Looking for a break in the countryside for your next social gathering? Willow Grove happily opens its farm gates to groups of friends and families, providing a glamping getaway that’s tons of fun for up to nearly 40 adults and kids alike. Six fully-furnished bell tents are available on this Suffolk site, each boasting its own private shower room with a flushing toilet, and positioned around a communal campfire. This is a versatile space, as ideal for a hen-do as it is for a family gathering – adults will love barbecuing with their nearest and dearest, while the kids can walk the alpacas and hand-feed the pygmy goats.
The tents are placed in a circle but kept spaciously apart, making them ideal for both group and individual bookings. Whether you’re booking just the one tent or all six, there’s a real sense of community here – picnic benches are gathered around in a sheltered social hub next to the well-equipped outdoor kitchen, and it’s all but a requirement to roast marshmallows over the central campfire with your fellow glampers. It’s a good-looking spot, too, as fairy lights adorn the trees that are scattered between the tents, lending it a real magical woodland vibe, while the tents’ furnishings wouldn’t look out of place in a quaint cottage.
If you’re not kept busy enough nattering away over the fire, take the wooden canoe over to the river that runs behind the tents. This waterway runs right into the village of Lakenheath, where there are some popular local pubs to pop into, and just outside is the military base of RAF Lakenheath with a viewing area from which you can sometimes spot huge jets taking off (you'll know if it's worth waiting because the carpark overflows when there are interesting planes taking off).
Back at camp, the kids will love the on-site sunken trampolines and zip-line, and can meet the animal friends who call this place home – Dolly and Ronnie the goats, Jeffery and Rodney the alpacas, and the Welsh Mountain Ponies. The hens also provide fresh eggs, included in the purchasable local breakfast hamper with a BBQ hamper also available. It all makes for a holiday you and your loved ones won’t forget in a hurry.