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Suffolk Wild Camping

Ramsholt, Suffolk, England
1 acre hosted by Jonathan S.
Back-to-basics camping in a vehicle-free meadow, within walking distance of the River Deben

There’s a timeless quality to the countryside around this pop-up campsite, set in the agricultural flatlands around the River Deben. The site is a mile from the nearest road and the closest landmark is a beautiful, isolated church with a 13th-century round tower. It’s no wonder they used a track on the farm to film scenes for Netflix hit The Dig. The quiet lanes, the river, the birds… it's a cinematographer's dream.

Suffolk Wild Camping is, in fact, one of two campsites on Lodge Farm (the other, Wild Riverside Camping, is a few hundred yards away). This campsite is the newer and slightly more secluded of the two, set further back from the riverside and separated by a flank of deciduous woodland. Campers arrive to a parking area then walk to their pitches, spread across a long narrow field that means you’ll walk anything from 50 to 250 yards depending on where you choose to plonk your stuff. The result is vehicle-free safety for kids, who can run amok and make general fun for themselves in all the space. There are porta-loo-style toilets and bowser tanks for water but little else besides, including no showers. There's a reason they chose to call it 'wild camping'.

Despite the isolated feel of the campsite, once you do make your way back down the farm track, past All Saints Church and along the country lanes, you’ll find plenty of interesting attractions on your doorstep. It’s 20 minutes to Woodbridge and half an hour to Orford and Snape Maltings, while National Trust-owned Sutton Hoo – focus of The Dig and one of the most important archeological sites in all of England – is just 15 minutes in the car.

Equally, of course, you can forget the car altogether and go for a stroll instead. It’s a five minute walk from the campsite to the river, where you can wander along the bank to a pleasant beach and carry on to a popular riverside pub with a sun terrace overlooking the dinghy-dotted estuary. The food is good and the fish and chips are exceptional, though, if you prefer to cook back at camp, campsite-owner Jonathan also sells milk, bread, freshly caught fish and the farm’s own vegetables directly to campers. Timeless pleasures indeed.

Activities
Biking
Fishing
Hiking
Natural features
Beach
Field
Farm
Not currently accepting bookings on Hipcamp
More camping spots nearby
Location
Ramsholt, Suffolk, England, United KingdomTraditional, ancestral territory of various First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Jonathan S.Joined in July 2020
From the host
Back-to-basics camping in a vehicle-free meadow, within walking distance of the River Deben
Nearby attractions

Walk around the wood, along the side of the neighbouring wood and you'll soon come to the River Deben. There’s great walking along the riverside footpath and there's a nice estuary beach. It's probably about a mile and half in total to the Ramsholt Arms pub, which has a wonderful outside area for taking in the views. It’s a 15-minute drive to the market town of Woodbridge, while some of the true highlights of the Suffolk coast are all within a half hour drive, including Orford, Snape Maltings and Aldeburgh (all part of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB). If seeing the place on Netflix is part of what's brough you here then no doubt you'll also want to visit National Trust-owned Sutton Hoo (01394 389700; 15 minutes by car), home of Saxon burial grounds dating back to the sixth century. The most prized archaeological finds are now in the British Museum but the site itself still has plenty of treasures and is a joy to explore.

Food and drink

You can also order fresh fish and local produce to cook on the campsite directly from the farm – the best way is to purchase on the campsite website and then let them know where abouts on the campsite you've pitched. The dog-friendly Ramsholt Arms (01394 411209) is a half-hour walk away (the best route being along the side of the Deben). It's an isolated waterside pub that’s popular with walkers, sailors and birders. Food is all locally sourced and, unsurprisingly, there’s a good deal of fish on the menu. Local artwork adorns the walls, along with photographs detailing a local air crew who crashed into the river during World War Two whilst making a flight from a nearby airfield (the scene is reenacted in the Netflix film The Dig, which was filmed locally – the rescue crew that row out to try and help the airmen are actually using campsite-owner Jonathan's boat). For another option, venture a couple of miles inland to the beautiful, thatched, 17th-century Sorrel Horse (01394 411617), which hosts folk nights on alternate Wednesdays and has popular quiz evenings. Community owned, it has a great atmosphere and a traditional feel, with bar billiards, cask ales and good, mostly homemade, food.

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