for – ditch leads into stream, stream leads into channel, channel leads into river and river wiggles it's way into one of the great broads or lakes that dot the area. It's no surprise, then, that Ferrygate Lane Camping positively encourage people to arrive at the campsite by boat. There's a convenient launching point for kayaks, canoes and dinghies, while a mooring spot, just along the riverside, lets you tie up and camp for a night or two. For waterside living under canvas, this is the place to come.

Opened in 2018, Ferrygate Lane Camping is a simple, traditional affair. Caravans and motorhomes are not permitted, so tents rule the roost, while smaller campervans are allowed if they have a canvas awning that they can use. There are no fancy bells or whistles – no shop, electric hook-ups or playground – instead, entertainment comes from campfire cooking in the evening and enjoying charging around in the great eight-acre space that the campsite affords. Pitches right beside the water are usually in the highest demand but there's plenty of room for all with open grassland in the middle of the camping meadow leaving room for bumper family ball games or a frenzied game of frisbee.

While the Broads location and rural setting makes for excellent stargazing, it's not far to the nearest village. Step out onto the road and it's a one-mile walk into Martham – though stick by the waterside first to watch the unusual floating bridge being towed into place that allows cars to pass from Ferrygate Lane across the River Thurne. The village itself is a quaint old spot, with a large village green, two duck ponds and a collection of Georgian houses (along with a couple of good pubs). It's not far, too, to the sandy coastline. It's a 10-minute drive to Winterton-on-Sea, where a summer swim is positively refreshing before taking a wander in the Winterton Dunes National Nature that back the beach. Other top beaches include Horsey, Sea Palling, Waxham and Happisburg, all eminently drivable from the campsite, while a pair of local boat-hire companies, moments away from the campsite, mean to access the best of the Broads you needn't use the car at all.