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Having read previous reviews on this site we found what we expected. It is quite a basic slightly old fashioned campsite, but good none the less. Everything you would need.
Showers and toilets clean and work on a token system which helps keep the queues down. Just one complaint is that showers are locked until 8am which is really no good for us early risers or for an early start!
I liked Harry who runs the show (and his slightly wry sense of humour), and we were very grateful of a very last minute bank holiday booking which showed great flexibility - which other campsites nearby didn't seem to have much time for.
We took our dog with no problems. This is a very 'family' site with lots of large family groups while we were there, and you get the feeling that a lot of these families having been returning over many years. Children seem to love this site with the mini golf and the rabbits and guinea pigs near the main entrance. Because of the large groups though, it isn't the quietest site we've been to.
The beach is a fabulous five minutes away to get there but 10 minutes to come back on the dry sand! It's a good workout coming off the beach!
All in all about 8/10 for this site and would happily visit again.
The site really does give off a seventies feel, but don't let that put you off. We managed to get two pitches (not next to one another) with EHU on the day (phoned in the morning).
Showers/Wash Rooms/WC
The site has Gents/Ladies shower blocks, with about a dozen showers in each (operated by 50p token). These are located at the main entrance to the site near the reception. They operate from 8am until late evening. I liked the fact each shower had a sort of 2-room thing so that you could put all your clothes etc on a bench in the dry-room and then step into the actual wet-room. I didn't like the fact I hadn't a clue how long the shower was going to last (especially when I brought my 20 month old with me). However, they did last long enough.
There are basins in the main toilet blocks (next to the shower blocks).
There are also at least two other toilet blocks with basins for washing in.
Each block has an outdoor, single, dish washing sink.
I never had any problem with hot water, and I didn't have to queue for anything.
Kids Playground
A variety of swings, slides and such like. Also rabbits and a guinea pig in a reasonable size enclosure within the playground. The playground is not in view of the pitches.
Pitches
A good size, a fair few with EHU, and you're requested to set up on the left of the pitch. Each pitch is numbered. Lots of groups managed to fit in gazebos and make use of the space by walling themselves in with wind breaks while we were there.
The perimeter pitches are hemmed in with a good hedgerow/trees, or (on the side nearest the sea) sand dunes. The inner pitches are in rows (ideal for big groups).
Shop
On site, sells loads of stuff, not expensive.
General Site Info
Facilities were cleaned, but possibly not often enough. Caravan's are kept in the adjacent field and towed out (by tractor) and put into the pitches as and when the owners are booked in to stay. Tractors collect the rubbish from the various refuse areas around the site on a daily basis. The gravel on the track around the site is a bit noisy first thing. Kids do play out till late, but this wasn't too much of a problem.
There is a static fast food van that serves everything from fish to burgers. Don't dismiss it! It opened at 5pm when we were there, took us the best part of an hour to come back with our dinner, but it was pleasant surprise to find it tasted really nice.
Beach
This IS a top quality beach. It wasn't crowded in the height of the Summer Holidays. It's pale sand is smooth as silk and gets even better if you get up to the Seal colony (park at the Horsey Mill and ask for directions - about a mile walk along footpaths across fields). The seals laid basking in the sun right on the beach, as many swam up and down the rest of the beach. They seemed almost as curious about us as we were of them. Saw a few Kestrels quite close up.
Locality
You are out in the wilds a little bit. A traditional pub just a mile away serving food and Nelsons Revenge ale! Not far from Hemsby (if you like arcades and chip shops), but also ideally placed for visiting some of the many attractive parts of Norfolk.
Finally, to round this up, we've said we'd like to go back at some point. It would be a perfect base to visit that part of Norfolk, rather than the splendid lazing around we did this time! Reasonable prices, adequate facilities, all in all quite good. I'd love the showers to open earlier in the morning though!
Great value site at £14 with EHU - the price doesn't change no matter what time of year you go apparently.
Just next to the beach, 1 min walk from the tent, the kids loved it. Only problem was that the showers in the larger cubicles were very weak and no temp control. The smaller cubicles were better but not much room to take little kids in. 50p latsted long enough in the powerful shower but not the drippy ones. Both toilets and showers could do with updating, the staff were obviously trying to clean them regularly but left tampons in ladies and rubbish in shower drains. Wet mops meant that the floor was generally dirty again within 5 minutes. For this reason alone we probably won't return, at least not with young kids. Also very surprised to see only one wash area.
Playgrounds were satisfactory and mini golf fine but beach was much more attractive, especially with the seals watching us from the water.
Staff were friendly and did what they could for us. When we arrived and the pitch had no EHU as booked, the site was obviously full but they towed away a caravan from a staff member who was absent to provide us with what we wanted. TVM.
Just got back from our first visit to this site - 2 adults, 2 kids, tourer and awning. It is a large site, & as has been commented on before there are many ancient caravans there when it's busy, but that's because these vans are stored on site & dragged on for the family holidays so don't even need to be roadworthy. No snobbery here where the highest spec caravans sit next to vintage units.
We paid £16.00 per night including electric and for peak summer season this is cheap as we have paid considerably more elsewhere out of season.
The location of the site is perfect - a stroll over the dunes to the most beautiful sandy beach, where the seals pop up to see what's going on frequently. One morning a baby seal crawled onto the beach right in front of us, which was amazing. We were fortunate with the weather but because of the proximity to the beach you can take advantage of any good time of the day for a bit of beachcombing or kite flying. The site is very rural & in an unspoilt area.
The negatives - The site & beach are dog friendly, but unfortunately some owners do not clean up after their pet in spite of the rule that dogs need to be kept on a lead at all times.
Another niggle is the antiquated shower system, where you pay 50p for a token and stand directly under a barely trickling, non adjustable shower head with no thermostat. Definitely in need of an upgrade which I'm sure they can afford, given the number of unit's on the site.
The toilets had no soap or hand dryers and there was a sani-bin in only one of the loo's. They were basic bit clean.
The pitches, at first sight, appear to be cramped but there is actually a lot of space, which many families decided to cordon off with windbreaks.
The on-site takeaway does fantastic chips for £1.50 a portion that will satisfy 2 people & the site shop is not as overpriced as many we have seen.
We recommend the Sunday carvery at Poppyfields just down the road, which is £6.95 & all you can eat.
If the kids need Amusement Arcades then Hemsby is the place to go, with a more commercial seaside theme including gift shops (A good way to spend a wet day & some cash!) Try Cromer or Great Yarmouth for traditional seaside towns.
Overall this site could use a minor makeover in terms of facilities but can't be beaten for it's unspoilt location - our girls (14 & 10)were crying as we sat on the beach on our final night because they didn't want to leave this beautiful area.
We will definitely be coming back, in spite of the 5 hour tow!
We stayed over the May bank holiday for 3 nights. We are 2 adults, 2 dogs and a largish tent.
We loved staying here the staff were very helpful. We had forgotten our gas canister and they sold us £5 from a 907 as long as we gave a deposit which was a great help. We also requested to be placed in a different pitch around the corner and again no problem.
The site is a large site but it copes with it well, it never felt busy or noisy. Plenty of facilities and play ground for children. Showers are 50p with a token and old fashioned but there was room to change and I never had to wait despite how busy the site was.
The best part was the dunes and the beach. We literally camped behind a dune and on the other side is the most beautiful beach. You could see the seals in the see although we never saw them on the beach but I think we weren't up early enough. Also a very short walk away was the Horsey nature reserve. So lots of places to walk the dogs it was never an issue.
There was a takeaway van although we never used it and a well stocked shop open at good times.
We will be going back as the site was idyllic and I imagine wonderful for families in the summer you really could just have a beach holiday. Oh and great value for money we paid £12 a night over a bank holiday.
This is, as it says in the writeup, a family site. From this you can expect children from about 6.30am playing out until about 11pm in some cases. This did not put us off as luckily we were in the overflow tent area which was nice and quiet. The beach is literally a stones throw away over the dunes and was quiet all the time we were there. There are toilet blocks dotted all over the site and these seemed clean whenever we used them. There is only one shower block we could find and this was by the main entrance which was a bit of a walk but still not unreasonable. The showers themselves were token meters and had no temp. Control so were either boiling or freezing depending on how many people were using them, and as you had no idea when the token would run out this was a little annoying.
Overall nice location for a site, facilities were ok, however don't think we would return because unless we were near the edges or in the overflow it would be too loud a site for us. But for a family whose kids want to play in a safe environment (they had a very evident security car) this site would be perfect.
On the cost front at £12 a night I did think this was a little steep but then again for the location and time of year I'm not sure I can complain too heavily!
You'll find it difficult to better this site's location provided you don't want bingo or a pool. Sandwiched between the beach and broads I found it by looking at aerial photographs on the internet. The beach is fantastic, with fine sand and protected from the wind by the high dunes if the wind comes off the land. And it's just a short walk over the dunes if you want to return for lunch or visit the loo. Great for kids and even in the middle of the school holidays we never saw more than 10 families on the beach at any one time.
There is loads to do in the area. Hire a boat from Hickling for a great day on the broads. Or visit Great Yarmouth for the pleasure beach. There are plenty of museums and interesting places to visit but don't expect to use public transport - it's 3 miles to nearest bus stop. Cycling sounds like a good idea because it is so flat. However all the nearby routes are on busy narrow roads with no cycle paths so don't bother with bikes for children unless they are used to traffic.
The site has what you need if you just want clean basic facilities. The toilet blocks look about 30 years old but they are clean, have hot water and washing up facilities. You will have to pay 50p for the showers. A shop that is reasonably well stocked and will order papers. A chip van that does good traditional fish and chips. (It's not organic, it's deep fried, that's what traditional fish and chips are!)
It's a site that is obviously popular with people from Norwich and around about, so it fills up at the weekend if it's fine. As it's quite a big site this means it is a bit noisier than average. There were some big groups camping together but there weren't any rowdy groups when we were there.
To summarize, it's not a 5 star site with pool, it's a good basic site in a great location. It's quite big so it's noisier than average at the weekend in the middle of summer, but I've been where it's much worse. It's also very good value for money. I certainly would go back.
We have just returned from a long weekend and have had a fabulous time. The pitches are large so even when its busy you dont feel crammed in. The two playgrounds for the kids kept my two happy, although you have to cross a small road and its not visable from the actual site so not great for small kids. Crazy golf £1 a go and good fun. Yes the toilet blocks do need updating and soap would be nice, but not too bad ( I've seen worse). Didnt use the showers as there was a charge so used the caravan shower, had a look thou and didnt seem too bad, would have used them if they were free! The beach just over the dunes was really nice, clean and surprisingly quiet. The shop on site seemed to sell most things and reasonably priced. The on site warden Fred was great. He was friendly and knew where all the kids belonged and his patrols around the site made everything feel nice and safe. As for the comments about noise I thought it was a quiet site. Yes you will always get a bit of noise but generally once it was dark it was quiet and we didnt have any problems with noise.
This is a nice place and we will return for long weekends.
Well we had an excellent stay here, with no problems with any of the sites facilities or staff (which were helpful and friendly).
Lovely place To stay and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet place to go near the beach. A bit disappointing about there 'no open fires' policy but other then that it was fine. Everyone loved there stay and the beaches are empty. We had one bad day of weather but the rest of the time we had sun!
Toilets were reasonable and showers were at a good price. We will be returning as had a brilliant time as well as dogs! one of thee best parts of our holiday was driving about 1 mile from the campsite to a different part of the beach and seeing Around 90 seals on the beach - including pups!- which was excellent! everyone says the security gaurd is grumpy but I thought he was ok. Never did the mini golf but looks quite fun. Chip van was ok although the chicken burgers are a little bit mushy and we had to queue for a while !
Overall Had a fantastic time and want to return next year
We have just returned from a really lovely couple of days at Waxham Sands. The campsite is situated next to the beach and, although we chose a fairly steep route onto the sand, we managed to haul a buggy, three children and all the usual paraphernalia onto the beach each day! The beach is great - especially when the tide leaves a lovely warm strip of water that small children can safely splash around in. We saw several seals at very close range whilst swimming!
The campsite itself is great. The toilets, showers and washing up areas are clean and the rubbish is emptied regularly (they have a recycling system in place). The small onsite shop is not overpriced and stocks the usual necessities required at short notice. The onsite burger van seemed to supply a vast array of fast food, although we didn't sample it on this occasion. There are two children's play areas - both enjoyed by my little ones. There is an onsite Rapid Response Vehicle - although, I have say, everyone staying at the site seemed really friendly and I never once felt unsafe.
I have three children aged 8, 5 and 16 months and we had no problem whatsoever with noise at night - they all went to sleep and I can safely say that all I heard during the night was the sound of the sea (quite relaxing!).
This site has an air of 'old fashioned' camping holidays about it - there is not much for your kids to keep asking for (we tried Haven last year - never again!) - and we spent time together without distractions from swimming complexes, evening entertainment and numerous retail outlets!
There are plenty of places to visit if you want a day away from the site but if you're only staying for a short time then you'll be more than happy to enjoy the beach. We did venture to Cromer one day - the journey to and from is very pretty and there are lots of pubs along the way if you fancy a quick drink or bite to eat.
We only live about 16 miles from the site but will most definitely be returning.
A definite thumbs up for the owners of Waxham Sands Holiday Park!
I am have been staying at Waxham Sands for over 30 years now (first came as a child with my parents). I love the uncomplicated-ness of this site hence my reasons for coming back as an adult. We have never had any noise issues here, no trouble with large groups and they have always been able to accomodate us even on short notice.
I last visited in 2007 and yes the toilets and showers could do with upgrading but they are always clean. The staff are generally polite and helpful. The 'chip van' is a god send especially if you are only camping for 1 or 2 nights. It saves you having to bring all of your cooking equipment, saving space in the car.
There is plenty to do in the surrounding area, Horsey Mill, Sea Palling, Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, Wroxham, The Broads to name but a few places. The beach is a walk over the dunes and is superb. I would recommend this site to anyone on a budget (it was £12 a night last year), to anyone with children, to anyone with dogs, in fact I would recommend this site to everyone.
Not always the most quiet or friendly of sites (watch out for the grumpy security patrolman!)- but still a fantastic spot at a reasonable price. Waxham sands (beautiful dunes and beach direct on the campsite) and the opportunity to visit the seals (who have moved onto a nearby beach in the last couple of years after their sandbanks have been washed away) make it a site worth returning too!
Good base for cycling holidays too, with North-Norfolk cycle routes and Broads nearby.
So many positives about this site with the location right on the edge of a beautiful clean beach not being the least of these. The site is only separated from the beach by fantastic sand dunes which the kids loved. The seals visit the beach frequently and we spotted them at all times of the day.
The on-site facilities were not exactly state of the art but were more than adequate, there was never a queue for showers and plentiful hot water. The kids enjoyed the playgrounds and the £1 for crazy golf was the most expensive thing they could ask for. Did not try the take away but it was certainly very popular.
Obviously a site favoured by regulars and yes, there were a lot of unoccupied caravans dotted around the site but assumed these were in position for people arriving in the near future. We found the staff helpful and polite and shop and office open at times they were needed.
The only complaint I have about this site is the NOISE! at night. This is not a site for you if you want to be able to sleep before 2 or 3 in the morning! There were lots of large groups, not youngsters, family and friend groups who were outside tents making a lot of noise until very late/early without any challenge. For this reason we will not be returning, noise until 11.30 or so is the norm on many family sites but with young children who wake at 7am and not getting to sleep until 2am - we have returned in need of a serious rest.
Just back from a 3 night stay at Waxham Sands Holiday Park in Norfolk. We've stayed here a handful of times over the past 5 or 6 years and we tend to only stay for long weekends, (mainly due to the fact that we only live about 20 miles away.) A long weekend is usually enough for us on this particular campsite, as overall, we wouldn't rate the site too highly. So why do we keep using it? Our main plus points for this site are: close to home and nice location next to the beach (separated by sand dunes,) seal/s almost every time we go to the beach. It always seems a friendly site, ample toilet facilities, large plots and a few (smallish) activities for the kids like mini golf (£1,) play area with small adventure play ground and loads of space to fly kites or play ball games. Down sides are: although the toilets are kept clean, they could really do with being updated to include soap dispensers and hand driers, plus I only had hot water once in our 3 night stay. The site can feel a bit exposed when really windy, despite sand dunes on one side and trees on the other, but it is a big site so middle pitches will suffer most. Overall I would recommend this site, providing you're not looking for A1 facilities. The charge for a tent with up to 4 people is £12 a night, which I feel is acceptable. We can fit our Montana 6 with canopy and 2 cars on a pitch (small charge for 2nd car.) They also seem happy to accommodate 4 or 5 smaller tents to 1 pitch but the tariff may differ. Electric hook up pitches are also available for an extra charge and dogs are accepted. There is an on site shop which is well stocked for most camping essentials and a hot food unit providing fish and chips, hot and cold drinks and various other dishes at reasonable prices. The beach itself is very clean with a mixture of soft sand and stones, (and is a great spot for body boarding.) The town of Great Yarmouth is around a 25 minute drive and has many attractions for all ages. The site is also in easy reach of the Norfolk Broads if you fancy taking out a small boat for a day or by the hour. The nearest pub is in Horsey village which is around a 10-15 minute walk and their is a tesco store in Caister which is around a 15 minute drive.
Hi everyone. I first visited Waxham Sands when I was around 8 years old, the site was pretty much like it is now, peaceful, simple but absolutely fantastic. Its a place which makes kids use their own imagination to create their own fun, the site is located next to sands dunes which give access to an un-spolit beach. Shower and toilet blocks are on site, yes they are basic but your camping, if you wanted luxury you should be in a hotel. The site has an adventure playground, miniature golf and fantastic Fish and Chip Van. The shop stocks all necessary products and you can even hire ice blocks for your coolbox ! I went to the site a few years running as a child and made different friends each year, now being a mum myself my two children have been a few times and love the freedom to play. Waxham Sands is how a holiday should be, simple, relaxing and time for yourself. The site owner will not stand for bad behaviour and will help with anything you ask. You have the choice of camping with or without electric hook up, hiring a caravan or bringing your own! I couldn't go camping anywhere else, its a second home. Anyone wanting to shut off to work and every day stresses should book in at Waxham, its an unspolit area of Great Britain - how it should be, you will not want to go anywhere else.
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Common Questions
Is Waxham Sands Holiday Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Waxham Sands Holiday Park? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
Holiday Homes for Hire 
Holiday Homes for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
No Hardstandings 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
No Rallies 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Motorbikers Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
No Bar 
No Restaurant 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
No Fishing 
No Wild Swimming 
No Indoor Pool 
No Outdoor Pool 
No Horse Riding 
No Cycle Hire 
No Golf 
No Tennis 
Beach On Site 
No Watersports 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <5 miles
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
Electric Car Charging Point
Having read previous reviews on this site we found what we expected. It is quite a basic slightly old fashioned campsite, but good none the less. Everything you would need.
