The Lost Norfolk Brickyard

The last bricks were fired on the Holkham Estate in 1951 and, after more than 200 years, the old brickyard fell into disrepair. It wasn’t until hosts, Tim and Catherine, had their wedding in an old barn here, half a century later, that it was rediscovered. As friends raved about their night in the wilderness the couple struck upon the idea of opening a campsite. And today, the ivy-clad brickworks, under a cloth of moss and greenery, has become the centrepiece of Norfolk Brickyard Campsite.

This is a Hipcamp that has something for everyone but never feels overcrowded. At its heart, the brickyard is a family site. You can park by most pitches, hire bikes, use the homemade pizza oven and there are even a couple of safari tents for glampers. Pitches each hold three or four tents (you won't be asked to pitch with people you don't know) and a few hold six or seven tents for larger groups.

Head for one of the secluded spots deep in the woods, like “Keepers Camp”, and it feels like you have the place entirely to yourself. And you can live as wild as you want: There are composting toilets and bucket showers you heat over a campfire. But there are also proper flushing loos, a covered washing-up area, and hot showers with beautiful beach-pebble floors.

Holkham Hall, Holkham Bay, and Burnham Overy Staithe make for spectacular walks no matter the time of year. Arguably, the best experiences here are had outside of the usual camping season, when thousands of pink-footed geese overwinter on the local marches and flood the skies at dawn and dusk; the campsite is even quieter, the pubs have ample space, and bucket showers have some added winter frisson.