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Touring by Tipi - Bob and Laura Pickett take a short motorbike tour of north Norfolk - based in a wigwam!
Like most males, a fair proportion of my childhood was spent watching Westerns on TV. And like most kids, I'd play at 'Cowboys and Indians', making a teepee or wigwam out of an old sheet, some sticks and a gatepost. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would end up staying in one. But never say never…
... Sitting in the office, I got a call from Laura. She had the day off and had been watching a feature on unusual holidays - and one of the breaks featured was hiring a Tipi (which is the correct spelling for tepee/teepee/wigwam). A quick call to Deepdale Farm in Norfolk, where the Tipis are based and a short midweek hire was arranged. We could have three nights in August, just about enough time to get a spot of touring in plus it also meant we could visit a friend in Suffolk for the weekend, maximising our time.
On planning the route from east London to the northernmost coast of Norfolk, we decided that we'd like to keep the motorway miles to a minimum. Thankfully, just the first 40 miles were suffered on the M11, then switch onto major 'A' roads; A11, A1065 and finally a short trip though some nice little villages on the B1355 into Burnham Deepdale and our Tipi.
Or that was the plan. So we packed up our bags, loaded up the ER-6f and the 535 Virago and … what actually happened was that the initial M and A roads were fine. M11 was dull as expected. The A11 and A1065 were enjoyable, riding through some pleasant countryside and skirting the edge of Thetford Forest, until we reached Swaffham…
… anyone that read our first attempt at touring ('The Wrong Way Round') will recall our "How the Hell do we get out of here?" moment in Aylesbury. Well Swaffham did it again. What seemed like an easy piece of navigating went tits-up, as the previously well signposted A1065 dropped completely off the radar in Swaffham town centre.
With a 4X4 sitting up our backsides, we had to make a quick decision, so 'head onto the A47 to Kings Lynn and find our way from there' was the hastily conceived plan. If you've never ridden the A47, it is possibly the straightest road in the UK - I reckon it must have been designed by an ancient Roman brought forward in time in the Tardis!
So we sit on the A47 for what seems like ages, until we reach a major network of roads and find our way to the A149 - the old coastal road which leads into Burnham Deepdale. After 120-odd miles of riding modern, straight(ish), very well surfaced roads (and being a bit tired to boot), a winding, narrow, old road was the last thing we really needed. So the last 20-ish miles saw a gentle trundle along the road until we reached Burnham Farm and our home for the next three nights.
The Tipi itself was set up in the corner of a closed-in field, along with one other Tipi and set pitches for camping by tent. A Tipi is definitely the comfortable option, being built on decking, with a carpet inside and a wood-burning heater for cold nights! Being August, we were confident that we'd not need to use the heater, but just in case we had to have a quick demonstration on how to open the vents at the top of the Tipi to let the (inevitable) smoke out the top - move two large poles outside round and place them in brackets.
The Tipi is supposed to sleep six comfortably. Personally I'd say this is a little ambitious and that four would be a more comfortable number. Two bikers, with all their attendant kit had plenty of room though - just as well when the weather turned, which I'll come back to later.
Talking sleeping, the Tipi was equipped with six single (faux) fur covered mattresses - so we made up a bed of 2x2 mattresses, with the other two used along the top as pillows. You have to take your own bedding so we just had the one sleeping blanket as a cover, which was fine to keep us warm. We were also provided with collapsible chairs for sitting out on the decking. So we were comfortable and would be able to keep warm, no matter what.
A Barbeque was also provided for cooking, but given the local facilities (see below), we never got around to trying this out.
Booked in, kit stashed away, time to investigate the locality. Burnham Farm provides a decent little washroom and laundry for it's campers and also has an extremely nice café, a petrol station and a real supermarket (as opposed to one of those 'Just for campers and nothing else for miles around so we can charge five times as much' outfits) on site.
And Burnham Deepdale has something very important; two pubs - good ones at that - of a very different nature. The closest one to the Tipi, the White Horse, is more upmarket and also has rooms. Two happy cider-drinking bikers can confirm that the Suffolk Cyder they sell is very pleasant and does start to get the head reeling after not that many pints (we blame the long ride). They also have a large and wonderful looking restaurant menu, but sadly it was fully booked during our stay. So if you are planning a stay, then call and book a meal a couple of days before arriving. From what we saw of the food, you won't be sorry.
The other pub, the Jolly Sailor, was in many ways my favourite - much more of an old-fashioned drinking pub, they also have their own brewery which produces two ales - a wonderful IPA and a stronger ale 'Old Les' named after an old chap that used to live in the village. The cider was 'only' Scrumpy Jack - oh dear, what a shame (not).
And the Jolly Sailor's menu, though smaller than the White Horse, was not the lesser in quality (and you could just wander in and order). Our first night meal consisted of Steak and Kidney Pudding, Sausage and Mash (two main courses, not on the same plate!), finishing up with Amaretti Cheesecake - and it was superb. After we had polished off that lot, we were very glad to be sat in one of the comfortable sofas in the TV room, so we could wait/pray for our digestive systems to catch up!
Two very happy if rather full bikers waddled back to their Tipi for the evening. Some gentle rain pattered against the Tipi, but none came inside, which fascinated me as obviously there is a gap at the top. Again, I will come back to the issue of Tipis, rain and openings a bit further on…
The next day, we rode back down the A149, through charming, picture-postcard villages (you get a lot of these in Norfolk) to the also charming coastal resort of Hunstanton. In many ways, Hunstanton has let time pass it by - no bad thing and it does form a large part of the town's appeal.
Hunstanton is also home to the region's Sea Life Centre, which is doing important work in caring for the local otter and seal populations, as well as having a colony of Humboldt Penguins. So we spent the first part of the day here, learning more about these creatures and the work done by the centre, before going off for a two-legged trip to see the local seal colony.
The latter meant using the largest amphibious vehicle I have ever seen, before switching onto a former fishing boat and heading out to see the local (wild) seals basking on a sandbar. Our captain was careful not to scare the seals, but was still able to get close enough for a good view of these lovely animals. He was also very knowledgeable about the area and his running commentary made the trip all the more interesting and, dare I say it, educational without being boring.
Our stay at Hunstanton was finished off with a Fish 'n' Chip supper - well we were by the coast so it seemed churlish not to - and one of the best pieces of cod I have eaten in a very long time. Then back down the A149 to Burnham Deepdale and over to the White Horse for more of that Suffolk Cyder, before fatigue (yeah, right) kicked in and we went back to the Tipi for an early night, which led to another important discovery…
… being situated right on the coast meant that any weather conditions on The Wash hit the site with nothing to calm them on the way. And that night was windy. Very windy. Windy enough to make Laura worried about whether the Tipi could handle it! Obviously it could, but every now and again a really strong gust would have you wondering if the two external poles would get blown out of their brackets.
Next morning and thankfully the wind had died down. So back to the café for breakfast then on to the A149 again, for a gentle ride (for which read 'slowly, as it is a twisty old single lane road - personally I'd downgrade it to a 'B' road, but then I'm not in charge of this sort of thing) down to Sheringham, where I was able to fulfil another childhood dream.
Until now, I'd never been on a steam train. And the North Norfolk Railway, or Poppy Line as it is otherwise known, is famous for being one of the nicest steam railways in the country. Run by volunteers, Sheringham station is a fantastic replica of a 1950's station and the staff do their bit as well, all wearing authentic looking period clothing. And the train is just… wonderful. I am a child once again as I head off with my camera to take photos. As I come back to Laura, she can't help but break into a smile as am grinning from ear to ear with excitement!
So we board the carriage (according to a train-buff on board a typical 1960's carriage) and set off for the short journey into Holt. And I'm grinning from ear to ear once again as that initial "Chuff, chuff" sound appears as the train starts to pull away. As we travel along the track, I am taken aback by how many people line it, waving to the passengers - quite a few of whom wave back. This really feels like going back in time, both in terms of transport and attitude.
On arrival at Holt - not as nice a station, but it does have a lovely old booking hall - I make another pleasing discovery. For the short trip to Holt (like many stations of the time, Holt was built about a mile away from the town), the North Norfolk Railway has purchased a Routemaster bus. The RMs form a large part of childhood memories of being a kid in London on day-trips. Sadly taken out of service at the end of 2005/early 2006 despite an outcry, it is wonderful to see that the RMs are still being enjoyed and cared for by people that love them. So we board the bus for the short journey into Holt - and a disappointment.
The guides all mention how nice Holt looks. What they fail to mention is that Holt doesn't feel welcoming at all. As a visitor, you just got the feeling that the residents really didn't want you there, looking down their nose at you. What the reaction would have been had we ridden into Holt on our bikes I dread to think! So we take a quick look around and get on the bus back to Sheringham, which is far more down to earth, has much more interesting shops and nice little seaside cafes to visit for lunch. Then back on the train, back on the A149, back through pleasant, picture-postcard villages… you get the message… and after dropping off gear, off to the Jolly Sailor for another excellent dinner, washed down by a couple of pints of IPA/Old Les and a walk along the path by the marshes where we get to see a superb sunset.
Fortunately, we time getting back to the Tipi just about right, as it starts to rain. And heavily. A couple of nights back, I marvelled at how the rain didn't come into the Tipi. Tonight it does, pushed through the hole by sheer force. A few large drops splash onto the concrete panel where the heater is situated, around it and close to our beds. So we move the mattresses, only to find that water is running down some of the supporting poles. So we move all our gear to ensure no water will trickle down and settle for the night, just slightly concerned that lightning does like striking tall objects.
Not a bamboo-polled Tipi, I am glad to report - if nothing else, the inevitable newspaper headline of "Wigwam Bam!" would have been too painful to bear. But everything stays dry, which is the important thing.
And that is where our Tipi holiday ends. Originally, we were going to ride the A149 round the coast to Lowestoft to visit our friend, but it really isn't a road to let you get on with the job. So we head out the way we meant to come in, back through yet more charming, picture-postcard villages and onto the arrow-straight A47 to cross the county border at a more purposeful pace and into Suffolk.
So would we recommend a holiday in a Tipi? You bet we would. As camping goes, it has to be the most comfortable way of doing it. The site facilities are excellent, the village and the rather enjoyable pubs are friendly and welcoming, as are the staff and villagers. And there is so much to do in the area that we were only able to barely scratch the surface. And the local roads are, for the most part, well surfaced - if only I could say London roads were so good. Admittedly you need to keep an eye out for roadkill and gravel, but we spotted nothing that would cause a real problem.
If you fancy a holiday with a difference, then give a Tipi a try.
Useful links:
Tipi hire at Burnham Farm
Jolly Sailors Pub, Burnham Deepdale
White Horse Pub, Brancaster Staithe
Hunstanton Sea Life Centre
Seal trips from Hunstanton
North Norfolk Railway (Poppy Line)
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