Applewood Countryside Park Reviews
Touring, camping and stylish glamping with en-suite facilities, located next to Banham Zoo (with guests entitled to discounted zoo entry!) and not far from Norwich. Applewood Countryside Park is the perfect family and dog friendly haven, ideally placed for exploring all of Norfolk's attractions.
4.73 /5
91%
Recommend
Our stay
Recommends site
Paul H
0
0
The only problem was finding our way in! It was very dark when we arrived so would have liked better lighting at the entrance. The site was very tidy and clean. The wardens were helpful and pleasant. Would have liked to stay longer.
Site's response
Thanks for taking the time to write us a review. So glad to hear that you found the Park clean, tidy and the staff helpful. We appreciate your comments on the lighting at the entrance and will look into this further. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Beautiful
Recommends site
Penny S
0
0
Beautiful park, well maintained and so clean. Grass and hedges lush and green. The Meadow is a wonderful place for dogs to run and play. Was on my own but felt safe as the wardens are close by. Facilities spotless, everything well thought out and close to shops and a pub.
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to write us such a lovely review. It was lovely to hear that you enjoyed the Park and felt safe wandering round on your own. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
Banham
Recommends site
Barbara W
0
0
Only thing I found annoying/frustrating is when the grass is cut around the site, if it was picked up, facilities would stay cleaner and so would my caravan.
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to write us a comment. I will pass on your message to our Groundsmen to see what we can do about this. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Camping and cycling few days away
Recommends site
Stephen M
1
0
We have been here a couple of times before I think 🤔 I would like to say again how we love it here as we use it as a base to go back to after a days cycling around this beautiful area, even if we do get lost due to hardly any road signs 😂 Thank god we have Garmin bike computers. The park is as we love a park to be, quiet, very well maintained and the showers etc are spot on so couldn't ask for more 👍 Shop and a very welcoming pub across the road. Love it and yes you will see us there again, so would love to say thanks to all 👍
Site's response
Thank you for the lovely 5* review. We are so glad to hear that you love the Park and enjoy cycling in the local area. I must say that cycling in Norfolk and Suffolk is great fun as we have stunning scenery, but like you, I struggle with the lack of signposts on the back roads around here and it feels like you are in the back of the beyond sometimes. Where would we be with our Garmin bike computers hey!!! Now that you have Park Membership we look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Karen
First stay
Recommends site
Alexandra M
0
0
Our first stay at Applewood. Staff were friendly and helpful. Facilities were good, no concerns. Recommend and would stay again.
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to write us a lovely 5* review. We are really pleased to hear that you enjoyed your first stay here with us at Applewood Countryside Park and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Couple of nice nights away
Recommends site
Gary B
0
0
First it was strange sleeping next to the zoo, felt like we were sleeping on a safari with the noises where heard. Not a complaint, it was rather amusing. Clean site, well located. Plenty of space. No complaints
Site's response
Many thanks for taking the time to write us a lovely 5* review. I am really pleased to hear that you and your family found our Park clean and tidy and that you enjoyed sleeping next to the animals in the zoo. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Park again soon.
Very organised family campsite nextdoor to the Zoo!
Recommends site
Longwill C
0
0
Applewood was incredibly convenient for a visit to Banham Zoo, as the two are neighbours! The site is very neatly and quite formally laid out, with pitches arranged either side of mature hedgerows that radiate out from the circular access road, with the main facilities located centrally on the site - so you are never going to be far from the loos, showers, washing-up facilities, etc. Pop-up food wagons visited the site every evening, so there was an on-site food option for those wishing to have a break from cooking. This definitely had the feel of a family campsite - there were a lot of young children who were making full use of the open spaces and on-site playpark. So perhaps not suited to older families or adult-only groups who are looking for a quiet getaway. We were disappointed with the way that a previous visitor had left our pitch - it was littered with cigarette butts and small pieces of cigarette packaging, which is particularly unpleasant for non-smokers.
Site's response
Many thanks for taking the time to review our Park. As you have pointed out we are a family friendly Park and during the school holidays we do have mainly families staying on-site, however when the children are back at school we have a lot of older guests and rally groups staying who are able to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the Park. I am really sorry to hear that previous guests left cigarette butts and packaging laying around on your pitch. We do do regular litter picks so can only apologise that we missed them. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Short break
Recommends site
Julie M
0
0
Great place with a pub, shop and take away opposite.
Site's response
Thanks for taking the time to write us a lovely review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you again soon.
5 star
Recommends site
Louise R
0
0
Very nice and clean campsite
Site's response
Glad to hear that you found our campsite nice and clean and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Well worth a stay
Recommends site
Tom L
0
0
This is the second time we have been to this site, we love it here. The park wardens were friendly and helpful, the children enjoyed the park and games den and the local facilities have all you need for a perfect countryside break. Listening to the zoo animals at night was a bonus. Highly recommend.
Site's response
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a wonderful review. We are so pleased you have enjoyed your second stay with us and we look forward to welcoming you back again.
Clean and friendly
Recommends site
Karen T
0
0
There are only four main showers in the area I stayed in. As these are family showers, these are not amble enough and often full. There are two separate showers that are gender specific; however there is nowhere to pop your clothes etc within the cubicle. The site, toilets and showers were extremely clean at all times. Staff were friendly and helpful. Great bonus of food vans that visit the site. These vary each week. A display board is required to display the timetable of these visits. I was told to check social media but do not use social media. You do need a car to visit places when staying in this site. If you want to cycle you are doing so on busy country lanes. Having the zoo right next door is great with reduced entry fees. Good addition of an empty Ford for dog walkers and ball games
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a lovely review. I am glad to hear that you found our staff friendly and helpful and that our shower and toilet facilities are extremely clean, bearing in mind that we are right in the middle of the summer holidays. I have taken on board that our gender specific showers in Laurel Meadow only have a few hanging hooks outside the cubicles and not in the cubicles so will look into getting more hooks added. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Regarding the food vans - we do put posters in the clip frames on the backs of the toilet doors and in the laundry rooms so really sorry if you have not seen these. I always have copies in the office for anybody who does not have social media so next time you stay, please feel free to come and ask for one. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
Great campsite- good facilities, pleasant staff
Recommends site
Alistair T
0
0
Just a 3 night trip for our family of five with three young children. We stayed on Chestnut Corner, standard camping without electical hook-up. The facilities were good and clean, the playground was great for the kids, and the location right next to Banham Zoo and quite close to Thetford Forest High Lodge and some other family activity sites made it perfect for us. Recommended.
Site's response
We are really pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. Staying right next door to the Zoo is great fun as you get to listen to the animals through the night, so we hope the children enjoyed it. As you pointed out we are very lucky with local attractions such as Roarr Dinosaur Park, Pleasurewood Hills, Bewilderwood, The English Whisky Distillery and Bressingham Steam Museum (just to name a few) all within less than an hour's drive, so plenty to do when you arrive. We look forward to welcoming you and your family back again soon.
Great touring location
Recommends site
Michelle G
0
0
Lovely caravan and camping park, good spacious pitches and excellent facilities. I don't think there's anything they haven't thought of. Staff very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The zoo is a must see plus you get a good discount if you are staying on the site. Excellent location for exploring the beautiful Norfolk countryside.
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a wonderful review. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay and look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Wasps everywhere
Ashkem L
0
0
The park itself is pretty, however the whole park had a power cut on our last night. Both nights we were there, we had to change our plug on the electric pitch 3 times as it cut out. No idea why as our caravan is brand new and it was only our second trip out. There are wasps everywhere. It seems others had the same issue as well. The wasps ruined it for us and our friends. Such a shame as the staff were lovely and the park is pretty. Unfortunately we won't be going back, which is a shame as it's local to us.
Site's response
I am really sorry to hear that you had issues regarding the power on the campsite. All of our electric hook up boxes are designed to take a maximum of 10amps and these only usually trip if guests use multiple appliances totalling more than 10amps, or larger appliances above 10amps. As long as guests report that they have tripped their sockets, we can come and reset them which prevents this affecting other campsite users and taking the whole park down. As for the wasps - again is all I can do is apologise. We have got wasp traps around the park and we are trying our best to keep them at bay. We hope that these two issues do not stop your returning and having a relaxing holiday with us in the future.
Weekend away
Recommends site
Stephen M
0
1
We fell upon this place a spur of the moment thing and loved every minute of it. The staff were fab and made us feel very welcome from the off. The place is clean and quiet with a shop and pub across the road and we are already planning a return visit in the near future so see you soon
Site's response
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a great review. We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay with us and we look forward to welcoming you again soon. Jo Stevenson, Reception and Reservations Assistant
Lovely site, we will return
Recommends site
Chelsea C
0
0
The site is lovely - well maintained and very clean. The staff are friendly and well organised, everything ran so smoothly. Just one little moan about Applewood... we were on the site for two nights mid-week, and so there was hardly anyone camping. However, staff chose to put us next to others when there really wasn't any need for us to be bunched up like that. It would have been nice to have been separate from others, purely because there was the space to spread out. We didn't want to take up more pitches than the one we had paid for, but to feel like we had some privacy on an almost empty site would have been nice.
Site's response
Many thanks for taking time to write us a lovely review. I was very pleased to see that you found the campsite clean and well maintained as we strive to keep the campsite up to a high standard at all times. It was also nice to hear that you found our staff well organised and friendly throughout your stay. I was sorry to learn that you were next to other campers even though we had spaces elsewhere available. If I had been aware that this would have enhanced your experience with us, we would have certainly changed your pitch to give you extra room and more privacy. Should you stay again, please let us know in Park Reception and we will make sure this is sorted straight away. We look forward to welcoming you to the park again soon.
Lovely site
Recommends site
Mandy H
0
0
The staff were very friendly and helpful and the facilities were all faultlessly maintained and clean. The pitches were spacious, grassy and we didn't feel like we were packed in. There was a lovely little zoo just outside the campgrounds that, as an Applewood camper, you can get a discount for. I would say to make sure you bring tent pegs suitable for rocky ground as although the pitches were lovely and grassy, we came across a lot of rocks/stones in the ground while trying to pitch and bent a few pegs before we learned to be a bit more cautious while trying to hammer them in. Overall this was a lovely site. Quiet and calm, a lovely little place to get away from the daily grind and just slow down, relax and reset. We would definitely recommend and use again.
Site's response
Many thanks for taking the time to write us a lovely 5* review. We are glad to hear that you have enjoyed your stay and that you found the park faultlessly clean and maintained during your stay. The zoo next door is a fun day out for guests of all ages so pleased to hear that you made use of the discount. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Nice and quiet
Recommends site
Lee R
0
0
Very nice, clean facilities and quiet. Bonus getting discount at the zoo.
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to write us a lovely review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay and hope that you had a fantastic day at the Zoo making lots of happy memories. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Another lovely stay
Recommends site
T R
0
0
The facilities and the whole park were very clean and well maintained. The staff were all very friendly, helpful and efficient.
Site's response
Great to hear that you have enjoyed another great stay with us. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Applewood is a real peach of a site
Recommends site
Phil R
0
0
Loved it! A green leafy site with plenty of space. The design layout meant that you felt surrounded in green rather than surrounded by other campers. Great facilities and love the occasional noise from the neighbours on the other side of the hedge - the Zoo hedge :-D Great base to travel from or just walk over the road and enjoy services provided by the locals. Particularly recommend The Barrel (quirky, great music, local brews and so friendly). Love this campsite. We visited during term time when all venues are generally quieter ;-) Very happy to return.
Site's response
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a wonderful review. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay and we believe that our location and beautiful surroundings do really make us stand out. We look forward to welcoming you again! Jo Stevenson, Reception and Reservations Assistant
Applewood
Recommends site
Martina R
0
0
We had a wonderful stay in the perfect location. We only had one problem which is out of the hands of Applewood….the bird scare machines that kept going off close to the meadow scared and distressed our dogs….otherwise it was perfect 👍
Site's response
Many thanks for you lovely review. It was nice to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. I am sorry to hear that your dogs were distressed by the bird scaring machine and will I investigate who this belongs too (my guess is the farmer behind us) so that we can prevent this scaring other dogs in the future. Please let me know when you book in the future and I will do my best to find you a nice quiet spot away from the bird scarer. We hope to be able to welcome you again soon.
Applewood Countryside Park
Recommends site
Brian W
0
0
Excellent facilities. Will be back.
Site's response
Thanks for the excellent review Brian and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
First time at Applewood
Recommends site
Paul W
0
0
Great site, just a short walk to the shop, pub, chippy, butchers and zoo - will definitely go again. I would like there to be a drive over grey waste for my motorhome but that's my only moan. Other than that, I loved it.
Site's response
Thank you for taking the time to write us a lovely review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay and would defiantly come back. We have got a motorhome grey water waste disposal point on the main park where you can discard waste if you have a pipe connection, and we have a drive over drain in the Zoo coach park next door which can also be used for grey water waste. Next time you are onsite let us know and we will point you in the right directions. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Gorgeous park, toilets need a refresh
Recommends site
Darren D
0
0
Really great park that's immaculately well maintained. Pitches were generous though a little difficult to work out, especially if you are in the middle. The showers are great, hot and always clean. The toilets could do with a refresh though, they were quite a contrast from the showers. Would definitely go back!
Site's response
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us an honest review following your recent stay with us. It's lovely to hear you had a great time and although our toilets are more dated than our new showers facilities, they are well-maintained and clean. We're hoping to focus on these soon, but felt that upgrading our free WiFi network needed to be this year's priority (now completed)!
Weekend getaway
Recommends site
Toni B
0
0
Had a great time, picturesque quiet campsite, friendly staff, would definitely recommend!
Site's response
Many thanks for your positive feedback and glad to hear that you would recommend our Park to friends and family. We look forward to welcoming you again soon.