Alright, so we found a chance to escape for a week in the sunshine, and guess what? We decided to head back to Fields End Water. Call it an obsession, but we needed something local since it was such a last-minute trip. We didn’t expect to get into some coastal parks, and with it still being the school holidays, we wanted to avoid the crowds of kids. Fields End Water was just perfect for us since it's an Adults Only, Tranquil Parks site!.
Nose in or Out?
We arrived to what’s becoming a usual warm welcome and set up in The Paddock. The sun was blazing, and we made a classic rookie mistake by pitching nose out instead of nose in. You might wonder what the big deal is, but it meant our awning was facing the scorching sun from about 11am to 7pm, and wow, it was hot!
If we’d parked the caravan nose first, our awning would’ve been in the shade for most of the day. But you know how it goes—by the time you realise you’ve set everything up, you’ve already pegged down and loaded your awning with stuff you might not even need for the week.
Fields End Water is pretty chill about how you set up your caravan and awning, as long as you stick to your allocated space. Next time, we'll definitely think about the sun when pitching! You'd think that as a former boy scout, I wouldn't make such a rookie mistake. (Though I did once park a motorhome under a tree during a rainstorm—definitely won't be doing that again!)
Artificial Grass Pitch
That said, this time we picked a grass/artificial grass pitch for our stay, and it turned out to be a nice surprise! Usually, by the end of the week, the caravan shows all the dirt from outside—dust, mud, grass, and rain tracked in. But not this trip! The artificial grass pitch under our awning gave us the best experience we've had so far.
F-35's you say
Since we called this a non-working trip, we set aside some time to explore the area, check out house prices, and visit RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall to see the planes—and we were not disappointed! Just after we got to RAF Lakenheath, we heard a rumble of thunder as an F-35 did a low fly-by before circling back to land. The sound was incredible! We also drove over to RAF Mildenhall to catch a glimpse of some big transporter planes in action, which was quite a sight!
Is it too Convenient?
We’re starting to think that Fields End Water is a bit too convenient for us since it’s always the first spot we check for availability. It’s just over an hour from home, so we can head over whenever, as long as they have space. When we pitch up, it feels like our little oasis of peace—though the last night was slightly ruined by a nearby caravan with noisy, cannabis-smoking folks parked too close. Still, we didn’t let that spoil what was otherwise a fantastic and peaceful week. We even got an Uber Eats delivery one night, inspired by a neighbouring van that suggested it! And the food from the on-site cafe was great as always.