Garden Cottage

View prices & book 10 35 reviews
Robens pre-pitched bell tent looking across the camping meadow.
Big sky and long views from robens pre-pitched bell tent.
Evening sun setting behind robens.
Robens pre-pitched bell tent viewed from the orchard.

  • Quiet wildlife haven in a historic parkland in the Suffolk countryside
  • A 20-minute drive from Thetford Forest Park and Ickworth; walks nearby
  • Firepits allowed; meadow and woodlands on site; pubs and shops nearby
Park up by the walled garden and wheelbarrow your kit through the trees into Garden Cottage, a peaceful family-run site surrounded by the scenic Suffolk countryside with Norfolk within reach and Thetford Forest Park 20 minutes’ drive away. This place is certainly the place for those of you who need a bit of nature in your life. You’ll get to pick your own plot in the meadow and there are often kites and buzzards overhead, hares in the long grass and deer in the evening – with a chorus of owls later on when it’s time for a firepit, a warm blanket and a spot of stargazing. The site has simple facilities including a fresh water tap and unisex chemical toilet. Other than that, it's all about walking by the site’s stream, fields, meadows (where wildflowers grow), seeing the pigs and chickens in the orchard and going into the woodlands, where there’s a Giant Wellingtonia to wrap your arms around. Naturally, with so much space there’s plenty of calm, as there are 35 acres; the site also asks for noise to be kept down after dusk to make for a restful retreat. Once you've rested up well, set out to explore the footpaths and cycle routes in the local area – including those running down to the local village, which has good pubs and restaurants, plus a shop for essentials. Seasonal fruit and veg for your picnics and dinners can be purchased at the local walled garden, half an hour’s walk away. If you need to venture further afield, Bury St Edmunds is a 20-minute drive away, and the A14 to Newmarket, Cambridge or the Suffolk coast is within easy reach.

Campground type

RV & Motorhome sites 3
Tent sites 5
Rent a tent 1
Open now
Opens 24 July
Please note
  • This campground/park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Group bookings of 6 or more adults are not permitted (couples and immediate family members excepted).
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 18 or over.
  • Please note that the toilet facilities are unisex.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, 24 July to

Open from Fri, 5 Sept to

No availability here for your search criteria

Site types & availability

Reviews

  • 97%
    10
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Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
7

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

Peaceful, back-to-basics spot with wild feel. Spacious sites, friendly hosts, fire pits, cool compost toilets. Great for kids to roam safely. Basic water taps & eco-loos. BYO rubbish, no showers. Honesty shop's a cracker.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 4
Arrival date (latest first)

A special place. We will be back!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Samantha E.

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Peaceful and stunning site.

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would definitely recommend.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
gemma b.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Everything. The grounds were beautiful, tucked enough out the way that it was so peaceful. The facilities whilst basic, were fine and worked well, there is only one toilet but it was clean at all times and never really had to queue for them either. Gina was so kind and welcoming and offered us alternate places to camp on the grounds.

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing place and people.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Adam I.

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Loved the location. Beautiful grounds, plenty for my boy and I to explore.
Great hosts, too. Showed us around, attentive and friendly. Helped us out of a real pickle when we encountered a few teething problems as we're new to the campervan scene. Will definitely be back

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Peaceful

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
7
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
7
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Joanne W.

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Really lovely little stop over. Very peaceful. Owner very friendly and helpful. 15 min cycle to pub. Nice walk around the site..... and the pigs were very cute and funny 😁

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great location and amazing host

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Dean S.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked Camped with my two girls and wife it is such a Great location with stunning scenery, this was my second visit and won’t be my last

Gina the host is very accommodating and even let my girl help out feeding the pigs which they throughly enjoyed with my youngest saying that was her favourite part

I couldn’t recommend this place more and I can not wait to revisit

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great camp site.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
7
Warren W.

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked On arrival we were met by the very friendly camp owner Gina. She explained the site and suggested where to pitch up.
The site was really lovely with lots of trees around and views of other meadows.
There is running water with an eco toilet by the car park.
We had a fire pit with extra wood and supplies arrival if required.
We played some ball games too as there was a lot or space in front of our tent.
We will definitely be returning in the future and it was a shame we could only stay for one night.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wild simple camp spot close to nature

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
No rating
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Laurie G.

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Wild open space, simple facilities, back to basics, fire pits, pigs and nature!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very nice peaceful . Friendly helpful…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Maria K.

Unpowered grass campervan site

Liked Very nice peaceful . Friendly helpful owner.plenty of space . Quiet location

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

A peaceful stay only up the…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
8
Accommodation
8
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Amy C.

Robens bell tent

Liked A peaceful stay only up the road, but felt like an off-grid getaway! Gina was a fabulous host, super approachable and personable, we could have chatted for ages. The property and grounds are delightful - the arboretum with a vast array of trees and shrubbery, the uncut glades with crickets singing, the livestock, all of it was a lovely experience just to relax and soak up the last ekes of summer. Super peaceful and you can listen to the owls, birds and deer at night. Loved seeing how their boys are invested in the running and supply of the 'Tuck Shop' (which is a nice touch of convenience if you fancy crops grown on-site or local honey etc! Or forget any supplies). We stayed in the pre-pitched mini bell tent. Pitches are well-spaced and feel secluded and restful unlike many industrial sized sites where you are at the helm of immediate neighbours. And as the other reviews mention - wow, the compost loo! 10/10 the best I've seen. Children clearly love it here too, it's safe and gives all the space to play and be mindful with nature. Would stay again!

Disliked Nothing to note! Thankfully we knew where we were heading, as the camping sign from the roadside for the property turning is both tiny and faded in print, so might catch some folk out. The welcome/instruction email was sent the morning of arrival, which I missed when on the move and could have been useful for a briefing, so perhaps sending that a little sooner ensures uptake and receipt :-)

Recommend to friends Visit again

The set up of the campsite…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
6
Anonymous

Unpowered grass tent site

Liked The set up of the campsite is spacious and offers a lot of privacy. There is a lot to explore with pleanty around to do as well as pleanty of wildlife to encounter. Hosts of the campsite were incredibly helpful and friendly. I would recommend everyone tries the homemade honey that is offered in the small kiosk as it is somthing special.

Disliked Needs more toilets and maybe in future to add an eco friendly shower. This is just us being incredibly picky.

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundry Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

D. of E. welcome Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Themes

Peaceful Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump point Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No hot water Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market Public transport nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Tiny (1-10 sites)

Nearby leisure

Climbing nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horse riding nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Garden Cottage

The Street

Stowlangtoft

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

England

IP31 3JX

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

52.28099°N
0.87776°E

Nearest transport

Coach
3.6 km Village Hall
3.6 km Village Hall
4.9 km Jacobs Close
Rail
5.3 km Elmswell Rail Station
5.8 km Thurston Rail Station
11.6 km Bury St Edmunds Rail Station
Ferry
45.2 km Harwich International Ferry Terminal
45.2 km Shotley Point Marina Ferry Landing
45.2 km Shotley Point Marina Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Attractions and activities nearby include: - Bury St Edmunds (historic market town with a cathedral and abbey gardens, theatre, shops and restaurants): 20 minutes’ drive - Thetford Forest Park (cycling, walking and wildlife spotting): 25 minutes - Ickworth (National Trust estate): 25 minutes - Bressingham Steam & Gardens (railways and locomotives collection): half an hour - Banham Zoo: half an hour - Melsop Farm Park (farm animal activities): 45 minutes - Cambridge (punting, The Backs, parks and shopping): 55 minutes - Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (beaches, historic towns and scenic landscapes): an hour.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Dovercourt 47.6 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Felixstowe South 48.2 km Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 16.4 km

Bressingham Steam and Gardens 16.7 km

Banham Zoo 20.8 km

Grimes Graves 26.6 km

Christchurch Mansion 31.3 km

National Trust

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds 11.9 km

Ickworth House, Park and Gardens 16.5 km

Lavenham Guildhall 19.9 km

Melford Hall 24.6 km

Thorington Hall 33.6 km

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Ixworth - Great Livermere - Troston - Ixworth 3.6 km

Tostock 5 km

Thurston - Great Barton - Pakenham - Little Haugh - Thurston 5.8 km

Ixworth Thorpe 6.4 km

Hepworth 8.3 km

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Suffolk?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Garden Cottage have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Garden Cottage dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Garden Cottage? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Bury St Edmunds (historic market town with a cathedral and abbey gardens, theatre, shops and restaurants): 20 minutes’ drive - Thetford Forest Park (cycling, walking and … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Garden Cottage?
    Camping and caravan
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  7 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Garden Cottage? From $41.64 (for 1 night, 4 people) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.