Camping at Pensthorpe 2024!

I’ve long thought camping at Pensthorpe would be a brilliant idea and they’ve finally taken the plunge for summer 2024 with their very own site set up for both tent pitches, and their own glamping bell tents! There are 24 tent pitches (non-electric) and six bell tents which are home to proper beds (a double and three singles) as well as being decorated with fairy lights. If staying in a bell you just need to bring your own bedding and you’re grand – for £240 for two nights including entry to the park your party of up to 5 will be well away.

We, however, pitched out own tent where you can have 6 people for just £30 per night. You then need to pay per person for a two day pass to the park which costs £16.95 (2 days for the price of one in normal entry prices)! For our family of 6, this trip costs £131.70 which is phenomenal value considering the time you can spend in the park. Regular camp sites charge similar fees just to camp and yet at Pensthorpe you have so much to do. You can, if staying in your own tent, also bring up to two dogs (who are not allowed inside the park).

Pensthorpe is one of our favourite places to visit. The vista is gloriously beautiful and though we always take the same walk around the river before seeing the flamingos, then playing in the extensive play areas (inside and out), it’s ever changing with the seasons. There’s always plenty extra to do in the school holidays too, with pond dipping, den building and other activities added to the daily itinerary. At the moment they’ve had a changing theme for the two halves of the summer break, we visited for “enchanted” which felt very special when we discovered the little areas like “sleeping Beauty’s” bed! During term time the fun doesn’t stop either, messy mornings run in the week which are great for little ones and come included in the entry price, taking place in the indoor play area of Hootz House.

We come fairly regularly, have often been season ticket holders and all of my children have been exploring this fantastic park since they were babies. When Florence was tiny there was far less to do and yet we still loved it, having watched it grow with my children into the all singing and all dancing place that it is today, keeping up with the likes of BeWILDerwood, Roarr! and Wroxham Barns (some of our other favourite attractions in the area), it’s been a real pleasure to watch it blossom. Pensthorpe is for all ages, all stages, all abilities and needs. It’s stunning year round and as a day out it’s always been top tier for us!

But what would it be like camping, with no electricity and, as they consider themselves “off grid”, no charging points either! I knew I’d find that hard, let alone my teen and tween but we were game to give it a go!

You can pitch your tent between 4pm and 5pm which is a little late in the day with children and something they say they are going to change for next year taking on board the feedback they’ve gained., I’d prefer to see them doing a lunch time arrival point because that late in the day isn’t always conducive with smaller children, but then with that, you don’t have to leave until 5pm on the day you go, so that makes the swing to the roundabout.

The facilities are great considering this is their first season but they are basic in keeping with the “off grid” camping they advertise. Decent, clean showers and toilets which never seemed to be busy and of course, access to the park while it’s open make it comfortable. Ideally I’d have had the park area, which is easy to access from the camping field, open into the evening so that the children could have continued playing but we had a ball and some cards so we were grand while the kiddos all buddied up within about 5 minutes of arriving and were playing football in the extensive area around camp. Again opening up the play area is something they’ve said they are looking into for evenings for their next season and you don’t NEED it, we had lots to do anyway, but I think it would be a nice addition!

It’s quiet and tranquil, as is always the case at Pensthorpe, and this makes it an idyllic place to camp. They also have food being served in their cafe until 7.45pm on arrival day while you can hire fire pits and kindling too, this is great for the camping staple of smores! We cooked up a storm on our gas stove and had some really yummy food with careful ahead planning! We also ate an amazing lunch in the Pensthorpe cafe!

As I mentioned, we got to enjoy “Enchanted Pensthorpe” the first of the two themes running back to back until the end of the holidays. Right now, for the last half, it’s “Superheroes of Nature”! We might pop back for a day of fun and to see the second theme later in the holidays. You can actually buy a summer pass for £30 which is valid until the 3rd of September – Just two visits make it worthwhile!

Well, Pensthorpe and camping, what can we say?! We’re very glad you offer this in summer now, we had a brilliant family staycation with you. Travelling with a large family often gifts pitfalls when it comes to accommodation so this is perfect, we highly recommend and if you want to see some of the facilities, what we cooked and how much fun we had when holidaying at the Pensthorpe camp then please see my three Instagram reels @rocknrollerbaby!

For now, here’s our highlights of the trip!

Collaboration.