Sleeping in the Bell Tents at Nene Park

We recieved a complimentary night stay sleeping in the bell tents at Nene Park in exchange for this review

As a family we love camping, the boys and I are at our most happiest being outdoors. There is something relaxing about being outside with nature and away from all the hustle and bustle of life. So when we were invited to visit Nene Park to spend the night in their bell tents we of course said yes.

Nene Park

Nene Park

Nene Park is the name of the trust that takes care of over 1000 acres of land in and around the west of Peterborough. With probably the most well known place, Ferry Meadows being where the majority of visitor attractions are located. We absolutely adore Ferry Meadows and we love spending our time there. It is somewhere I have personally been visiting for over 30 years, and we have taken the boys since they were born. It helps that it is also on our doorstep too.

Nene Park is open 365 days a year with only the facilities and car park opening and closing. So during the evening/night you will still come across people out and about.

There is a lot to do at Ferry Meadows and every year it gets better and better. For example an Olympic sized climbing wall has recently passed planning permission, so will be beginning construction too. Ferry Meadows is home to an abundance of wildlife which reside in and around the lakes. As well as the various walks and trails available, there are a number of playparks, Otter and Badger park have both been redeveloped within the past few years. With Fox play being redeveloped this year! All parks have various equipment for differing abilities, from sand and water to swings and soon to be zip wires!

Also home to Ferry Meadows, is Nene Outdoors. An outdoor activity and leisure centre. There are a whole range of pay and play activities from cycling, pedalos, kayaks and paddleboards. You can bring your own equipment or hire everything you need.

There is plenty of parking at Ferry Meadows, which does incur a charge, however the money used is ploughed back into the trust to ensure services and the park remains maintained. There are also toilets located near the visitor centre and Nene Outdoors, including a full accessible changing place toilet inside the Nene Outdoor Centre.

One of the newest attractions are the bell tents at Nene Park, where we were going to be spending the night!

Bell Tents at Nene Park

The Bell Tents at Nene Park are located at the brand new campsite Lakeview. It isn’t hard to locate as you drive straight past them on the way to the car park beside the Nene Outdoors building. Lakeview is home to 8 bell tents all equipped with a mat and fairy lights. So you do need to bring everything else with you.

When we arrived at Nene Outdoors to sign in we were told that we could choose which ever bell tent we wanted. Which sounds great, however in practice it made us feel a little hesitant. We were given all the information we needed including a QR code which gave us free parking throughout our stay and the code to get into the toilets after hours. We were told we could park our car beside the tent to unload and load our belongings but then the car would need to be parked in the main carpark.

We talk a walk to the bell tents to have a look at what tent was available and the site was already busy. The tent we wanted seemed empty, so I sent Mark to have a look, I didn’t want to come across a family inside the tent if it was already busy. Thankfully it was, so we didn’t have the uncomfortableness that would have most likely happened. I have been told since our review that bell tents at Nene Park will be numbered, so hopefully they will be allocated upon arrival.

The bell tents were spacious and we were able to fit all 5 of us in there with room to spare. The day we arrived the weather was the worst it had been all week. So I was glad for the space inside.

Facilities at Lakeview Campsite

Once the rain subsided we then had a look at what the campsite had to offer. So inside Lakeview campsite there is a large firepit, BBQ, all weather covered shelter and a picnic bench.

There is also a tap for washing up and drinking too, so you don’t have to travel too far to top up the kettle! It saved us having to use a large container as there didn’t seem to be any point in using it.

I do wish there was another firepit within the site. There were a couple of groups staying and they were enjoying the firepit which meant we of course couldn’t use it. Although it wasn’t a big deal it would have lovely to have been able to enjoy roasting marshmallows with a pretty gorgeous view of the lake. If maybe not another firepit then maybe have small ones available to hire.

Covid

Obviously with everything going on in the world there are of course some Covid procedures in place. So when going inside any of the buildings you need to wear a mask, unless exempt. When accessing the toilet they use wrist bands to monitor how many people go inside the toilets. So each bowl has 4 wrist bands and you take one before you enter the toilets. Then when finished you put the wrist band back in the bowl. The bowl is full of sanitiser so it remains clean between uses.

As with most things, this works if everyone follows the procedure. During our stay we noticed that there wasn’t 4 wrist bands in either the male/female toilets it didn’t affect us though as when using the toilets we didn’t come across anybody else.

There are plenty of toilets to use, including an accessible toilet in each male/female rooms as well as a separate accessible toilet and changing places toilet too. The showers are all communal which we found rather strange, however I have been told that Nene Outdoors have received funding to change these into cubicle showers this year!

Our stay

So once we had explored the facilities on offer when camping in the bell tents at Nene Park we decided to go and do something we don’t usually get to do. To have a walk around Gunwade Lake to watch the sunset. It was such a lovely experience and the sights and sounds were pretty amazing to witness too. There was still activity on the lakes and around the edges and on the way back to the bell tents we spotted toads and bats.

Oliver was so impressed with the amount of toads and frogs he was spotting. He is our little nature warrior and he absolutely adores animals, so he was really in his element to spot so many!

However one thing the bell tents at Nene Park has going for it, and I think it is a biggie, are the views! Waking up overlooking Gunwade Lake in the morning and hearing the birds and wildlife is really idyllic. The site is a quiet site which basically means that no loud music can be played later in the night, this is for the other campers and the wildlife too. The boys and I had a wonderful experience!

As I mentioned earlier that Nene Park doesn’t close so remains accessible to all those on bikes and on foot. Lakeview campsite is located beside one of the main roads that goes through Ferry Meadows so during the day lots of people can walk pass. No one came in, a few people stopped to take a look at the bell tents at Nene Park but I think thats just human nature, wanting to have a look.

Bell Tents at Nene Park

So the bell tents at Nene Park are a great addition to what is already a wonderful visitor attraction. I have already mentioned a few suggestions on how to make the experience better and I am pleased that Nene Park are so welcoming to these. I would love for the bell tents at Nene Park to be a little more furnished so all that we would need to bring would be bedding. A night in the bell tents cost £50 per night and as I mentioned earlier comes with a mat and fairy lights.

There is another campsite within Nene Park, right beside Lakeview called The Glade. This campsite has pretty much the same set up with it’s own separate facilities. However The Glade is for campers who want to pitch their own tent. Mark and I have been making plans about coming back to give this site a try!

If you are looking for something a bit different, a new experience and the opportunity for lots of adventure, then a night in the bell tents at Nene Park is a great option! A week on it is still a hot topic amongst the boys and they still speak so fondly of our stay!