Ling's Meadow
UK England East Anglia Suffolk Bury St. Edmunds
A butterfly dances delicately over the lush grass swaying lazily in the soothing midsummer breeze. Buzzards and kestrels circle overhead, spying on hares that dot the meadow below. And, amidst this idyllic scene, you are reclining in the sun, the laughter of children embarking on an adventure in the background. Sounds like a certain popular cider brand’s latest cheesy advert, right? Wrong. For this idyllic scene is what awaits those campers lucky enough to stumble upon Ling's Meadow.
Nestled within a particularly peaceful pocket of their 80-acre wheat and barley farm, close to the Suffolk border, Ling’s Meadow is the Shearer family’s camping dream come true. In a four-acre meadow, this seamless new glamping venture merges effortlessly into its surroundings. The beautiful blue living van has been built by a local carpenter, with exquisite beds carved from knobbly natural wood, while the gypsy wagon and shepherd’s hut (booked together and sleeping four) were found, dilapidated on nearby farms and painstakingly restored to their gorgeous current standard. There are also twin five-metre bell tents, fully-furnished and bedecked. The roll-up sides simply beckoning you in to unwind.
For regular campers, spacious, circular tent pitches have been hued into the meadow grass with meandering, mown paths connecting them. It leaves a natural network to explore. In the height of summer when the grass is at its tallest, the pitches offer the perfect secluded hideaway.
So as not to compromise the tranquility of this bucolic bolthole, only 25 guests can be accommodated at any one time. The verdant meadow is also refreshingly vehicle-free, with trolleys provided for lugging your gear around. No man (or woman) is an island though, and for those looking to shoot the breeze with their fellow camping compadres, the communal kitchen and dining area is the perfect arena for socialising.
Offsite, East Anglia is yours to explore, from the Broads and the coast to charming rural villages and their medieval churches. In keeping with the site’s green ethos (water is recycled, so it can be used on the farm garden), guests are encouraged to explore the region on two wheels, and helpfully National Cycle Network Route 13 and Regional Route 30 run just to the north of the site.
At its heart, Ling’s Meadow is a campsite run by people who genuinely adore camping and who know exactly what campers want. As friendly matriarch Kath says, “We love camping in our own bell tent and are happy to admit that occasionally we enjoy a bit of luxury too. Because we enjoy it so much our aim is to provide an affordable glamping experience.” Many campsites try to bridge that gap between rustic and luxury, with varying degrees of success. With their boundless hospitality, dished out from their gorgeous 17th century farmhouse, we think the Shearers have it pretty spot on.
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Gallery
Details
Facilities
1 full furnished canvas stardome (sleeping up to six people in one double bed, bunk beds and two single futon beds), 2 fully furnished bell tents (sleeping up to 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children in 1 double bed and 2 futons beds plus inflatable mattress); 1 fully furnished living van and 1 shepherds hut set side by side (sleeping up to 4 adults or 2 adults and 4 small children in 3 double bunks); 6 tent pitches; 2 pre-pitched 4–5 person unfurnished bell tents available to hire. Linen and towels provided for 7 night glamping stay. Extra mattress, travel cot, and blankets available. Stardome, bells, living van and shepherd's hut include fire pits and grills, with complimentary basket of logs provided (wood can also be bought on site) plus outdoor seating. Stoves and all cooking utensils provided; cool boxes with freezer blocks; water carriers. There are 2 composting toilets and 1 wood-heated shower. For other campers; communal kitchen with cooking equipment, BBQ area and pizza oven, canvas covered dining area and washing up facilities. Secure cycle shed with bike tools and cycle route information. Bicycles to borrow (limited supply – request in advance). Bicycle hose down area and kit washing available. Communal campfire and fire pits to borrow.
Suitable For
Glampers, campers, small groups – yes. Caravans, camper vans, dogs – no. Larger groups are welcome to book the entire site (up to 20 people).
Nearby
The site is ideally located to explore the best of East Anglia, with Bury St Edmunds, Norwich, Cambridge and the North Norfolk Coast and Broads all within easy reach. The Peddars Way Walk is one of the area's best walking trails, while the High Lodge Thetford Forest is great for exploring on two wheels. Local pick up by the campsite owners is available for walkers/ guests using public transport. For a day at the seaside, Holkham Bay and Southwold's famous pier and lighthouse are your best bets. Kids and parents alike will love Jimmy's Farm (01473 604206) and the award-winning treehouse adventure park, BeWILDerwood (01692 633033).
Food & Drink
The Mill Inn (01359 221018) is just a 3 mile walk from the site in nearby Market Weston – perfect for a sample of the local ales and pub grub. For ale aficionados, the Star Wing Brewery (01379 890586) is also nearby, as is St George’s Whisky Distillery (01953 717939) which offers tours as well as a chance to buy. Wyken Vineyards (01359 250262), is just a short cycle ride away – it's also is also home to gorgeous, oak-beamed Leaping Hare (01359 250287) restaurant and a country store. For the finest local produce, Wyken also holds a farmer’s market every Saturday. Further afield, The Bell Inn (01379 898445) at Rickinghall and No 4 Hatter Street (01284 754477), are decent shouts for food. Kath can also provide food hampers, brimming with local produce – enquire before booking.
Opening Times
May to end September
Family Friendly
Children chase one another through the long, wild grass like a savannah scene in the latest David Attenborough documentary. Luxuries and extra comforts have also been craftily woven into this natural site, though, making it suitable even for less primative types.
Why book with Cool Camping?
- Best Price Guarantee, with no fees
- Instant booking confirmation
- Trusted for over 10 years
- A chance to win prizes in our regular competitions
The Owner Says
Pitches
6 tents pitches, 1 stardome, 1 bell tent, 1 shepherd's hut, 1 gypsy caravan, 1 living van and 2 pre-pitched, unfurnished, 5m bell tents for hire. (A maximum of 25 people can be accommodated on site.)
Meadow pitch
Location
Contact Ling's Meadow, Stanton Road Farm, North Common, Hepworth, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2PR
Getting There
By car: For local traffic, Ling's Meadow is just off the B111 between Barningham and Stanton. From further afield you can reach the B111 via the A14 and then the A143. The A14 links up with the A11 and M11 from the west, the A1 from the north and the A12 from the south east.The site is only two hours from north London (one and a half on a clear run). Take the M11 and then A11 to the A14 and follow for Bury St Edmunds. Come off at Bury St Edmunds Central and follow the A143 towards Felixstowe. From south or east London it is probably quicker to take the A12 to Ipswich and then join the A14 to Bury St Edmunds. In both cases follow the A143 from the Bury St Edmunds Central exit to the B111 turn off at Stanton.
Nearest railway stations are Thetford, Diss and Stowmarket. Bury St Edmunds is only slightly further away. All have taxi ranks good bus links. Stowmarket and Diss stations have regular, direct services to and from London Liverpool Street. Thetford has regular services to and from London Kings Cross and to the north via Peterborough. There are reasonably regular bus services from Diss and Bury St Edmunds to Hepworth but times can change so it always worth checking. Both journeys take about half an hour and have buses that arrive in Hepworth between 2 and 3pm.
Reviews
Add Your ReviewRated ★★★★★ over 16 reviews
Perfect
Heaven in a Campsite
perfectly chilled
Can't wait to go back!
Book it now! You are in for a treat😊
Prairie-like hideaway with thoughtful details
Just Fantastic!!
Tranquil, safe and wonderfully comfortable
Fairytale campsite
Awesome hosts, beautiful location.
Totally tranquil
Magical and convenient
Gorgeous week
A wonderful campsite
A beautiful break
Spent a relaxing and peaceful few days at Ling's Meadow last week. It's a beautiful part of the country, surrounded by open space and countryside, just outside a small village. Kath was on hand to help point everything out, and all the facilities were great - well looked after, and with lots of helpful hints about how to get the best out of things ( including the composting toilets!). It was a fab location to head off rom and explore the local area on my bike - which I could then lock safely away in the bike shed at the end of the day - very useful. Being buried away on your own pitch "hidden" by the grass was like something out of a novel, and following the "path" mown in the grass to get to your tent takes you back to childhood...made me smile every time :-) No hesitation in recommending it to anyone who wants a beautiful, tranquil, peaceful and idyllic getaway.
Absolutely Lovely
Ling's Meadow is one of the most delightful campsites I have stayed at. Kath has done everything with great care and generosity: the communal kitchen and fire pit are great touches. We loved the mown paths through the beautiful meadow and the way our little tents almost disappeared in the long grass. My son particularly liked the loos, the frisbee-eating trees and the damsons (we took away a huge bag full and are looking forward to the delicious jam).
Why book with Cool Camping?
- Best Price Guarantee, with no fees
- Instant booking confirmation
- Trusted for over 10 years
- A chance to win prizes in our regular competitions
