Further Explorations in North Norfolk
Less than 3.5hrs drive from Skylark & Co HQ in Kent, is the Green Tourism certified campsite, Deepdale Camping in Brancaster Staithe.
Skylark on the hardstanding pitch in Woodview at Deepdale Campsite
The set-up
With a variety of pitches available, our favourite are the row of Woodview pitches that run along the far end of the site. While the Premium hardstanding pitches include all your electricity supply, the serviced hardstanding pitches simply require you to buy electricity credits in advance on the touch-screen devices situated at the next door shower block.
The hardstanding pitches are a very decent size with a picnic bench and plenty of space to spread out. Divided by hedgerows, they are a haven for small birds, while you can watch birds of prey flying in the fields and woodland beyond.
Dog washing (on the left) and washing-up area at the entrance to the shower block
Clear signage on the showers indicating use and shower temperature.
The shower block also houses the sinks and washing up areas (as well as a dog-shower). We liked the inclusion of reduced temperature showers as the standard ones ran particularly hot.
The level surfaces throughout make it easy for guests with reduced mobility and/or visual impairment to move around.
the local area
Brancaster Staithe is a beautiful village on the coast with direct access to the coastal path and marshes.
The main bus linking Kings Lynn with the coastal towns runs passed the campsite and, in addition to the well-stocked campsite shop, there’s a mini-supermarket at the fuel station.
Places to try in Brancaster Staithe:
The White Horse - pub and restaurant overlooking the marshes
Fish Shed - fresh seafood and related local produce
The Crab Hut - takeaway seafood and sandwiches (open March - November)
Staithe Smokehouse - artisan fish smokehouse behind White Horse pub
Our favourite places to visit and things to do:
Holkham Hall & Estate - lovely place to spend a few hours or a whole day on foot or by bike. In the summer we’ve visited in Skylark and parked on the grass which is very easy.
Coastal Exploration Company - a perfect way to fully switch off from the world and recharge on the creeks and coastal waters outside Wells-next-the-Sea.
Wells Beach - Wells-next-the-Sea - miles of sand and a colourful row of beach huts on stilts. We love the beach here and the modern lifeboat station is worth a visit too.
"anchors" by Dave MacFarlane and Sarah Hewitt was filmed in collaboration with Coastal Exploration Company
Cycling suggestions
We took gravel/hardtail style bikes with us, which fit very easily into the garage of either Skylark or Kestrel. Capable of riding on tarmac and loose off-road terrain they are perfect for the lanes, tracks and bridleways around North Norfolk.
Most of the holiday and local traffic sticks to the main roads that follow the coast, so we took advantage of both OS Maps and Komoot to plan low and traffic-free rides from Deepdale.
Our first adventure was a ride to the Railway Inn pub which gave us a good indication of how lovely cycling in the area was. We pootled over late in the day and enjoy a cool beer in the garden before finding an alternative route home.
Our second expedition was a longer ride over to the nearby town of Wells-next-the-Sea. We took full advantage of the glorious Holkham Park, one of our favourite places to cycle. The large estate has well maintained roads and tracks that visitors are welcome to explore. The courtyard has a bike repair station should you need it and secure points to lock your bikes to (not to mention a lovely tearoom and restaurant).
We had a well brewed coffee at Wills of Wells and then stopped at The Picnic Hut to get fresh crab sandwiches for the pedal home. We ended up eating them in the shade of an ancient oak, just outside the walls of the Holkham Park. Happy days!
We’ve included both our rides on our Komoot Skylark & Co ride collection. We hope you enjoy them.
