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Thornage Campsite

95%

· Holt, Norfolk, England

1 acre hosted by Jo .

8 tent sites

Best in East Anglia / East of England: Finalist

Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2023.

Jo is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

Almost wild camping in a central location along the North Norfolk coast, with just eight pitches and ample space

The campsite is really designed for those who don’t mind something very similar to wild camping but who still want a decent toilet. There are no showers and the water supply comes from a big tank, so it really is a pretty minimal place, but with just eight pitches across three acres, you’re guaranteed plenty of space and there’s a wonderfully quiet and hidden ambiance, with tents populating the pockets in the long grass and not a caravan in sight.

The surrounding village is a mixture of old flint cottages and newer brick builds, along with an ancient church in a sea of cow parsley. There’s no pub but you can drive five minutes to a good family-friendly inn in Letheringsett where there’s also a working watermill with a pleasant riverside picnic area alongside. There are plenty of good dining options in Holt, too, also five minutes away.

For the coast, the campsite finds itself midway along the most well-known stretch of North Norfolk. From Holkham Hall in the east to Sheringham and Cromer in the west, nothing is more than half an hour in the car and some of the most exciting bits are within 15 minutes. Book a boat trip from Morston Quay to see the birds and seals out on Blakeney Point or take your binoculars to Cley Marshes Visitor Centre, which is built in the style of a giant bird hide. It’s a good place to revel in more nature, doing its natural, naturey thing. It's the reason people come to Norfolk and, of course, to a natural spot like tiny Thornage Camping.

Car (max 2 per pitch, included) , barbecue, campers' kitchen, car parking by pitch/unit, lanterns/fairy lights, smoking, picnic table - all welcome. Arrival, 2pm onwards.Departure by noon.

Activities

Biking

Hiking

Natural features

Beach

Field

95%

53 Ratings · 42 reviews

James C.recommends

August 26, 2024

Wild Camping Pitch

Gorgeous no fuss camping experience

This is a gorgeous space for camping-perfectly situated to go exploring, with many beautiful sites. It’s very quiet and amazing for stargazing. What to expect: when you arrive you pick whichever spot is free, you will have a fire pit in your pitch. There are two compost toilets with toilet roll in it but it’s always handy to bring your own toilet roll for these kinds of places. There’s no showers or clean drinking water. They sell bottles of water for 50p each and wooden logs for £6, free kindling available. This must be paid in cash, and there is no change so bring coins. This place is amazing for no fuss campers and we will definitely be returning!

Kathy R.recommends

August 16, 2024

Wild Camping Pitch

A stunning spot

This is one of the best camp sites we've been to in the UK. If you like peace and quiet and are happy with a very high quality bush-loo. The wild flowers and grasses separating the campsites made the whole place so beautiful. Firewood and bottles water for purchase was a nice touch. We will definitely be back.

Lia D.

August 11, 2024

Wild Camping Pitch

Spacious but no drinking water

Overall a nice experience, the site is beautiful and spacious! Really liked the firepits. The toilets were compost and well maintained. However no water for drinking even though it says on Hipcamp it should have been available - in August that feels really irresponsible (especially given the price). Also, maybe due to the wind direction the evening we were camping, but the road noise was noticeable.

Yannick P.recommends

August 6, 2024

Wild Camping Pitch

Nice and tucked away camping site. Feels very private which is great, and the firepit is nice as well. Would recommend!

Gareth C.

August 6, 2024

Wild Camping Pitch

The place was secluded but not totally quiet as you could hear faint noise of cars in the back ground. A previous rubbish bag had been left which we later understood as there was no bin visible at the site. The actual place we pitched our tent felt lovely and we had a nice open field but it didn’t have the impression that the photos gave as it was just part of a farmers field. We did have a farmer come onto the field next to us who went down the row of the field once and then disappeared. Maybe coming to have a look at us but not sure on that one. Most certainly strange tractor behaviour. We took a bag of wood and the single bottle of water that was left as this stated on Hipcamp. Later on I went to get more wood and noticed an extremely small handwritten sign on the right wall of the horse trailer that stated water was 50p and firewood was £6. This was a little frustrating as we don’t carry cash and this wasn’t mentioned previously whilst booking. I am happy to pay this from my card if the owners of the site can invoice me for this but I felt that for somebody like me the sign needed to be bigger than 10cm and in the line of sight of the wood and water as this would have given us the choice but we didn’t have one. Please can the owners get in touch if they would like me to transfer £6.50 as I appreciate that there was a sign be it very small and not in the line of sight and am happy to pay. Lots of lovely fields but little or no walkways so be careful. Overall not for us

Pip H.recommends

July 17, 2024

Wild Camping Pitch

So perfect, thank you Jo. Beautiful site, amenities just as described and just as wild as I’d hoped ♥️ Nelly the dog and I had a super time, and wonderful to meet you and your family x

Location

Holt, Norfolk, England, United KingdomTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Jo .

Joined in January 2017

From the host

Nature does the work in North Norfolk. Yes, the old market town of Holt is quaint and foodie and Benedictine Binham Priory is a historic treasure, but it’s really the coast that people come for. The shingle beach at Salthouse, the sweeping sands of Holkham Bay, the tidal marshes at Blakeney where seals make their home out on the point. Nature does its thing and holidaymakers enjoy it. It’s the same approach at Thornage Camping, six miles inland, pocketed in the little village of Thornage. There’s little to the campsite. It’s a meadow and it’s left pretty natural. That’s the North Norfolk way and it's just the way we like it. The campsite is really designed for those who don’t mind something very similar to wild camping but who still want a decent toilet. There are no showers and the water supply comes from a big tank, so it really is a pretty minimal place, but with just eight pitches across three acres, you’re guaranteed plenty of space and there’s a wonderfully quiet and hidden ambiance, with tents populating the pockets in the long grass and not a caravan in sight. The surrounding village is a mixture of old flint cottages and newer brick builds, along with an ancient church in a sea of cow parsley. There’s no pub but you can drive five minutes to a good family-friendly inn in Letheringsett where there’s also a working watermill with a pleasant riverside picnic area alongside. There are plenty of good dining options in Holt, too, also five minutes away. For the coast, the campsite finds itself midway along the most well-known stretch of North Norfolk. From Holkham Hall in the east to Sheringham and Cromer in the west, nothing is more than half an hour in the car and some of the most exciting bits are within 15 minutes. Book a boat trip from Morston Quay to see the birds and seals out on Blakeney Point or take your binoculars to Cley Marshes Visitor Centre, which is built in the style of a giant bird hide. It’s a good place to revel in more nature, doing its natural, naturey thing. It's the reason people come to Norfolk and, of course, to a natural spot like tiny Thornage Camping.

Nearby attractions

It's a five-minute drive into the pretty market town of Holt. Parking can sometimes be a hassle but there's usually plenty of space in the Albert Street Car Park (or park a little outside of town and walk in – there's a popular layby area on the A148 heading out of Holt towards Letheringsett). The town is good for a general amble around, with independent shops, a couple of good art galleries and plenty by the way of fine food. There's also the local Owl Trail, a loop around the town with plaques and information that teaches you about Holt's history and the people behind the Georgian architecture. North of the campsite, and just outside Holt, Letheringsett Watermill (01263 713153) is the last working watermill in Norfolk, still producing flour to this day. You can visit parts of the mill, see it all in action and buy the flour. There's also an excellent, sheltered picnic area outside, reached by crossing the river. Of course, most people are here for the coast and some of the best stretches are within a 15-minute drive; the National-Trust owned quay at Morston where you can catch boats to see the seals, the old harbour town of Blakeney (well linked with Morston via the coastal footpath), picturesque Cley-next-the-Sea with its iconic windmill, and the endless pebble beach at Salthouse to name a few. From the campsite, you really are in one of the most central locations when it comes to the best of the North Norfolk coastline, with the likes of Holkham Bay, away to the west, and the Cromer, to the east, still both easily within a half-hour drive. The National Trust-owned estates at Sheringham Park (01263 820550), Blickling (01263 738030), and Felbrigg (01263 837444) are also all well within the 30-minute mark.

Food and drink

There's no pub in the village but there are a couple within around 30 minutes' walk (though in both cases, it's a walk down a peaceful quiet lane, rather than via footpaths, so the five-minute drive may be your preference). The 300-year-old Hunworth Bell (01263 711151), inland, overlooks Hunworth village green, is well stocked with real ales, and serves a menu that includes game from the adjacent Stody Estate. Towards the coast, The King's Head (01263 712691) in Letheringsett has a modern interior with two different rooms and plenty of space outside, including a play area for children. Holt (five minutes drive) is the main place to go for options, though. It's home to a clutch of good pubs and hotels, including the upmarket cafe in Byfords (01263 711400), which is great for pastries and treats, as well as takeaways to enjoy back at the campsite, a grocers, a fishmongers, and a butchers.

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