Ling's Meadow
UK England East Anglia Suffolk Bury St. Edmunds
A butterfly dances over lush grass swaying lazily in the soothing midsummer breeze. Buzzards and kestrels circle overhead, spying on hares in the meadow below. And, somewhere amid it all, you are reclining in the sun, listening to the laughter of children embarking on an adventure. Sounds like a certain popular cider brand’s latest cheesy advert, right? Wrong. This idyllic scene is what awaits those campers lucky enough to stumble upon Ling's Meadow.
Nestled within a peaceful pocket of a rewilded 80-acre farm, Ling’s Meadow has been delighting campers since it opened in 2013. Kath, who runs the site with husband Neel and whose family have farmed here since the 1930s, says: “There’s just something about Suffolk fields...” And we can’t help but agree: there’s certainly something about this one. The long grass, the flat landscape and the wide expanse of sky are part of it but, above all, it’s what the Shearer’s have done here that makes this place so special. They keep cars out of the meadow and numbers of campers and glampers low for an atmosphere that’s free range and friendly.
There’s space for just six tents in spacious, circular pitches that are hewn into the meadow grass with meandering paths to connect them. Then there are a pair of ‘slow camping base camps’; unfurnished bell tents with simple campfire cooking kit provided. And then, there’s the glamping proper: the fully kitted-out star dome and the shepherd’s hut-living van combo. Both are warmed by log burners and the love that’s gone into them. You’ll see it in the beds carved from knobbly natural wood in the blue living van, in the restored shepherd’s hut which was rescued from a local farm and in the star dome – a unique construction of the Shearer’s own design. It’s there in the facilities too: a rustic camp kitchen and the family-friendly compost loo cabins.
A signposted walk offers a tour of the farm. Look out for deer, hedgehogs, badgers and foxes as well as the sheep and alpacas whose grazing is part of the land management here. 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, guests are encouraged to explore the region on two wheels. There are bikes to borrow if you don’t have your own and, handily, a couple of cycle routes run just to the north of site wending their way around the surrounding Suffolk fields. There really is something about them but nothing quite compares to Ling’s Meadow.
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Details
Facilities
Camping: 6 tent pitches; Also slow camping base camps - 2 empty bell tents (sleeping up to 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children) with coir matting flooring, bushcamp shelter for cooking, kindling fired rocket stove and kelly kettle, and cast iron pans. Pitches and base camps include picnic bench seating and fire pits with grills.
Glamping: 1 fully furnished canvas stardome (sleeping up to five people in one double bed, bunk beds and two single futon beds), 1 fully furnished living van and 1 shepherds hut set side by side (sleeping up to 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children in 3 double bunks); Linen provided for glamping stays. Travel cot available. Fire pits and grills, wood burning stoves with complimentary basket of logs provided (wood can also be bought on site) plus outdoor seating. Kindling fired rocket stoves, kelly kettles and all cooking utensils provided; cool boxes with freezer blocks; water carriers.
Facilities: There are 2 composting toilets and 1 wood-heated shower. Communal kitchen with BBQ area and pizza oven, canvas covered dining area and washing up facilities. Cycle shelter with bike tools and cycle route information. Bicycles to borrow. Bicycle hose down area and kit washing available. Den building area. Farm walk. Alpaca walks and visits to the farm animals.
Suitable For
Glampers, campers, small groups – yes. Caravans, camper vans, dogs – no. Larger groups are welcome to book the entire site (up to 25 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. There is also a well stocked farm shop within walking distance and an award winning bakery in the next village.
Open
May–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 primitive 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
Ling's Meadow is a small, rural hideaway on the Suffolk/Norfolk border. The focus is on Slow camping in a nearly wild 4 acre meadow alive with butterflies, bees and birds. The campsite hosts a maximum of 25 campers across six large tent pitches, a magical stardome and two shepherds huts . For a real Slow camping retreat you can also book an empty bell tent plus bush camp kit for outdoor cooking. Shared facilities include luxury compost loos, wood heated shower, camp kitchen and all the kit you need for outdoor cooking, den building, bug hunting, alpaca trekking, bird spotting and relaxing.
The campsite is set on a small family farm dedicated to growing crops for wildlife. Herbal leys, clover mixes, wild flower meadows and wild bird seed mixes support farmland pollinators, wildlife and birds as well as providing grazing for a flock of grass fed sheep.
Social Distancing Measures
Pitches
Six tents pitches and a small collection of glamping options, including bell tents, a shepherd's hut and a living van.
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 19 reviews
Such a lovely campsite
Lovely and peaceful
Fantastic campsite in great remote location
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
