Tucked away in the folds of peaceful North Norfolk countryside, you’ll find Wild Meadow Glamping at Raynham Estate - a luxurious glamping site with eight hand-crafted yurts set in a five-acre wild flower meadow. This little pocket of heaven is located at Raynham Hall, a privately-owned seventeenth century estate - the perfect base to explore North Norfolk.
Wild Meadow Glamping by daylight - image Shepherd’s Purse yurt
As Norfolk residents we often pop to the coast, which is why this weekend we felt compelled to base ourselves predominately at Wild Meadow Glamping. However, if you’re not local, I do urge you to explore the seaside gems dotted around the nearby coast – Wells-Next-The-Sea, Holkham, Blakeney, Cromer, and slightly in-land, Holt, are all worthy stop-offs.
With that said, you really don’t really need to venture beyond the estate – with luxurious touches around you, and blissful large blue skies above, the only thing you need do is bring good supplies – you know, the usual - Aperol Spritz, some fizz, plenty of dips, midnight feast snacks, a charcuterie board, and a large bag of ice. (Remember, this is glamorous camping.)
From our yurt we soaked up rolling views, made all the more glorious by the golden sunshine and tempered heat we experienced during our stay which coincided with Father’s Day weekend. Our stay also landed just a couple of days before the summer solstice which meant there was an endless supply of daylight - 18 hours to be exact - so don’t forget to bring your eye-masks (luckily we brought two, and a fellow glamper kindly gave us a third).
A Place for Outdoor Living
The glamping site is pristine and well-kept, with thoughtful details throughout. Each yurt at Wild Meadow Glamping is named after some of the wildflowers grown on the land such as poppy, forget-me-not, foxglove, and we stayed in Shepherd’s Purse. Each yurt sleeps between four and five people, with one super-king bed and other guests on singles.
Two of the yurts have private en-suite shower rooms, the rest have their own designated toilet and shower room located a short walk from the yurts. Each yurt has its own barbeque and picnic bench outside, and Shepherd’s Purse, where we stayed, had a wood-fired hot tub.
The Turnip Tent is a large communal kitchen with plenty of tables and chairs, kitchen sinks, and electric hobs to cook on. Within the Turnip Tent, each yurt has its own allocated food cupboard, fridge-freezer, crockery, utensils and cutlery cubby hole.
A Place for Luv Tubbing
Possibly the crowning glory of our stay was that our yurt (Shepherd’s Purse) had its own private hot tub. Something my daughter was very excited about. (Though it’s not suitable for children under 5.) Out first attempt to bring the water up to temperature took four hours, and alas, it was a little tepid. However, my partner managed to master it by the second night and the hot tub was like a sauna within a shorter space of time. I noticed on the Wild Meadow Glamping website that The Luv Tub, as it’s referred to, is also known as an Ofuro tub which, in Japan, has been associated with deep relaxation and healing powers associated with the buoyancy of hot water.
A Place to Run Free…
I think the thing I loved the most was that our daughter (almost eight years old) was able to very easily make friends and go feral, and because the glamping enclosure is surrounded by meadows and rolling fields, and its perimeter fenced, it’s very safe and spacious for children to roam free. Although we live in a Norfolk village, this felt like an environment akin to the bygone years - Swallows and Amazons came to mind on a few occasions.
A Place for Star-Gazers…
Each yurt has its own wood burner and skylight for stargazing (not that we needed a wood burner during mid-summer). You’ll fall asleep to the sound of owls and the silent whispers of hare and deer running through the estate, and you’ll be woken by the sound of cows, morning larks and bells ringing from the church at the end of the meadow.
A Place for Foodies…
You can arrange various goodies for your arrival including Brancaster oysters, freshly prepared hampers, Raynham Aberdeen Angus beef, barbeque packs, marshmallows and even afternoon tea. I also recommend nearby Dabbling Duck (great pub food) and a bit further afield you’ll find Morston Hall, Titchwell Manor, and for a glass of wine or ale with your fish and chips (and some Asian-fusion twists) head to Eric’s at Thornham, Hunstanton.
A Place for Sleeping Peacefully…
All being well - as long as you don’t have wakeful children - you’re very likely to sleep like logs here. Inside the yurt there is a large comfortable super-king sized bed with soft bedding, pillows, blankets and cushions, two bedside tables with lamps and an additional electricity socket. (The 4G is surprisingly good for rural Norfolk!) There’s also a wood-burner and leather chair.
A Place for New Friendships…
One of the things I was pleasantly reminded of was the social aspect of glamping. Unlike a hotel stay, we’ve always found campervanning or glamping much more sociable. The novelty factor of glamping and just being outdoors together, always seems to unite folks. This is what happened during our weekend at Wild Meadow Glamping. It's a place where the children instantly make friends and bundle off for adventures together, while as parents, you feel safe knowing that they can run free. By nightfall, families gather around the large communal firepit and the children, with happy and grubby faces, climb trees, devour scorched marshmallows, while parents sip wine by the fire.
Nearby Adventures
The Hawk & Owl Trust
Pensthorpe and WildRootz
Bugz UK
Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse
Fact Box
In June, a two-night stay in the Shepherd’s Purse yurt with private hot tub (for up to 4 people) starts at £390. Bed linen is included for the super-king bed and there is the option to hire additional single beds with bed linen provided at £20 per stay.
Wild Meadow Glamping
Lodge Farm
Swaffham Rd
East Raynham
NR21 7EF
01328 863746
https://raynham.co.uk/wildmeadowglamping/
Article by Leah Larwood
Images: courtesy Wild Meadow Glamping/ Sheherd Purse Yurt