The Willows

Stratotankers, Hercules, Globemasters...Aviator types, you’ll know what we’re talking about and you can see them all here as the end of the RAF Mildenhall runway is a fence-hop away (but we can assure you no hopping will be necessary). The US Air Forces in Europe touch down right here at their military transport base - known as ‘The Gateway to Europe’. The snapshot opportunities for avid photographers are second to none, and best of all, you don’t even have to leave the campsite. Picnic in hand, planespotting list to tick off - it doesn’t get more satisfying. Along with the wide variety of aircraft at Mildenhall, RAF Lakenheath is just six miles away for more photo opps, too. It’s plane to see upon arriving at The Willows that there’s more to this super little setting than aircraft alone. The Suffolk countryside offers walking and cycling for those who like to go the distance and the relatively flat terrain means there'll be no stopping you. Countryside walks should be completed with a countryside pub. With the Greene King brewery just half an hour away in the historic town of Bury St Edmunds, why not take a trip, enjoy a tour and sample the best hoppy, fresh and bitter ales the area has to offer? We’ll take an Old Speckled Hen, please. Twitchers will be ruffling their feathers with excitement with a trip to Weeting Heath National Nature Reserve (around 25 minutes by car) - one of the best sites in the UK to spy the rare stone curlew along with woodlarks, woodpeckers, little owls and kestrel. Nature lovers will also enjoy the fishing and horse-riding opportunities just a couple of miles from The Willows. Trot to Newmarket (just an hour’s drive south) if you fancy a flutter at the races or to the cities of Ely, with its gothic cathedral (half an hour away) or Cambridge (around 45 minutes away) with its world-famous university, punting and bicycle fun, and shopping and dining options. Swing past the golf course within a mile of the site on your travels, too. If you want to see something with more oomph than a buggy, Mildenhall Stadium is just two miles from The Willows and shows speedway, greyhound and banger racing. For adrenaline junkies (or should we say, adrenaline monkeys?) adults and kids (over ten years and 1.4m tall) can Go Ape! at Thetford Forest’s high ropes course. Perfect for those bananas enough to give it a go, but for anyone who prefers to stay grounded, segwaying is also available.