The Old Gym

1 review
Forest area
Forest area
Access to pitch area
Forest floor
Small area available to pitch near main building
Camping in norfolk
Main pitch area
Shaded areas
Pitches
1/12

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  • Peaceful three-acre Norfolk campsite surrounded by forest
  • Five minutes' drive from Downham Market; Wisbech 15 minutes
  • Swimming pool on site; close to local buses and station
Escape to the peace and quiet of a Norfolk woodland at The Old Gym, a low-key campsite five minutes' drive from the popular town of Downham Market. Set in a secluded location just a short distance from the river Great Ouse, The Old Gym covers about three acres in total, with lots of pleasant grassy areas and a number of woodland pitches for those who prefer to be in the shade. Facilities on site are simple but well maintained and include essentials like toilets and showers. Another big plus of staying here is that there's an inviting swimming pool on site – it's open to the public between 9am and 8pm daily, so you'll need to buy a ticket if you want to make use of it at these times, but after 8pm the pool is available for campers' exclusive use. After a refreshing dip in the pool, head down to the water's edge in search of wildlife at Willows Nature Reserve (five minutes' drive), or see where several watercourses converge at the Denver Sluice (10 minutes). Downham Market's facilities – including a railway station, several pubs, various cafés and a couple of well-stocked supermarkets – can all be reached within five to 10 minutes' drive.

Campground type

Tent sites 20
Opens

Languages spoken

English

Nearby parks that are bookable on Pitchup.com

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Norfolk?

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby

Type

Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Location

The Old Gym

Downham Market

Norfolk

England

PE38 0BA

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

52.58972°N
0.33588°E

Nearest transport

Bus
8.4 mi Kismet
8.7 mi Primary School
9.1 mi Horse Fair Bus Station
Rail
1.6 mi Downham Market Rail Station
6.1 mi Watlington Rail Station
8.8 mi Littleport Rail Station
Ferry
11.7 mi King's Lynn Ferry Landing
11.7 mi West Lynn Ferry Landing
Airport
27.2 mi Cambridge Airport

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

From walks along the river to exploring East Anglia's antiques shops, trips to The Old Gym put you within reach of a great range of activities, attractions and days out. A good a place to start as any is the pretty market town and inland port of Wisbech (15 minutes' drive), where you can visit the National Trust-run Peckover House and Gardens, catch up on the latest movies at the town's independent cinema or join a brewery tour at Elgood & Sons. The town is also close to rural activities like Fens Falconry (20 minutes), where you can get up close and personal with various indigenous and exotic birds of prey. For a change of scenery, head south along the A134 and within 25 minutes or so you'll be deep in Thetford Forest, where there are lots of great walks, bike trails as well as a Go Ape high-ropes course. Also to the south is Ely (30 minutes), where you can visit a truly magnificent cathedral or see the Tudor-era house where Oliver Cromwell once lived. Looking to leave the car behind for the day? At Downham Market station (five minutes) you can catch regular train services to destinations including King's Lynn, Ely and Cambridge.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Heacham 22.8 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Hunstanton Main Beach 24.8 mi Sea PoorN/AN/AN/A
Hunstanton (Old Hunstanton) 26 mi Sea N/AGoodGoodGood

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Ely Cathedral 13.6 mi

Grimes Graves 15.9 mi

Castle Acre Castle 16.8 mi

Sandringham 17.9 mi

Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve 19.4 mi

National Trust

Peckover House and Garden 9.2 mi

Oxburgh Hall 9.9 mi

St George's Guildhall 11.7 mi

Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve 19.3 mi

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill 24.7 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Nordelph 1.7 mi

Downham Market 1.9 mi

Fordham 2.3 mi

Hilgay 3.1 mi

Outwell 4.6 mi

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.

Reviews

10

Overall rating from one Pitchup.com customer

Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again
Reviews page 1 of 1
Arrival date (latest first)

Great place to pitch a tent. Very friendly

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
 No rating
Pauline H.

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Lovely and peaceful, birds,including owls seen.
Great grassed area for camping, owners very welcoming . Lovely swimming pool and sauna.

Disliked None loved it there will go back

Recommend to friends Visit again

Frequently asked questions

  • Does The Old Gym have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
  • Is The Old Gym dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near The Old Gym? From walks along the river to exploring East Anglia's antiques shops, trips to The Old Gym put you within reach of a great range of activities, attractions and days out. A good … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of The Old Gym?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  8 a.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  4 p.m.
    Read more