A Roman road as straight as a camper’s tent peg runs from 11th-century Castle Acre out to the North Norfolk coast. Today it makes up part of the Peddars Way, a scenic long-distance footpath that runs right past a new glamping site on the Little Massingham Estate. Hidden in a glade surrounded by oak trees, you wouldn’t know Amber’s Bell Tent Camping is there unless you were looking for it. And it’s worth looking for. With hammocks in the trees, acres of wild space to roam and some of Norfolk’s best beaches within a half-hour drive, it’s the perfect place to quietly find a little freedom.
The Little Massingham Estate is actually one of multiple Amber’s Bell Tent Camping locations. There are several other spots in Norfolk, all on similarly grand, country estates, so you can trust that the accommodation – bell tents with proper beds, soft furnishings and wood burners – are a thoroughly popular option. Three of the tents are in a little dell, sat atop decks and with the most secluded feel, while four more are in a young plantation of oak trees that children will love to play hide-and-go-seek in. All tents have campfire pits outside and there’s a washblock (newly built for 2021) a short stroll away. A beautiful old brick barn with a slightly jaunty roof also makes for an excellent social space and games room, with a pizza oven and plenty of picnicking space outside.
If talk of a 2,000-acre country estate fills your head with images of water fountains, manicured lawns and ornate gardens, then you’ll need to think again. The Little Massingham approach is a little different. Vast tracts of the land have been set aside for their new re-wilding project and glampers can take to the footpaths to see the pigs and wild grazing ponies. Hedgerows are left largely untrimmed to follow their natural growth, bulging and brimming with blackberries in late summer.
Plans are afoot to offer tractor-and-trailer tours of the estate in the not-to-distant future, helping visitors learn more about the exciting re-wilding project and what’s involved. Until then, you’ll have to make do with cycling along the Roman road to Castle Acre Priory (now looked after by the good folk at English Heritage), pedaling to the pretty pub in Great Massingham or driving out to the coast to swim in the sea at Brancaster Beach or eat fish and chips in Thornham. It’s a tough life, eh.