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Bircham Windmill

97%
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· Norfolk, Norfolk, England
1 acre hosted by Elly C.
2 glamping pitches · 15 motorhome pitches
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Best campervan spots: Finalist
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2023.
Family-friendly
Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.
Flat grassy tent pitches beneath a magnificent working windmill, all accompanied by Norfolk's best bakery

Plenty of campsites claim to offer fresh bread available each morning but none can compete with Bircham Windmill. The scent of the baking, floury dough floods the main bakery room. Even if you intended to munch on that boring cereal you brought, you’ll soon find the smell irresistible. A loaf, a sausage roll and an iced-bun for the road – that’ll get you through the day. Of course, it’s not really the bakery that people come here for. It’s the much earlier stages in the bread-making process that really mark this place out. Standing like a great grandfather of the countryside, is the striking windmill itself, a fully restored and that has stood here since 1846.

It’s in a small paddock beside the windmill that the camping meadow is found – a simple but beautiful affair. There are just 15 pitches in total (plus a pair of shepherds huts), with a limit of five caravans meaning the place always has a family focused, traditional camping vibe. Toilets, showers and a games room are provided specifically for campers, while throughout the day guests have access to the entire windmill site, including a playground and animals to visit. At 2pm each day you can watch the sheep being milked – their excellent homemade cheeses are also available in the bakery shop.

Many people pitch here for the wider appeal of its location. Brancaster, Hunstanton and Holkham beaches are all just a short drive away and the Sandringham Estate is within easy cycling distance (a quiet, family-friendly route). But the windmill is undeniably the main attraction. Visitors can climb the five floors up to the fan stage, peeping their head out of wooden shutter doors along the way, with informative signs giving a little insight into how it all works. By the time you’ve climbed back down you’ve burned off enough calories for another iced-bun too. Now isn’t that convenient?

Activities
Biking
Natural features
Beach
Farm
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97%
129 Ratings · 128 reviews
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Robert S.recommends
July 23, 2023
7 - Grass Pitch with EHU
Lovely facilities and a really nice place to relax. Safe for the kids and a great location.
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Tony B.recommends
July 7, 2023
Grass Pitch with electricity
A cycling basecamp I'll revisit.
I loved van camping on Elly's site. It was great to hear kids laughing and to see them being active, outdoors. The site was not busy, it had a unique character with its own windmill and big skies view. But it also have all of the amenities that you would wish for. I would certainly go back again as it offered a good basecamp for exploratory cycle rides in the local vicinity.
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Nicola M.recommends
June 7, 2023
Grass Pitch with electricity
Cycling in North Norfolk
Loved our stay with Elly at Bircham Windmill. The site is well mapped out and with roomy pitches, the facilities are great, kept clean with added extras like a pile of laundered shower mats and tea towels to use. Good base for exploring the area on our bikes and lovely to have the tea rooms and bakery on site.
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Sarah ?.recommends
June 4, 2023
Romney Shepherds hut
Beautiful Bircham!
We love this site! Beautiful location, all the amenities needed including some lovely touches like extra bath mats and tea towels. Views are amazing… sunrises and sunsets. Lovely animals. Small site, friendly staff. We love Romsey the shepherds hut. Cosy and comfy. Lots of lovely walks nearby, seaside too. Windmill to explore. Great bakery and cafe. All good. Thank you!
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James C.recommends
April 24, 2023
Grass Pitch with electricity
Excellent. Fun, Quick. Interesting options and genuine! Thanks Hipcamp
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Rhoda B.recommends
September 26, 2022
Grass Pitch with electricity
I loved the cafe and Mill on site to make your own bread. Lovely walks around the area
Location
Norfolk, Norfolk, England, United KingdomTraditional, ancestral territory of various First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Elly C.Joined in July 2016
From the host
Standing in the heart of Norfolk's undulating fields, Bircham Windmill now looks as it did over 100 years ago. At that time over 300 mills ground corn for horse & cattle feed and bread-making in Norfolk. Today, very few windmills are left, and Bircham Mill is considered one of the best still remaining: it is the only windmill in working order in this area open to the public. We welcome tent campers and a handful of caravans to enjoy this magnificent setting on our flat, grass pitches enjoying views of the historic windmill. Our onsite bakery is something of a local institution and serves a whole host of traditionally-baked treats made right here at the mill.
Nearby attractions

Brancaster offers the closest beach. Walk half a mile left from the entrance and you can sometimes spot grey seals, who reside in the marshes around Titchwell Nature Reserve (01485 210779). Hunstanton beach is also easily reached from the campsite or, in the opposite direction, head to famous Holkham – a haunt of the royals with a ginormous stretch of sands and an equally beautiful backing of pine trees. Just inland, Holkham Hall (01328 710806) is well worth exploring, particularly if you bring a bike to pedal around the estate grounds. Nearer still is Sandringham (01485 545400). Bircham Windmill is surrounded by the Sandgringham Estate farm land and the house itself is open to the public during summer. Its a pleasant cycle from the campsite.

Food and drink

The onsite tearoom and bakery is a delight – the sausage rolls are a must-try during your stay. There are also plenty of good pubs in the vicinity. The nearest is in Great Bircham itself – The Kings Head (01485 578265) – but driving (or cycling) to the cost pays dividends. The White Horse (01485 210262) in Brancaster is fantastic – sea views from the conservatory dining area – and it's slightly more relaxed neighbour, The Jolly Sailors (01485 210314), just down the road has a great pub atmosphere, beer garden and proper pizza-oven cooked pizzas.

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