Deepdale News Archive

Along Norfolk's coastline are huge swathes of pale sandy beaches, grassy dunes, and bird-friendly nature reserves

For those seeking something different from a seaside holiday, the Norfolk Coast has much to offer. Let Rhiannon Batten be your guide

Why go here?

When summer hits the UK it’s the south or south-west coast we tend to flock to, but don’t ignore the east.

Along Norfolk’s coastline are huge swathes of pale sandy beaches, grassy dunes, and bird-friendly nature reserves. For those who want fairground rides and candyfloss there are traditional seaside resorts too. But the real attraction of Norfolk’s coastline is the meeting of sky and sea in a relatively untamed way. If you’re a foodie, get your skates on; the Norfolk Food Festival takes place throughout the county from 4 September to 2 October (norfolkfoodfestival.co.uk). One of the highlights is the food-festival-within-a-festival taking place at Holkham Hall on 3 and 4 September (holkham.co.uk). After shopping and snacking your way around stalls of local produce, you can walk off any excess with a stroll along Holkham beach (holkham.co.uk/html/beach).

The great outdoors

With Norfolk’s coast designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as far back as 1968 (norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk) it’s little surprise that the area is popular with nature lovers. If it’s twitching you are after, Titchwell Marsh RSPB Reserve, between Thornham and Brancaster, is one of the most impressive reserves in the country, with marsh harriers and bitterns the star species (rspb.org). Walkers can stride out along the Norfolk Coast Path (nationaltrail.co.uk/peddarsway). Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, it was recently voted the Best Coastal Path Trail in Britain by readers of Coast magazine.

The history trail

The 17th-century Felbrigg Hall, near Cromer (nationaltrust.co.uk) has all the opulent drawing rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms that you would expect of a stately home, but the lovely copperware-filled kitchen and walled garden are the two of the main draws. The Queen’s Norfolk retreat, Sandringham House, just outside King’s Lynn, is another big attraction, not least in late summer and early autumn when visitors can also take time out to pick their own heritage apple varieties (sandringhamestate.co.uk). For history of a more spiritual kind, make your way to Binham Priory, just inland from Stiffkey (english-heritage.co.uk). It was built as a Benedictine priory, and the nave with its 13th-century west front, now serves as the parish church.

The retail therapy

Not for nothing is Burnham Market, in North Norfolk, known as Chelsea-on-Sea (burnhammarket.co.uk). The village is home to gastropubs, galleries and all manner of shops. Just to the east, in Holkham, is Bringing the Outside In, which sells everything from driftwood hearts to the owner’s landscape photographs (bringingtheoutsidein.co.uk). Further east still is Stiffkey Stores, in Stiffkey, a favourite for its mix of homewares and coffee shop treats (stiffkeystores.com). Detour inland for Old Town classic British workwear, in Holt (old-town.co.uk), and St Jude’s Prints for prints, stationery and fabrics at Itteringham (stjudesprints. co.uk). Finally, if you’ve found all the shopping thirsty work, make your way to the Real Ale Shop outside Wells-next-the-Sea to stock up on local beers (therealaleshop.co.uk).

The inside attractions

The Mo Museum reopened in Sheringham last year and tells the story of the town’s boat-building history and more in an imaginative and accessible way (sheringhammuseum.co.uk). Also worth a detour is Cromer Museum which, alongside local history displays, has a gallery dedicated to the early 20th-century photographs of pioneering local Olive Edis (museums.norfolk.co.uk). If you’ve got family in tow, you’ve just got time to catch one of the Schools Out Summer Seaside Special variety shows at Cromer Pier’s Pavilion Theatre. The last one takes place on 2 September (cromer-pier.com). For more family entertainment, head to Bircham Windmill, one of very few remaining working mills in the region. As well as a museum, it’s home to sheep milking demos, a bike hire centre and a tearoom (birchamwindmill.co.uk).

The places to eat and drink

Fish and chips might be an obvious coastal culinary highlight in these parts but, for something a bit above and beyond the standard chippie, opt for prawn bisque, a crab sandwich or a lobster salad at Cookies Crab Shop (salthouse.org.uk). Be warned: it closes early – 7pm in summer. For more formal eating there’s the White Horse at Brancaster Staithe (whitehorsebrancaster.co.uk), the Neptune at Hunstanton (theneptune.co.uk) or Titchwell Manor hotel, near Brancaster, which has recently undergone a revamp and now offers the smart but relaxed Eating Rooms restaurant alongside its more formal Conservatory restaurant (titchwellmanor.com).

Compact Facts

How to get there

Trains take about 1hr 40mins, London to King’s Lynn (firstcapitalconnect.co.uk), from where you can pick up the Coasthopper bus service to Cromer (coasthopper.co.uk). To get further east, services from London to Norwich take about two hours (national expresseastanglia.com), with connections to Great Yarmouth, Cromer and Sheringham.

Where to stay

Flying Kiwi Inns (flyingkiwiinns.co.uk) has gastropubs with rooms throughout Norfolk. Deepdale Farm (deepdalefarm.co.uk) for hostels and posh campsite accommodation.

Further information

See visitnorfolk.co.uk

The Independent
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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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Watch the video at: http://www.itv.com/anglia/camping-or-glamping89446/

For those of you who think camping is all about cold showers, a long walk to the loo and an uncomfortable night under canvas, then you clearly haven’t heard of glamping! It’s for those who want to camp but with all the home comforts.

ITV Anglia Tonight
Presenter: Andrea Johnston
Click here to read the full article

 

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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Watch the video at: http://www.itv.com/anglia/bank-holiday-bonanza72712/

The East of England could be in for a bumper start to the holiday season with the Easter break, the Royal Wedding and Mayday bank holiday all coming in close succession, beginning this weekend with glorious weather across the region.

Over a million visits are made to our region every year. That includes day trips and overnight stays.

The industry here employs two hundred thousand people, and in financial terms, tourism is worth 5.2 billion pounds to the economy in the East of England.

ITV Anglia Tonight
Presenter: Andrea Johnston
Click here to read the full article

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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A curlew looking for food on the marsh at Burnham Deepdale. Picture: Ian Burt

When the skeins of squealing geese have flown from Norfolk, the curlew’s cry forms the soundtrack as spring gets set to land on the coast.

She probes the mud for titbits in the maze of creeks that criss-cross the salt marsh at Burnham Deepdale.

On the highest tides, the ropes stir and the boats come briefly to life as water courses up the inlets.

An old flat-bottomed wildfowler’s punt keeps watch as the seasons change.

There’s always something happening on the salt marsh, from the depths of winter to the height of summer.

It’s a fascinating place for a walk – with or without a camera.

Today’s blue skies will warm the curlew’s heart. Soon she and her mate will look for a nesting site above the high water mark.

Their call takes on a more urgent note as the days draw out and the male bird marks their territory with his roller coaster display.

As the birds take turns to incubate their eggs, the marsh bursts into glorious life around them.

By the time the curlew chicks are born, the creeks will scuttle with shrimp and shore crabs.

Sea thrift brings a riot of colour to the marsh, before the first sprigs of samphire peep out from the mud.

For now there is just the curlew’s cry – as winter takes flight from the coast.

Eastern Daily Press
Journalist: Chris Bishop
Photographer: Ian Burt
Click here to read the full article

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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Norwich Backpackers - Plans for the Backpackers Hostel down at the old Ferry Boat pub.

The people behind Norwich’s first backpackers’ hostel said that it could be open by the end of the year – after plans to alter and extend the former Ferry Boat pub in King Street, were lodged with council officials.

The pub, near the Riverside complex, has been sitting empty for more than four years, but it has already been re-roofed and Jason Borthwick, who owns it with his father Alister Borthwick, said that, if plans were approved, work to create a 150-200 bed hostel on the site could start almost immediately.

It would be “awesome” to open the hostel by Christmas, he said, but a likelier date would be April 2012.

He said: “Our previous planning application was withdrawn due to lack of time to get it ready.

“We hope that this new application will go to the planning committee with the planning officers’ support some time later this month.

“We hope the whole place could be up and running well before the 2012 Olympics, and it would be awesome if we could open for Christmas.

“However, we will have to wait and see what happens with planning. Our first goal is hopefully to be open to host the European Hostel Conference in April 2012, which would be great for Norwich, as hostel owners from around Europe would visit Norwich and see what amazing facilities we have.”

The Borthwicks, who created the Deepdale Farm campsite on the North Norfolk Coast, plan to turn the building into an eco-friendly hostel with cycle and canoe hire and a cafe and tourist information centre.

Jason Borthwick said the main pub would not change much at all. The downstairs front bar would become a real ale appreciation shop/bar, selling off sales with a few beers on tap and the upstairs would remain a flat for tenants.

The boat house and music room on the site are dilapidated and falling down and will be replaced with a boat shed that will house accommodation, the cycle hire and canoe hire barn, plus the café by the river.

Mr Borthwick said a new warehouse style building, which will house most of the accommodation for the backpackers’ hostel, would be built over the car park. There will be a mix of double, twin, triple, quad, family and dorm rooms, all offering ensuite shower rooms.

The old beer store by the car park will be recycled to build the new reception/visitor information centre that links the old pub building with the new hostel, while the old brick arch will be saved and form one of the new walls of the reception building.

Mr Borthwick said there will be a lot of glass in the reception building, so people would be able to stand on King Street and look down to the river.

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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Several members of the 300-strong network of UK Independent Hostels welcome dogs, some make a small charge for pets but in others they can stay for free, providing great value overnight stays for you and your four-legged friend. Many are in stunning rural or coastal locations ideal for walks and wild runs while others are within a short stroll of a dog-friendly pub.

Whether you are planning a one-night stopover or a longer stay, the hostels generally offer inexpensive self-catering facilities for singles, couples, families and groups. Accommodation might be shared but there are also smaller rooms sleeping two to six, many with ensuite facilities; prices are from around £10 per person per night.

Always call your chosen hostel before travelling to book a place and check that well-behaved dogs are welcome; some hostels are on livestock farms or other dogs might live on the premises, so it’s worth checking if you need to keep yours on a lead when outside the building.

Award winning Deepdale Backpackers hostel, which is on a working farm in the North Norfolk coastal Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has a dog friendly double room and Tipi. The hostel’s website includes a ‘pets welcome’ guide to the area with suggestions for walks, pubs and cafés while the local beaches boast miles of flat golden sand, many without summer dog restrictions. Deepdale’s own puppy, Merlin and border-collie, Jack work with the team and you can see them ‘doing the rounds’ on site every day. The dog friendly room is £28 per night for two sharing plus £10 per dog, with a maximum of two pets.

Pentre Bach, an alpine style camping barn in Snowdonia, Wales is around eight minutes walk from the dog friendly local where Fido is welcome at the bar; a sheepdog trainer is based next door. There are great walks from the barn, which is approached by a 250yd track from the road; grassy areas all the way down are ideal for constitutional walks. A night’s stay is £9.50 per person for an alpine sleeping platform on the upper level, dogs stay free.

Located in the former lighthouse keepers’ cottages in a remote and dramatic location in the Scottish Highlands, Rattray Head eco-hostel is near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. The huge dunes and isolated 11 mile sandy beach will exhaust even the most energetic pooch. Eco credentials include a wood burning boiler for heating and hot water, which uses the waste wood found locally. Prices here start from £15pp for a bunk bed including drinks (non-alcoholic); there is no charge for dogs.

Other dog friendly hostels in popular walking areas include Fell End Bunkhouse and Swirrel Camping Barn, both in Cumbria’s Lake District; Womerton Farm Bunkhouse in the Shropshire Hills next to Longmynd AONB and 300 year old bunk houses in the Dartmoor Expedition Centre, Devon. In South West Wales Caerhafod Lodge is perfectly placed to explore the Pembrokeshire National Park coast path near St Davids, while Clyngwyn Bunkhouse is in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. And up in the Highlands midway between Glencoe and Ben Nevis is 4-star Blackwater Hostel which offers a variety of high and low level walks, all with great views.

Details of the hostels can be viewed online at www.IndependentHostelGuide.co.uk, where you will also find maps, special offers and competitions. Members of the Independent Hostels network welcoming dogs can be viewed at this link www.independenthostelguide.co.uk/articles.php?aid=12&title=Dog+Friendly+Accommodation&s=3

To help you choose the hostel that’s right for you, the Independent Hostels network produces a neat, annual handbook that will fit easily into a rucksack, or large pocket. At least one page is devoted to each hostel with a full description of facilities, price guidelines, contact details and colour photographs. Copies (priced at £6.45 including postage and packing), can be purchased online or by calling 01629 580427 or emailing sam@backpackerspress.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The network is sponsored by Berghaus, manufacturers of innovative outdoor clothing and equipment. Over 850,000 people stay at independent hostels each year, the majority are hill walkers and ramblers who constitute a key audience for Berghaus. More information about their range of products can be found on www.berghaus.com

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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Norfolk is a beautiful and historic county situated on the east coast of England and bordering Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Being a largely rural country with a low population density, Norfolk is a great place to experience a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of busy Britain. Around every corner you will find pretty villages, historic churches, miles of unspoilt beaches, countryside and rivers teeming with wildlife.

The historic city of Norwich is Norfolk’s county town and visitors will find so much on offer in the vibrant regional capital. In particular shopping in Norwich is a delight. It is listed in the top five shopping destinations in Britain and visitors can be sure of finding just what they are after. There is a mix of high street brands, two shopping centres, four large department stores and a large number of independent shops, in addition to a permanent six-day market.

Some of the smaller towns in Norfolk, such as Holt, Diss, Swaffham, Burnham Market and Dalegate Market offer a more sedate shopping experience. Here you will find independent retailers and local suppliers and don’t forget the Norfolk farmers’ markets, the craft outlets, the art galleries, the local delis and those little gift shops with the perfect souvenir for you to take back home.

For anyone planning to visit Norfolk during the festive period, Thursford is an absolute must. This is the home of the most popular and spectacular Christmas show in Britain today. As if the dazzling Christmas Spectacular isn’t enough, you and your family can also become part of the ultimate Santa’s Magical Journey into Christmas, where children can visit Father Christmas in his very special house. However, Thursford is not only magnificent at Christmas. You can visit the amazing sights and sounds of the beautiful Thursford Collection, the world largest collection of steam engines and organs throughout the year.

North Norfolk is a holiday destination set apart in its location and it s character, a perfect destination for holidays and weekend breaks. Here you will find a wealth of superb places to stay including North Norfolk bed and breakfast accommodation, hotels, self catering cottages and caravan and camping parks.

The Norfolk Broads is one of the most popular inland waterways in Europe and provides the perfect setting for a holiday, short break or a day trip. The Norfolk Broads is also Britain’s largest protected wetland with status equivalent to a National Park. The beautiful, wild expanse of 125 miles of lock-free navigable rivers, shallow lakes, woodland, fens and grazing marshes, is home to some of the rarest plants and wildlife in the UK to the Swallowtail butterfly to the reclusive bittern.

There truly is no shortage of things to see and do in Norfolk from visitor centres, sightseeing tours, theatre productions, animal attractions and a wide range of outdoor activities including cycling and watersports.

Everywhere Travel Is All Around You – Journalist: Jen And
Click here to read the full article

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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Britain seldom comes to mind for budget travellers but, with the right insider tips and research, Britain can be your ultimate budget travel destination1 – Pocket-friendly accommodation

GROUP travel is a great way to save. Staying in a self-catering city flat or countryside cottage, like the chic Manchester flat, Castlefields, which sleeps four for STG650 (RM3,190) a week. In true British fashion, why not choose a camper or caravan, or even a heated camping pod in Eskdale for just STG40 per pod per night, for up to four people. The more adventurous can catch 40 winks in a Mongolian yurt which accommodates up to six in Devon or a Native American tepee at Deepdale Farm on the Norfolk coast.

2 – Great rates in London

TRY Shoreditch House, an exclusive members-only east London club, with 26 new rooms from STG60 (RM295) a night. Relax in its club, bars, restaurants, spa, pool, plus free Wi-Fi, games and rub shoulders with some of the hippest crowd in town. Prefer Central London? In the summer months, universities let out unoccupied student housing facilities at low prices. The London School of Economics offers rooms for as little as STG28 per night at its three central London locations while the University of Sussex makes its dorms on Kings Road on Brighton’s seafront available for even less.

3 – Eats and treats

CHEAP takeaways have grown in range. Delicious food from whichever country you desire is easily available. In Camden Market, food stalls serve belly-busting portions for only STG4 (RM20). Or wait till closing time (around 6pm) and pick up the same portions for as little as STG2. The latest hotspot in London is Pizza East in Shoreditch with prices from STG4.50. In Glasgow, follow the cycle couriers to Where The Monkey Sleeps cafe for cheap eats.

4 – Cheap thrills and spills

HOP on one of Britain’s mountain-biking trails from the Glaramara in England’s Lake District, on one of Scotland’s 58 trails. Explore the Mineral Tramways Cycle Network through Cornwall’s central mining district. Cycle along the old tram and railway routes past castles, through villages and along the Cornish Coast.

Or surf the waves at the Extreme Sports Academy at Watergate Bay in Newquay, and test the latest trend of Dually Boarding — bodyboarding for two or stand-up paddling at the Harlyn Surf School in Cornwall. Try Mountain Boarding, a cross between snow and skateboarding, at The Edge in Shropshire or play a game of beach volleyball or beach rugby at Yellowave in Brighton.

5 – Heading out on the cheap

THE British music scene literally rocks, and there are many ways to catch hot live acts… for a song. The Womad Festival in Wiltshire is a free, three-day arts and music festival and the Evolution Festival in Newcastle Gateshead boasts top music headliners at only STG17 (RM85) for one day or STG25 for the weekend. For a smaller scene, check out Cargo or the Star Of Bethnal Green in London where some of the hottest DJs spin. The Star also offers karaoke, so book a karaoke room for up to nine friends for free and rock! Check out Leeds for classic club nights like Back2basics dance night or the lesser-known The Subculture, where cool kids dance till the sun comes up.

6 – Reboot and log on

RECHARGE at one of all-purpose hang-out spots like the Cardiff Arts Institute in Cardiff, Wales. This hotspot is a social meeting space and club for relaxing, socialising and partying the night away. Liverpool’s Fact, a gallery-cinema-café-space with free Wi-Fi is a great place to hook up with like-minded locals. In London, a great place to unwind is the British Film Institute. Aside from showing hundreds of current blockbusters and cult classics in its state-of-the-art cinemas, the BFI Southbank is home to Benugo cafe and lounge, with funky sofas, free Wi-Fi, and cheap, tasty coffee and nibbles. The BFI is located in the heart of the Southbank area which also has a free skatepark, restaurants, the London Eye and free street performances. Proud Camden, managed by Proud Galleries, is located at the heart of the Stables Market. It offers free Wi-Fi and cheap drinks while a gallery shows behind-the-scenes rock-n-roll photos. Admission is free. This is a great place for a bit of celebrity spotting as when night falls, Proud Galleries turns into a free dance club.

7 – Art and culture vultures

FROM the British Museum and the Tate Modern to any tiny storefront gallery, access to art and culture is free. The GoMA, Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, is one of the most cutting-edge art museums in Britain, while in Bradford, the National Media Museum is a fascinating museum with a games lounge, 3-D Imax theatre and a look at the history of media and culture in Britain.

Free art can be experienced without ever stepping foot in an art gallery. Just take a walk. Thanks to street art superstars like Banksy, the street and urban art scene is thriving, so keep your eyes peeled. Take a street art tour of East London or check out the Bristol Street Art Project in Bristol.

8 – Real deals

FIND deals online and book activities before you fly to save on everyday spending. Look through Facebook and Twitter profiles of your favourite restaurants and clubs and check out voucher websites like MyVoucherCodes for 2-for-1 discounts at top high street restaurant chains and clubs. When travelling on Southern Trains into London, use your ticket for 2-for-1 entry to key attractions like the Tower Of London or the London Eye. Buy a day ticket and a weekly/monthly Oyster card for savings on travel and transport. A valid student ID card can secure reduced prices on everything as well.

9 – Have backpack will travel

TO explore the country, meet people along the way and have as much fun as possible, a backpacker tour is the way to go. There are plenty of choices: You can do a set itinerary, which includes accommodation with companies such as The Backpacker Tour Company (www.backpackertours.co.uk) and Haggis Adventures (www.haggisadventures.com). A great source of information on cheap long-distance transport and backpacker tours is www.attitudetravel.com/uk/lowcostbuses/backpacker.html

10 – Pick up great bargains

IF shopping appeals to you more than sight-seeing, you can snap up a bargain and a dose of culture at London’s colourful markets. Portobello Road, Camden and Spitalfields are well-known. Glasgow’s Barras is a 1,000-stall weekend flea market and Affleck’s Palace in Manchester is an Aladdin’s cave. There are plenty of factory outlets too, where designer label goods are available at reduced prices. Check out www.fashion-era.com/factory_outlets_shopping.htm

NewStraitsTimes
Click here to read the full article

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

Promote blog

Several members of the 300-strong network of UK Independent Hostels welcome dogs, some make a small charge for pets but in others they can stay for free, providing great value overnight stays for you and your four-legged friend.  Many are in stunning rural or coastal locations ideal for walks and wild runs while others are within a short stroll of a dog-friendly pub.

Whether you are planning a one-night stopover or a longer stay, the hostels generally offer inexpensive self-catering facilities for singles, couples, families and groups. Accommodation might be shared but there are also smaller rooms sleeping two to six, many with ensuite facilities; prices are from around £10 per person per night.

Always call your chosen hostel before travelling to book a place and check that well-behaved dogs are welcome; some hostels are on livestock farms or other dogs might live on the premises, so it’s worth checking if you need to keep yours on a lead when outside the building.

Award winning Deepdale Backpackers hostel, which is on a working farm in the North Norfolk coastal Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has a dog friendly double room and Tipi. The hostel’s website includes a ‘pets welcome’ guide to the area with suggestions for walks, pubs and cafés while the local beaches boast miles of flat golden sand, many without summer dog restrictions.  Deepdale’s own puppy, Merlin and border-collie, Jack work with the team and you can see them ‘doing the rounds’ on site every day. The dog friendly room is £28 per night for two sharing plus £10 per dog, with a maximum of two pets.

Pentre Bach, an alpine style camping barn in Snowdonia, Wales is around eight minutes walk from the dog friendly local where Fido is welcome at the bar; a sheepdog trainer is based next door. There are great walks from the barn, which is approached by a 250yd track from the road; grassy areas all the way down are ideal for constitutional walks. A night’s stay is £9.50 per person for an alpine sleeping platform on the upper level, dogs stay free.

Located in the former lighthouse keepers’ cottages in a remote and dramatic location in the Scottish Highlands, Rattray Head eco-hostel is near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. The huge dunes and isolated 11 mile sandy beach will exhaust even the most energetic pooch. Eco credentials include a wood burning boiler for heating and hot water, which uses the waste wood found locally. Prices here start from £15pp for a bunk bed including drinks (non-alcoholic); there is no charge for dogs.

Other dog friendly hostels in popular walking areas include Fell End Bunkhouse and Swirrel Camping Barn, both in Cumbria’s Lake District; Womerton Farm Bunkhouse in the Shropshire Hills next to Longmynd AONB and 300 year old bunk houses in the Dartmoor Expedition Centre, Devon. In South West Wales Caerhafod Lodge is perfectly placed to explore the Pembrokeshire National Park coast path near St Davids, while Clyngwyn Bunkhouse is in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. And up in the Highlands midway between Glencoe and Ben Nevis is 4-star Blackwater Hostel which offers a variety of high and low level walks, all with great views.

Details of the hostels can be viewed online at www.IndependentHostelGuide.co.uk, where you will also find maps, special offers and competitions. Members of the Independent Hostels network welcoming dogs can be viewed at this link http://www.independenthostelguide.co.uk/articles.php?aid=12&title=Dog+Friendly+Accommodation&s=3.

To help you choose the hostel that’s right for you, the Independent Hostels network produces a neat, annual handbook that will fit easily into a rucksack, or large pocket. At least one page is devoted to each hostel with a full description of facilities, price guidelines, contact details and colour photographs. Copies (priced at £6.45 including postage and packing), can be purchased online or by calling 01629 580427 or emailing sam@backpackerspress.com.

The network is sponsored by Berghaus, manufacturers of innovative outdoor clothing and equipment. Over 850,000 people stay at independent hostels each year, the majority are hill walkers and ramblers who constitute a key audience for Berghaus. More information about their range of products can be found on www.berghaus.com.

Miss Eco Glam – Journalist: Anna Rodgers
Click here to read the full article

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

Promote blog

In the second week of my parental leave in July, we travelled to Norfolk for a couple of nights in a ‘yurt’. We’re not hardened campers, so this was a tame introduction for Little L to the outdoors. What I didn’t expect, was to fall in love with the Norfolk coast.

I stumbled across Deepdale Backpackers Farm when doing a random search for a two night break. The site has good eco credentials as well as several options for accommodation: pitch your own tent, hiring one of their yurts or tipis and there’s even a hostel for groups or families. Practically speaking, the yurts are a little pricey for a family holiday, starting at £85 per night, considering you could hire a small cottage, complete with your own kitchen and bathing utilities, for a similar price in the same area. It must be the novelty factor that draws people to the experience. It is posh camping, indeed.

Yurts originate from Central Asia in regions, by nomadic folk that passed through regions with the harshest of winters. The Deepdale Farm yurt, is Mongolian style, a strong wood lattice structure with two wooden doors, carpeted floor, one futon double bed frame with a proper sprung mattress plus another futon and sofa bed perfect for Little L. The key feature must be the stove, which we were glad of as the good old British soggy summer reared it’s head on our 2nd night. Happily we were travelling with a friend who knew how to build a fire but the staff at the farm are equally as helpful to novice campers. While other people were huddling round cups of tea in their awnings in wind cheaters, we were sat around in t-shirts sweating and cooking roast vegetables in a pan on the top.

As well as a Costcutter, petrol station and a mini-retail outlet selling arts, crafts, cookware and property, the campsite is also lucky enough to have a café just next door, which is actually a real gem. Deepdale Café serve evening meals (last orders at 8pm) but are licensed and stay open till 10pm. It was the breakfast that caught me by surprise, their full English one of the best eating experiences I’ve had in a long time, excellent meaty sausages, black pudding and crispy bacon with poached eggs that melted on the plate. From the outside you would think it was just another roadside ‘caff’.

There’s plenty of activities on offer along Burnham Deepdale and Brancaster, cycling, walks, sailing and fishing to name a few. A short walk from the farm is the coastal path and Brancaster National Trust Park. This is a couple of miles of tidal creeks and marshes, known for the birdlife and mussels. If you continue for a couple of miles along the coastal path (not particularly buggy friendly) you’ll arrive just behind the tall dunes of Brancaster Beach. If it wasn’t for a distant hum of waves, you could have easily thought the sea had vanished. The sandy shore stretched endlessly in all directions, we had great fun splashing about in sandy pools and digging holes in the sand. Even with the rain spitting intermittently we managed to chill out on the beach and watch dog walkers and kite flyers come and go. It was extremely free but peaceful and exactly what were looking for.

Find out more about the area: www.brancasterstaithe.co.uk Follow news about the area on Twitter @burnhamdeepdale Don’t take my word for it: www.deepdalecafe.co.uk

The Argus – Journalist: Claire Banks
Click here to read full article

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Deepdale Farms – Farming on the beautiful north Norfolk coast with more than a hint of diversification
Deepdale Backpackers & Camping – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, campsite, tipis, yurts and group hostel
Dalegate Market – Supermarket, fuel station, shops and cafe
Norwich Backpackers – Eco-friendly backpackers hostel, canoe hire, cycle hire, cafe and real ale shop

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