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College Farm

Norfolk, Beccles

★

Rated with 9.8

(359 Reviews)

Escape to a simpler life with Lucy and Marcus

Previously voted as our Farm of the Year, you will learn a lot about farm life here in Norfolk, where you will be staying with our farmers Marcus and Lucy and their boys Henry and William. Your canvas hideaways are situated around the farm and you will be able to see a herd of beef cows grazing the marshes and spot great wildlife. At College Farm you will be in the ideal spot for a family holiday on the Norfolk Broads, one of our National Parks.

Mess about on the water

If you’re prepared to jump in the car, the Broads are a perfect place to hire a boat, canoe, or paddle board for all sorts of fun water sports. The coastal towns nearby like Southwold will suit all tastes for beach time, shopping, crabbing and wildlife watching. Going to Horsey Gap to see the seals will also be worth the drive. For fun attractions, Bewilderwood, Africa Alive and Roarr dinosaur park are all not far from the farm, your ideal family holiday base in the Norfolk Broads.

What to do at College Farm

There is a signed walk down to the river Waveney and the Norfolk Broads, a lovely way to ease you into your holiday and introduce you to farm life. The hay play-barn is a paradise where the energetic can play independently whilst not being far away, as well as enjoying the large trampoline and slides and swings outside for all ages. You can stock up on tons of locally produced artisan food at the nearby Wheatacre Farm Pantry. The on-site oven is available for you to fire up for a DIY pizza. If you’re lucky and arrive early in the season, you may be able to help bottle feed the lambs. On a clear night you will want to round off the day looking up at the stars as College farm is situated in one of the UK’s Dark Sky places, before you retire to your comfortable cosy bed.

What can you expect?

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    Indoor play area

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    Near water

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    Pizza oven

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    Outdoor playground

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    Cannot accept dogs

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    Communal area

What animals will you find on this farm?

Sheep

Lambs

Cows

Dogs

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What our guests like

  • ✓ 8 canvas hideaways
  • ✓ No electricity
  • ✓ bottle feed lambs
  • ✓ Play barn
  • ✓ National Park
  • ✓ Close to the coast

Explore our canvas hideaway

Lines Options & prices
Safari tent interior glamping England
Boerenbed UK 1279 copy
Glamping cooking
Glamping tent inside
Glamping cupboard bed
Check A unique off-grid experience
Check The perfect adventure for children
Check Quality family time
Check Small scale farms
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    Including wood for the wood-burning stove (1 pack per day)

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    Including welcome package with bed-linen, towels, candles, matches, washing-up liquid and other basic items

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    Private showers

What do our guests think?

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Average rating
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9.8

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Miss Mills

08/09/2023

Fantastic break for groups of families

10

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Mrs Bohanan

28/08/2023

Another excellent stay at college farm. Complete switch off and relax. Lucy and Marcus as wonderful as ever.

10

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Mrs Watts

28/08/2023

Magical experience away from the real world.

10

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Mrs Newham

21/08/2023

College farm was a fantastic gem in a wonderful location. From the moment we arrived Lucy the owner was friendly and informative. The play barn and the animals were a huge hit with the children and the accommodation was the perfect getaway from everyday life - really fun to experience candle lit evenings!

10

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Mr Hughesdon

14/08/2023

Beautiful location, wonderful time.

10

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Mrs LANCASTER

11/08/2023

Absolutely amazing, best holiday ever.

10

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Mrs Dixon

07/08/2023

We have had a wonderful family break at College Farm. The children had endless fun on the trampoline, play area and in the haybarn. We could relax and enjoy the farm view and an ideal location to explore the local area. Lucy and Marcus were great hosts and the whole experience was top notch! 👌🏻

10

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Mrs Sheridan

30/06/2023

Absolutely wonderful a lovely relaxing stay with fantastic hosts and a beautiful setting nestled in nature.

10

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Mrs Scott

16/06/2023

Lovely accommodation, great location, wonderful hosts. Everything and more we could have hoped for.

10

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Mrs Tomlinson

29/05/2023

Brilliant holiday

10

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miss carey

29/05/2023

Excellent stay at College Farm; wonderful hosts, perfect location, stunning surroundings with so much to do locally.

10

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Plant

26/05/2023

We really enjoyed staying at College Farm! The play area was great and being in one of the lodges closer to it made it more relaxing for us and our 4 year old daughter - it gave her a bit of independence to walk back to the lodge while still in sight. The views were amazing, the location lovely, and the quiet and stillness at night was therapeutic. We loved being surrounded by open fields, seeing the cows and sitting in with the lambs.Lucy was a wonderful host - she was always on hand but never intrusive. She was friendly and helpful and honest about places to visit (or not to visit!).I have only positive things to say about College Farm, but I was surprised that Featherdown charge the same for a lodge without an ensuite as they do for a lodge with an ensuite. When we booked there were no ensuite lodges available so we booked well aware that we would have to wander up to the shower block each time, and although we were completely happy to do that, I'm surprised that Featherdown don't account for the inconvenience of having to do so - luckily the weather was fine each day we were there but I can imagine walking to and from the lodge and shower in pouring rain would've been a different and unenjoyable experience. Alongside that, the lodges with the ensuite have dedicated space for toiletries whereas we were constantly moving things around - toothbrushes by the kitchen sink, shelves taken up with shampoo and shower gel etc instead of food and drink. The toilet is also much more private in the ensuite - in our lodge, the loo was next to the kitchen, which wasn't always a pleasant experience whichever side of the loo door you were on!Overall we were completely happy with our stay and thoroughly enjoyed being at the farm and in our lodge but I do feel slightly miffed that we paid the same but experienced more inconvenience.

10

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Miss Da Costa

17/10/2022

Fantastic stay and Lucy couldn’t have been more accommodating - highly recommend for a fun break away with young children.

10

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Dr Down

16/09/2022

Relaxing family time

10

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Ms Gunn

12/08/2022

Excellent location, lovely welcoming hosts, loads for the kids to do on farm and in surrounding area. It was our second time here and we loved it.

10

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Herr Schildt

15/07/2022

Einfach nur toll! Super freundlich und absolut bemüht. Unsere Erwartungen wurden in jeglicher Hinsicht übertroffen.

10

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Ms Gallagher

04/07/2022

Thank you to Lucy and Marcus for another wonderful stay at College Farm. We hadn’t been since the pandemic and were delighted to find that the hospitality was as warm, the farm setting as peaceful, and the tents as immaculately kept as ever before- it was the perfect family escape, miles from care and truly restoring and relaxing. Just what we all needed. And we loved the innovation of the eco bricks for the wood burning stove- much easier to get going, cleaner and more environmentally friendly than the usual logs. Can’t wait to return again!

10

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Mr Saw

10/06/2022

Close to perfection. Lucy was a wonderful and helpful host. The 8 tents are spaced far apart on a big piece of land. There are 2 playgrounds with a trampoline, a pen with 3 young lambs to cuddle, and a barn with hay stacks to jump on located near the tents : ideal for active young kids.

10

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Ms Niotakis

02/06/2022

College Farm was extremely well kept and organised, it was in a great part of Norfolk with lots of nearby activities.

10

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Mrs Hill

30/05/2022

Our time at College Farm was great. Lucy was a great host and nothing was too much trouble. As soon as we got there we hadn't even parked up when the kids made a beeline for the hay barn. They loved it and even though we were on a working farm we felt that the kids were safe and we didn't need to watch them all the time, so they felt free and we could relax. Lovely location. Nice showers and a good information pack inside the tent which we used for dinner recomendations. A BBQ at the tent at sunset topped off a great few days.

10

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Mrs Rooney

29/04/2022

Our 10th Featherdown Farm holiday. A wonderful, relaxing weekend. Lucy and her family were the perfect hosts. Our kids loved feeding the lambs, playing in the hay barn and on the trampoline. There is lots to see and do in the area.

10

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Miss Shipley

22/10/2021

We had a wonderful family break and our children loved being with the animals and playing in the hay barn. An idyllic location, welcoming hosts and a beautiful lodge with all we needed for a restful holiday.

10

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Ms Lambourn-Brown

22/10/2021

Lucy and Marcus were wonderful hosts, and my kids and I absolutely adored staying at their farm, the location is beautiful.

10

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Mrs Neville

18/10/2021

Lovely family run farm with plenty of chickens and sheep and a fabulous play barn to keep the kids entertained. Lucy was a brilliant host who gave us lots of great recommendations for places to visit and restaurants to try.

8.8

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Ms Emslie

03/09/2021

Always a treat to spend time at College Farm - beautiful countryside, super welcoming hosts and tents just the right balance between rustic and equipped. We will be back!

10

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Mrs Luckett

23/08/2021

Our holiday was brilliant, so Enjoyable, the amenities were practical and we had everything we needed from kitchen equipment to towels and bedding. There was time for making memories with our children, having the chickens and sheep on the farm was an added bonus as we got to see wonder on our children’s faces interacting with them. The children were allowed to play in the hay barn and go in with the animals which gave them a new sense of freedom and responsibility. We were given plenty of candles and wood for our fire we didn’t need to request any more. My husband went fishing on the farm which was an extra plus for us as a family. We were recommended a local farm shop and it was lovely we would recommend this.We used the farm as a base in the mornings we would head out and come back early afternoon then we enjoyed the facilities of the farm in the afternoon and early evening.Lucy’s hospitality was second to none, we couldn’t have asked for a better host for our first feather down holiday. From the courtesy call she made two days before to the time we spent there and the farewell chat we had before our departure.We would come back to college farm without a doubt and we have already started recommending to our friends and family. Thank you Lucy-Five stars!

10

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Miss Pratt

20/08/2021

We have just got back from 3 nights here and it was amazing. Great safari tents with tranquil setting. The kids loved roaming the farm and playing on the trampoline and hay barn, making friends. The hosts were very friendly and helpful. Great location too for visiting Norfolk. We highly recommend College Farm and will be coming back soon.

10

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Ms. Carey

20/08/2021

Rejuvenating

10

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Mrs Howard

16/08/2021

Lucy is a fabulous host, nothing is too much trouble. We returned for the third time. The kids love roaming and playing in the trampoline and in the hay barn with the friends they make on the farm. It is relaxing, beautiful and “off the grid” . See you next year!

10

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Mrs Arkell

16/08/2021

Excellent. Lucy was the perfect host - attentive, friendly, efficient and helpful. College Farm was an excellent base for exploring this lovely area which has so much to offer. On site our children loved the communal trampoline and straw barn which was a great place to make friends. We really enjoyed the peaceful setting. A great Featherdown experience. Thank you!

10

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mrs Gallagher

09/08/2021

Relaxing amongst gorgeous surroundings

8.8

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Ms Gundlash

06/08/2021

Perfect balance between back to basics and luxury.

10

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ms Carey

02/08/2021

Lucy is a wonderful host and clearly cares passionately about her farm as well as her guests and providing an excellent Featherdown experience. The farm is in an ideal spot for day trips of all sorts and is laid out in such a way that allows a perfect balance of privacy but the chance to be social if you wish. Our children aged 11 and 8 had an amazing time playing football, in the play barn and trampolining, so much so that we didn’t see them other than to eat and sleep.

10

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Mrs Hewlett

30/07/2021

College Farm is excellent! The hosts are brilliant - Lucy was so friendly and helpful. There's loads for the kids to do independently on the site so we could relax and they made some great friends. Shower block was clean and worked well and the addition of large fridges up at the farm made food storage better than we have had at other sites. As well as the chickens and sheep at the farm, the little walk down to the river was teeming with wildlife and we saw cows, horses, swans, geese, pheasant, deer, rabbits and tons of butterflies! The local area is perfect for exploring with various coastal spots a short drive away and we also visited Bewilderwood and RSPB Minsmere. Would definitely recommend and hope to return ourselves in the future

10

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Ms Parry

23/07/2021

Relaxed and full of fun!

8.8

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Mrs Stevenson

19/07/2021

Such a wonderful place - kids were in their element playing on the farm with all the new friends they had made while us grown ups had time to relax in the fresh air.

10

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Mrs Kiseleva

19/07/2021

Kids have excellent time, pleasant experience on the farm and very kids friendly. Hosts are brilliant.

10

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Mrs Weeks

19/07/2021

The best yet. A brilliant farm and host, we had a wonderful time at College Farm.

10

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Mr Walker

05/07/2021

Absolutely Brilliant holiday. My kids who are 2 and 4 loved it. The kids loved feeding the chickens and playing in the parks and hay barn. Lucy and the family are amazing hosts and we couldn't ask for more. Keep up the great work

10

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Mrs Waller

02/07/2021

An incredible time spent on the farm. Our kids made friends, ran around free and did turn a little feral by the end of it! We haven’t stopped talking about it since we left. Lucy is wonderful. The tent and all facilities immaculate. So much thought has gone into making it the perfect getaway. Perfect for kids and adults of all ages!

10

Meet your hosts

Lucy and Marcus

We are Marcus, Lucy, Henry and William, the next generation at College Farm (although you'll see Lucy's parents around the farm too!). We have a mixed herd of beef cattle that graze the marshes in front of the tents. Hand-feeding the lambs is popular with the children as well as our play barn and play area to let off steam.

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Be sure to follow our signed walk as it is a great way to ease you into your holiday and introduce you to our farm.
FD Collage Farm small 076
Pizza in pizza oven

Highlight

Pizza Night

The farmer will usually fire up the pizza oven during your stay for you to cook pizzas. Everyone gathers round to tell their stories of the day’s adventures and invent pizza toppings you’ll never find on the high street.

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If John Lewis sold holidays, they'd look like this

Nearby the farm

The Norfolk Broads

Southwold

Aldeburgh

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