Ling's Meadow

A butterfly dances over lush grass swaying lazily in the soothing midsummer breeze. Buzzards and kestrels circle overhead, spying on hares in the meadow below. And, somewhere amid it all, you are reclining in the sun, listening to the laughter of children embarking on an adventure. Sounds like a certain popular cider brand’s latest cheesy advert, right? Wrong. This idyllic scene is what awaits those campers lucky enough to stumble upon Ling's Meadow.

Nestled within a peaceful pocket of a rewilded 80-acre farm, Ling’s Meadow has been delighting campers since it opened in 2013. Kath, who runs the site with husband Neel and whose family have farmed here since the 1930s, says: “There’s just something about Suffolk fields...” And we can’t help but agree: there’s certainly something about this one. The long grass, the flat landscape and the wide expanse of sky are part of it but, above all, it’s what the Shearer’s have done here that makes this place so special. They keep cars out of the meadow and numbers of campers and glampers low for an atmosphere that’s free range and friendly.

There’s space for just six tents in spacious, circular pitches that are hewn into the meadow grass with meandering paths to connect them. Then there are a pair of ‘slow camping base camps’; unfurnished bell tents with simple campfire cooking kit provided.

And then, there’s the glamping proper: the fully kitted-out star dome. Warmed by log burners and the love that’s gone into it. You’ll see it in the star dome – a unique construction of the Shearer’s own design. It’s there in the facilities too: a rustic camp kitchen and the family-friendly compost loo cabins.

A signposted walk offers a tour of the farm. Look out for deer, hedgehogs, badgers and foxes as well as the sheep and alpacas whose grazing is part of the land management here. Offsite, East Anglia is yours to explore, from the Broads and the coast to charming rural villages and their medieval churches. In keeping with the site’s green ethos, guests are encouraged to explore the region on two wheels. There are bikes to borrow if you don’t have your own and, handily, a couple of cycle routes run just to the north of site wending their way around the surrounding Suffolk fields. There really is something about them but nothing quite compares to Ling’s Meadow.