Bircham Windmill
UK England East Anglia Norfolk Hunstanton
Flat grassy tent pitches beneath a magnificent working windmill, all accompanied by Norfolk's best bakery
Plenty of campsites claim to offer fresh bread available each morning but none can compete with Bircham Windmill. The scent of the baking, floury dough floods the main bakery room. Even if you intended to munch on that boring cereal you brought, you’ll soon find the smell irresistible. A loaf, a sausage roll and an iced-bun for the road – that’ll get you through the day. Of course, it’s not really the bakery that people come here for. It’s the much earlier stages in the bread-making process that really mark this place out. Standing like a great grandfather of the countryside, is the striking windmill itself, a fully restored and that has stood here since 1846.
It’s in a small paddock beside the windmill that the camping meadow is found – a simple but beautiful affair. There are just 15 pitches in total (plus a pair of shepherds huts), with a limit of five caravans meaning the place always has a family focused, traditional camping vibe. Toilets, showers and a games room are provided specifically for campers, while throughout the day guests have access to the entire windmill site, including a playground and animals to visit. At 2pm each day you can watch the sheep being milked – their excellent homemade cheeses are also available in the bakery shop.
Many people pitch here for the wider appeal of its location. Brancaster, Hunstanton and Holkham beaches are all just a short drive away and the Sandringham Estate is within easy cycling distance (a quiet, family-friendly route). But the windmill is undeniably the main attraction. Visitors can climb the five floors up to the fan stage, peeping their head out of wooden shutter doors along the way, with informative signs giving a little insight into how it all works. By the time you’ve climbed back down you’ve burned off enough calories for another iced-bun too. Now isn’t that convenient?
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The Owner Says
Standing in the heart of Norfolk's undulating fields, Bircham Windmill now looks as it did over 100 years ago. At that time over 300 mills ground corn for horse & cattle feed and bread-making in Norfolk. Today, very few windmills are left, and Bircham Mill is considered one of the best still remaining: it is the only windmill in working order in this area open to the public. We welcome tent campers and a handful of caravans to enjoy this magnificent setting on our flat, grass pitches enjoying views of the historic windmill. Our onsite bakery is something of a local institution and serves a whole host of traditionally-baked treats made right here at the mill.Reader Reviews
Add Your ReviewClean, relaxed, friendly site with loads to do
Had a lovely weekend at the windmill with my kids and dog. Beautiful location, I’d planned to travel around the area a bit but the kids liked it so much they wanted to stay! The windmill was great and the little museum with lots of ‘hands on’ stuff to explore was a hit. The kids (6 & 9) particularly liked the sack wagons and the trikes although they were a bit too big for the swings. Family bathrooms were spotless and warm, the staff were friendly. Walk to the village was manageable even with small kids, mostly on a permissive path down the side of a field. In the village the Kings Head pub was also very welcoming & the kind staff there supplied dog bowls and a treat for our tired dog. Really pleased to have found this lovely site, we will be back again next season!
Wonderful family friendly campsite with great facilities
We only stayed one night to test our new tent, but we had a fantastic time. The site has great facilities (plenty of showers and toilets both of which are very clean). The pitches were a very good size and we easily fitted our 8 person tent and car with plenty of room. The tea room had very nice food and cakes, and the onsite bakery was fantastic. There is a small petting zoo which our daughter loved and a good playground and sandpit. The owners were incredibly friendly and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this campsite to anyone!
Great campsite
We were very pleased with the campsite and would definitely return again. We stayed over the August bank holiday weekend and even though it was fully booked it didn’t feel overly busy as they carefully restrict the number of pitches. The pitch sizes themselves were also generously proportioned. The setting is also great, right in the middle of the countryside with fields all around but near to the main towns and beaches of the North Norfolk coast. The windmill itself is also a fantastic feature if this campsite and the cafe and animals around it are also a great addition. There is also lefty of space and activities to keep children happily occupied in a safe environment. Good toilets, showers etc as well. They even provide soap and dishwashing liquid! Definitely a great option if you are visiting this area.
Lovely bank holiday weekend
We stayed August bank holiday with friends on 2 pitches. The pitches were generous and the site was a lovely size as it only had about 15 pitches so even though it was fully booked, it was never busy. Toilets and showers were clean and modern, although the water pressure in the hut was a tad low. The cafe does a delicious breakfast, with toys for toddlers to keep themselves amused and the iced buns/sausage rolls/pasties were all amazing at the windmill. Our 16 month old loved the animals especially the sheep and the play park. it was also lovely knowing that she was very safe to run free almost everywhere on site as there was ample open space. If we camp in Norfolk, we would love to stay here again. Thankyou for a lovely stay xx
Back again... even better
Stayed for three nights this summer at the Bircham Windmill camping site. This was our second visit here and we. Prices more showers and toilet facilities had been added. The site was full (but it was August), but it still felt uncluttered. We enjoyed cooked breakfasts in the cafe every morning and warm showers every evening. The games room is a brilliant facility for the children and gives them some independence to go and explore and make friends. Would recommend highly again and the owners are always around to help out if needed.
Lovely campsite in beautiful surroundings
We had a lovely 4 night stay at Bircham Windmill this summer. It was our first visit to North Norfolk and the site is situated in lovely, very typical East Anglian countryside. Huge skies and rolling fields of golden wheat. From our tent, on a sunny evening, it was just lovely to sit and gaze out at that endless sky and the windmill stood out as a particularly lovely feature on the landscape. The site owners and staff seemed very friendly; we enjoyed visiting the mill and baking bread with our boys. We also visited the bakery afterwards and left with our loaves and some delicious Belgian buns and chocolate brownies. It was a tiny bit disorganised when we first went in as there was no staff present to greet us in the bread baking area so we were a bit confused - a lady from the bakery did come eventually and was very nice but it would be even better if there was at least one member of staff dedicated to people visiting the mill and taking part in the baking activities. The play area was lovely and our children enjoyed visiting the garden and meeting the animals. There were two 'family' showers with toilet and sink situated in a block with the washing up area and pay per use washing machine and a handy communal fridge. They were kept clean and well stocked with toilet roll during our stay. I'd probably prefer a larger shower / toilet block but my husband disagrees! There is also a games room with a sink, TV, table tennis table, books and games and a freezer for ice blocks. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend it. A lot of our children's 'favourite things about the holiday' took place at the campsite so it gets a big thumbs up!
Lovely campsite in beautiful surroundings
We loved this campsite, it's small and friendly, with great facilities. There is a little park with sand and trucks etc, and a petting farm which our children loved. There is loads of space around the pitches for them to play, and a games room with toys and table tennis if it rained. The showers and toilets were clean, and there was a toaster, kettle, fridge, washing machine and freezer available (small charge for the washing machine). It was absolutely lovely camping underneath the windmill, it was so pretty as the sun went down each evening. You can go up the windmill and our children enjoyed baking bread in the bakery. We really enjoyed Norfolk too. The nearby beaches were lovely, and I'd really recommend the seal boat trip to nearby Blakeney Point.
Relaxed group gathering
Last year, we found Bircham Windmill on this website as we drove down from Yorkshire one Saturday… and enjoyed it so much we not only stayed for the Sunday night, but returned the following Saturday before returning north (with fresh bread and tangy sheep’s milk cheese). So when considering where to spend hubby’s 50th birthday weekend this place kept coming to mind as a fabulous campsite, tearoom and attraction – suitable for tents and campervans, with solid roofed accommodation for the less adventurous (cute shepherds huts). It was quite a drive for everyone, but ‘EricFest’ was a relaxed weekend celebration for 20+ friends and family sharing six pitches in a small paddock and two shepherd huts. I exchanged a few emails with Ellie while planning the weekend and she could not have been more helpful and supportive of our group get-together. Yes, the site was FULL that weekend, but the facilities coped, and all out first-time visitor friends fell for the site and the facilities. Spent the weekend hearing ‘oo, aren’t the showers great’ and ‘isn’t it nice there’s a fridge for campers’ etc. Special thanks must go to the baker who arranged for two dozen cottage rolls to be waiting for us when the tearooms opened for breakfast on Saturday (before the mill shop) – so that the group could have our home-made bacon in Bircham’s bread :) Apologies to other campers for the sight of twenty mad people running around in matching ‘EricFest 50’ T-shirts … but it was well worth it to make hubby speechless.
Relaxed group gathering - accomodation for all
Last year, we found the site on this website as we drove down from Yorkshire one Saturday… and enjoyed it so much we not only stayed for the Sunday night, but returned the following Saturday before returning north (with fresh bread and tangy sheep’s milk cheese). So when considering where to spend hubby’s 50th birthday weekend this place kept coming to mind as a fabulous campsite, tearoom and attraction – suitable for tents and campervans, with solid roofed accommodation for the less adventurous (cute shepherds huts). It was quite a drive for everyone, but ‘EricFest’ was a relaxed weekend celebration for 20+ friends and family sharing six pitches in a small paddock and two shepherd huts. I exchanged a few emails with Ellie while planning the weekend and she could not have been more helpful and supportive of our group get-together. Yes, the site was FULL that weekend, but the facilities coped, and all out first-time visitor friends fell for the site and the facilities. Spent the weekend hearing ‘oo, aren’t the showers great’ and ‘isn’t it nice there’s a fridge for campers’ etc. Special thanks must go to the baker who arranged for two dozen cottage rolls to be waiting for us when the tearooms opened for breakfast (before the mill shop) – so that the group could have our home-made bacon in Bircham’s bread. Apologies to other campers for the sight of twenty mad people running around in matching ‘EricFest 50’ T-shirts … well worth it to make hubby speechless. I suspect you'll be getting new repeat visitors from our group!
Great campsite, very clean with great amenities
Friendly, easy to find, comfortable shepherds hut with complimentary cream tea, milk in fridge, towels and everything else we nededed on site, had a great break
Fantastic
Hi, our experience here (as non-experienced campers who usually use airbnb and hotels!) was great. We (myself, my wife who are both 32, and our little dog), turned up at 9pm on Friday, to some super simple instructions of where and how to pitch up. The facilities are simple but perfect. All we wanted was somewhere in the country which was safe, quiet and easy to pitch up whilst we explore Norfolk. And that is what we got. No hassle, friendly people and a nice cafe for breakfast. The windmill looks great too at the front of the camping area. We look forward to going back soon.
Family friendly
A really lovely site with lots to do especially with a family looking at animals, toys, sandpit and a cafe which came in handy. Quite noisy with lots of kids running around, but all having a lot of fun. The toilets and showers were really clean and the place felt thought out and almost everything you need. Not far from beaches and lots to do near by. It is a shame that there is no recycling on site.
Delightful for kids and family
This is the second time we've camped here over the past two years. New showers and washing facilities are great and very clean. This is a small, well-run and friendly little campsite. Perfect for young families and the parents can relax while the kids run around freely on the grass, enjoy meeting the farm animals next door, do some baking and eat fresh rolls and cakes. Our son and our friend's kids spent hours playing with the friendly dogs and up in the games room playing table tennis. We stayed on a pitch without electricity (no problem) and our friends had the Ryeland Shepherds Hut which they loved. This place is close to good pubs and we travelled to Blakeney Point and Holkam every day to enjoy the coast without a problem. I hardly ever bother writing reviews, but feel that this little place deserves a mention. The owners were well organised, relaxed and accommodating over a busy Bank Holiday weekend. Highly recommended!
Poor customer service
After a recent visit to bircham windmill I was disgusted in the way that I was spoken to by a male member of staff. Upon arrival I jointly gave my name and my sister's name to the girl who was checking people in. She gave us 2 numbers of the pitches which were allocated to us. We had only booked 1 pitch for 1 night. We were not informed at any point which pitch was allocated for 2 nights and which one was allocated for 1 night, so didn't think there was a specific way round. However on our second day i received a voicemail early evening asking me to contact the windmill. When I did I was spoken to very rudely by a man telling me I was on the wrong pitch and I was given the correct pitch the day before. When I tried to explain we were basically given 2 numbers and no information about which pitch was for which booking. He told me I had been told (He wasn't there when we checked in, so not sure how he knows what was exactly said) I was there and so we're 2 other adults and the only information we were all aware of was the 2 pitch numbers. If we were aware of exact pitches we would have camped in the correct space. I do not appreciate being spoken to in a rude way when it was an honest mistake, due to not being given specific information. He did not see any blame on their part so I was basically being told I was a liar. The day we left I was planning to take my 4 children up the windmill and to do the bread baking, however after this I felt very uncomfortable and didn't want to put myself in any situation where I might be spoken to again in a rude way. I will never return and will not be recommending this place as I wouldn't want any other customer to be accused of something and be spoken to in the way I was. Very poor customer service.
Great place to visit for the day, even better to camp.
The windmill is well worth a visit even if you are not camping. Going up to the top of the windmill won't take long, but I found it quite exciting to climb up the narrow tower. In Norfolk this is also a rare opportunity to find a high point to look over the countryside. Once you've done that, the animals, garden area and tearoom make it a great place to spend a bit longer. When camping you get to stay a few extra hours in the garden after the crowds have gone. I found that a really nice place to relax until dinner time (especially if you like the company of sparrows) and the other animals. The camping facilities are abundant. There is a fridge available to share, games room, washing machine, etc. I didn't make too much use of these (except the WiFi), but it's obviously helpful if you are on a longer trip. And I went to sleep with a perfect view of the windmill with the animals grazing in the foreground! As I live nearby, I didn't really leave the campsite as I was only there one day. However, this is a brilliant area to cycle, and there are plenty of things to see around the North Norfolk area. So you could easily stay longer.
Fabulous site
This site really has so much to offer, we stayed one night ourselves and then added an extra night and even came back after our weeks touring around Norfolk. The tearooms are great, do lovely cake and sell the cheese produced on site, and when you add that to the fresh bread they do and sell in the bakery, this is heaven. The multiseed bread is great, but to be honest all the bread is good. We've been there when the site is very quiet and also when the site is busy and at both times the facilities cope really well, so no worries there. The staff are really friendly and chatty and come round to see if everything is okay. Given the location it is a place we'll definitely come back to if we are down in Norfolk again.
Great family holiday
We have just returned home after a 4 night stay at this lovely campsite, easy to book online and easy to check-in. The facilities were clean and always had hot water for a shower, of which there were 2 family showers and a separate 1 in shepherds hut. It is easily accessible for lots of things to do and you can also spend the day at the campsite and climb the windmill, bake some bread or just sample all of the cakes that are freshly made every morning!! A great outdoor play area with farm animals to look at and even watch sheep being milked! Sound amazing so far? There is there own cheese to purchase in the bakery, and to top it all off a lovely big games room with toys, books a big tv and a table tennis table, free WiFi on the site. In the kitchen area a toaster, kettle, microwave and freezers for use, in the family shower block you can use the washing machine if you really must do washing when you're away! Arrive prepared with your food because there is not a little shop onsite but loads of local shops and supermarkets not far. All in all we, as a family of 4, 2 boys aged 5 and 12, had a very nice camping time on this site and fell in love with West Norfolk! You can't go wrong here !!
Delightful!
We stayed in Romney the Shepherd's hut; such a cute little hut and we had a brilliant time. A cream tea was provided in the fridge (big enough for a couple of tupperware boxes) and a mini bottle of wine too! The shower hut was amazing - clean and spacious! There was also a good toilet and a games room with more fridge space and a place to wash up. We were given a ticket to get into the gardens and a discount for the windmill. Loved visiting the animals and making bread in the windmill with our free coffee. Adorable place and we had the best time, thank you!
Very Relaxed Site
We booked a very last minute pitch for 4 midweek nights mid September 2016. Booking was easy via CoolCamping website. Arrived got a friendly welcome and got a quick, "there's the field, showers toilet & Facilities," and we were done. No fuss, no stress, no rules, just pick the pitch that takes your fancy. We were 1 of only 4 tents on site that week, so we were all nicely spread out, As you would expect the site was very quiet at night and in the mornings, so no disturbed sleep. The shower hut was great, clean and spacious and always had hot water. As well as a guests fridge, cooking and cleaning facilities, there is loads of space for rainy days, so a few dinning tables, if you want to eat indoors, Table Tennis, and a big tv with DVD player. All very handy I am sure if you need to hide from the weather. My wife enjoyed exploring the windmill,and the bakers and cafe are very good. We didn't visit the animals, but as they were in the field next door, there was plenty opportunity for them to visit you. Location wise this is well placed to visit lots of beautiful country and seaside towns, with Kingslynn only being about 20 minutes away. If you are looking for a very laid back informal site I can't recommend Bircham Windmill enough, and will be coming back if visiting Norfolk again I am sure.
Lovely setting and great for kids
We spent two very pleasant days and nights here. Two nice open fields for the kids to play together, plus free access to a communal garden with play equipment and animals to pet was a great hit with all the children. Breakfast each morning with gorgeous bread straight from the oven was wonderful! The only gripe we had was the single shower breaking down and it taking 48 hours to fix it. The owners are very pleasant and the campsite had only been open a few weeks, so I'm hoping they will learn from this experience and have someone on standby to quickly fix problems like this in future. It was a simple fix, but the impact was significant on everyone camping there over the weekend.
Lovely!
Just got back from 3 nights here after booking it at the last minute on Saturday morning. A big field with an incline in the middle, which the kids loved hurtling up & down, animals in the field next door (again the kids loved this!) electric hook ups on some pitches, shower in converted horse box which was clean, hot & free... always nice. There is a tearoom & bakery on site as well, which did lovely cakes. Didn't get round to going up to the top of the windmill but we are definitely planning on going back so that will be on our to do list. 😀
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Bircham Windmill
Great Bircham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 6SJ
Pitches
15 grass pitches (8 with electricity) and two shepherd's huts. All pitches are suitable for tents/caravans or motor homes. Maximum footprint allowed on each pitch is 12m x 8m.
Who's In
Tents, caravans, campavans, motorhomes, dogs (max 2 per pitch; on leads at all times) – yes. Large groups – no.
Facilities
Shower, four toilets, washing up facilities, kettle and microwave. There is a games room with table tennis. The windmill also has a small playground, sandpit and animal petting corner – all available from 8am–8pm and open to the general public that are visiting the windmill. The attraction itself is open from 10am–5pm from Easter to the end of September, during those hours they have children’s bread baking, windmill tours, treasure trails and lots more.
Nearby
Brancaster offers the closest beach. Walk half a mile left from the entrance and you can sometimes spot grey seals, who reside in the marshes around Titchwell Nature Reserve (01485 210779). Hunstanton beach is also easily reached from the campsite or, in the opposite direction, head to famous Holkham – a haunt of the royals with a ginormous stretch of sands and an equally beautiful backing of pine trees. Just inland, Holkham Hall (01328 710806) is well worth exploring, particularly if you bring a bike to pedal around the estate grounds. Nearer still is Sandringham (01485 545400). Bircham Windmill is surrounded by the Sandgringham Estate farm land and the house itself is open to the public during summer. Its a pleasant cycle from the campsite.
Food & Drink
The onsite tearoom and bakery is a delight – the sausage rolls are a must-try during your stay. There are also plenty of good pubs in the vicinity. The nearest is in Great Bircham itself – The Kings Head (01485 578265) – but driving (or cycling) to the cost pays dividends. The White Horse (01485 210262) in Brancaster is fantastic – sea views from the conservatory dining area – and it's slightly more relaxed neighbour, The Jolly Sailors (01485 210314), just down the road has a great pub atmosphere, beer garden and proper pizza-oven cooked pizzas.
Open
April–Sept.
Getting There
Take the A148 from King’s Lynn towards Cromer. Just after the village of Hillington, turn left onto the B1153 to Great Bircham/ Docking. After about 5 miles, this road will take you into the village of Bircham. Turn left at the war memorial and the windmill is 1/2 mile out of the village on the right hand side.
Public Transport
The nearest bus station is in Bircham village, the nearest train station is in King’s Lynn (0845 748 4950).
Facilities
- Campervans permitted
- Children’s playground
- Dogs welcome
- Electrical hook-ups
- Good for kids
- Showers
- Caravans permitted
Looking For...
- Beaches nearby
- Bicycle routes nearby
- Nice Views from Site
- On the farm
- Short walk to pub
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