Norfolk with Kids: Bewilderwood Adventure Park Review

Table of Contents

If you’re visiting Norfolk with the kids, then you’ll want to keep reading for my review of Bewilderwood Adventure Park – with everything that you need to know for your family day out. We had a cheap and cheerful staycation in Norfolk back in May – paying just £66 for our accommodation booked through the Sun Newspaper – and our main day out whilst we were away was at Bewilderwood. As well as my review of what we thought I’ve also included: ticket prices, places to stay near Bewilderwood Norfolk, what the kids should wear, whether I think it’s good value for money, photos and other useful information. Have a great time!

Visit: May 2022 (Updated February 2025)

Where is Bewilderwood Norfolk located?

Bewilderwood Norfolk is situated in Hoveton, approximately 10 miles northeast of Norwich. The park is the brainchild of author Tom Blofeld, who envisioned a space where his stories could inspire real-world adventures – it’s based around his book series. The park operates seasonally, with typical opening hours from 10am-5pm, so it’s advisable to check their website for specific dates and any variations in timings before planning your visit.

What attractions are there at Bewilderwood Adventure Park?

Let’s start my review of Bewilderwood Norfolk by talking about the most important thing – kids’ activities! Bewilderwood is a very natural setting for an outdoorsy day out – a world away from the hustle and bustle of your typical theme park. The journey into the park begins and ends with a boat ride – with the driver telling the story of the Boggles and Twiggles, which are characters from the Bewilderwood books.

Bewilderwood Adventure Park is based around play areas, zip lines, slides and mazes, all surrounded by woodland. It’s a beautiful setting and it’s a fairly big site so I think it wouldn’t feel overwhelming even on a busy day, though there weren’t many people around when we visited mid-week. The kids adored the huge slides, which were higher than they look in the photos and were actually pretty scary when they made me go down it too (I’m such a wimp! 😂).

The site is mainly a series of nature based wooden playgrounds with interconnected treehouses and elevated walkways that provide a bird’s-eye view of the enchanting woodland. There are different areas suited to different ages of children, and it’s all sturdy enough for the adults to join in if you want to get stuck in as well.

The zip-lines were great fun. Finn and Lola absolutely adore zip-lines so they made the most of there being no queues by going on them a few times in a row, and I joined in on these too.

There were plenty of low level play areas for the younger children, and smaller slides etc that would be tamer for little ones. You’ll definitely want to bring a flask of coffee, find a bench and chill for a bit while the kids get stuck in. If you pick a fair-weather day, they’ll likely play happily for hours.

What age is Bewilderwood Norfolk suitable for?

Although the kids enjoyed our day at Bewilderwood Norfolk, I was quite surprised that it kept them amused for as long as it did. I think it’s definitely best suited to children under 10 years old, as a lot of the storytelling and activities around the park are aimed at younger children. Having said that, the tree-top play areas, high slides and zip-lines were fantastic for their ages – they did have a great time playing and those slides were far from tame. But, with older ones, I think a few hours is plenty of time at Bewilderwood – perhaps an afternoon visit – but for younger children it would likely be easy to spend a full day exploring the various attractions and enjoying the play areas.

What should I wear for a visit to Bewilderwood Norfolk?

Given the park’s woodland setting, it’s essential to dress appropriately for the weather. On sunny days, lightweight clothing and trainers would be fine but definitely waterproofs and wellies would be advisable during wet conditions, or over the winter when it might be muddy. In the event of wet weather, the park remains open so bring raincoats if the weather looks a bit unsettled – the slides will be closed until the bad weather stops but the shelter from the trees should allow you to carry on with your day until it passes. We visited on a mild day in May and didn’t have any issues with mud, in fact the kids came away pretty clean despite playing outside all afternoon.

What facilities are there at Bewilderwood Norfolk?

There are two restaurants on-site, as well as food huts (for ice-creams) and toilets. We brought our own food, so I can’t comment on cost or quality – but they do advise that food is locally sourced. There are plenty of places to enjoy a picnic though, so packing up your own lunch is great way to save some money. There’s tons of parking, which is free, but dogs are not allowed unless they’re assistant dogs. There’s a gift shop too, my kids enjoyed having a wander and bought some little souvenirs of the Boggles and Twiggles.

Where are the best places to stay with kids near Bewilderwood Norfolk?

If you’re looking for places to stay nearby with the kids, fortunately there are some brilliant places on offer in the Norfolk area not far from Bewilderwood. It’s a great spot for a UK staycation – for lots of options and even more information on the places mentioned below, check out my article: The 10 best holiday parks in Norfolk for families. And, here are a few of my top picks for family-friendly holiday parks in Norfolk not far from Bewilderwood:

Haven: Seashore Holiday Park – 30 minutes drive from Bewilderwood: One of the top Haven parks, situated right on the beachfront in Great Yarmouth, this site has an indoor waterpark with flumes, slides and a splash-zone, soft play, Junior segways, a NERF training camp, crazy golf, crafts, evening entertainment and all sorts!

Parkdean Resorts: Vauxhall Holiday Park – 30 minutes from Bewilderwood: One of the best Parkdean Resorts, families can enjoy the indoor Tropical Waterworld pool (with a waterslide and splash play areas), an outdoor pool, adventure playgrounds, laser tag, soft play, mini golf, bowling, VR, kids’ clubs and more!

Haven: Caister-on-Sea Holiday Park – 25 minutes drive from Bewilderwood: A popular Haven holiday option with direct beach access that boasts an indoor swimming pool with slides, play areas, junior Segways, tank off-roaders, NERF camp, ‘The Jump’, crazy golf, crafts, sports and aerial adventures for little ones and bigger kids.

Parkdean Resorts: Cherry Tree Holiday Park – 35 minutes drive from Bewilderwood: This fab holiday park has indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, an adventure playground, hoverboards, pedal-kart hire, mini 4×4 adventures, sports and family-friendly entertainment – plus hot tub accommodation options.

How much are Bewilderwood Norfolk tickets – is it good value for money?

I’m a bit conflicted on whether Bewilderwood Norfolk is good value for money as, unlike other similarly priced places that we’ve visited, there are no real rides or attractions – it’s essentially a series of play areas within the woods. Having said that, the kids did have a lovely time playing and it is an enjoyable place for a family day out in the Norfolk area. But, despite us having a great time, I don’t think that Bewilderwood Norfolk offers the same value for money as other UK adventure parks and theme parks with similar pricing. For a family of four, with two children over 105cm, entrance prices work out at £86, or £21.50 per person.

My husband and I did go on a few zip-lines and some of the play equipment, but the adult tickets are expensive considering that it’s very child based and you’ll spend a lot of time watching the kids play – given that the adventure park is largely playgrounds. We were also on holiday with other family members, but we didn’t bring them with us for this day out as it seemed a lot of money for aunts, uncles and grandparents to pay to observe the kids playing – with not much on offer that adults would like to access – so that was also a shame. The ticket prices for Bewilderwood Norfolk for 2025 are: Over 105cm: £22.95 / 92-105cm: £20.95 / Under 92cm: Free / Over 65s: £14.95.

One positive was that the other activities such as crafts, story-telling and face-painting where are all included in the entry price – there were no hidden costs. Overall, we enjoyed our day but it was expensive for what was on offer, and it’s probably better value for money for those with younger children. (Especially as kiddies under 92cm enter for free – so if you had little ones and were just paying for an adult or two it could be a really reasonably priced day out!) But with older kids, and increased prices for 2025, in my opinion I don’t think what Bewilderwood Norfolk offers enough to charge nearly £100 for a family of four. Look out for offers though – for instance for 2025 February half-term they’re offering ‘buy one get one free’ on Bewilderwood Norfolk tickets which would make it a much cheaper day out.

What else is there to do in Norfolk with kids?

I hope that my review of Bewilderwood Norfolk Adventure Park has been helpful. There are lots of fabulous days out on offer in Norfolk – it’s a brilliant destination for a family getaway with Great Yarmouth offering beaches, piers and attractions. If you’re up for some exploring you could see the seals at Blakeney Point, spend the day at Banham Zoo or enjoy the rides at Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park in nearby Suffolk. For a real adventure you can even explore the Norfolk Broads by boat – amazing! And, if the weather lets you down, the Hippodrome Circus show looks incredible, and you can have fun in the warm at SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth too. In fact, there are so many brilliant things to do I’ve written a guide about it so, for all the details, check out my article: The 10 best things to do in Norfolk with kids. Have a great trip! 😊