Camping in Suffolk

Suffolk is easy camping country. The land is flat or gently rolling, drainage on the sandy coastal soils is good, and pitching on level ground is rarely a struggle. The Sandlings heath behind the coast is light and free-draining, which means a site there recovers quickly after rain, while the heavier clay inland around the Stour valley can hold water and turn a grass pitch soft after a wet spell. If you are travelling in a heavy motorhome in early spring or late autumn, hardstanding is worth paying for.

Weather is the real variable. Suffolk is one of the driest counties in Britain, with parts of the coast recording under 600mm of rain a year, so the rain itself is less of an issue than the wind. There is nothing between the Suffolk shore and the Danish coast, and an easterly can come in cold and persistent even in June. Bring more pegs than you think you need, use a lower-profile tent if you are pitching within sight of the sea, and take a windbreak. Nights can be sharp well into May.

Wild camping is not legal in Suffolk without the landowner's permission, and the same applies to overnight sleeping in vehicles in most coastal car parks, several of which are actively enforced in summer. Nature reserves including Minsmere and Orford Ness are strictly off limits. Use a proper site or arrange a pitch through a farm scheme.

The season runs roughly Easter to the end of October. May, June and September are the best months: warm enough, dry, and without the August scramble for pitches near the beach. Book coastal sites months ahead for the school holidays, particularly anywhere near Southwold during the Latitude weekend.

Glamping has expanded quickly here, with safari tents, shepherd's huts and yurts on former farm land across the county. It suits the shoulder seasons well, when a wood burner makes a considerable difference. For tents, choose a site with a shop and good washblocks if you have children, because the nearest village may be several miles off and the coastal lanes are not pleasant to cycle after dark.