Parkdean Resorts Summerfields Holiday Park in Norfolk Review

Summerfields Holiday Park is the sister park of California Cliffs Holiday Park

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Parkdean Resorts
​Summerfields Holiday Park

We recently took a visit to Summerfields Holiday Park, which is owned by Parkdean Resorts. They've got more than 60 holiday parks around the UK's coastline and a few inland as well.

We are gradually making our way around them all and thought it was about time we ticked Summerfields Holiday Park off the list.

I am pleased to report that the weather was gorgeous with only a slight breeze in the air. I'm getting a bit emotional, just thinking about it (Ed: get a grip, man).

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A small and simple holiday park

I would put Summerfields Holiday Park in the small and quiet category of holiday parks rather than the big and busy category. Its biggest onsite asset is its indoor swimming pool, which will fill some time if the Norfolk weather doesn't quite live up to the brochure.

It's also got somewhere to eat and an amusement arcade, which you'll find at most Parkdean and Haven holiday parks nowadays. My children love a trip to the arcades. I love pretending that I'm being dragged along, when I'm secretly loving it as well.

The swimming pool can be found in this block

This photo is from Parkdean Resorts, we didn't go inside the pool ourselves

Summerfields Holiday Park's arcade is a good way to spend a few pennies

The entertainment centre at Summerfields Holiday Park has a restaurant and showbar

The main reception at Summerfields Holiday Park

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A mix of caravans and chalets

The accommodation at Summerfields is quite unusual for Parkdean Resorts. About half of the accommodation units are the usual caravans that you get at most Parkdean sites.

However, the other half are either flat-roofed chalets or two-story chalets, which are in terraces. I'm not an expert on architecture but my guess is that they were built in the 1960s.

A good number of the accommodation units at Summerfields Holiday Park look like this

Some of the chalets at Summerfields Holiday Park are two storey terraces

These properties reminded me of holidays we had at Butlins when I was growing up

Another example of the chalets at Summerfields Holiday Park

There's certainly nothing wrong with this type of accommodation and it has some advantages over caravans - the most obvious one being that the walls are made of bricks. You aren't going to suffer from any of the wobbles that you sometimes get with a caravan if it's a bit blowy!

However, one of my favourite things about caravan holiday parks is that you don't have to worry too much about your children being a bit noisy inside the caravan.

I don't want to give the impression that my children are too raucous...but we find it quite relaxing knowing that we don't have neighbours directly to the left or right of us when the children start singing along to the Bluey theme tune at a great volume.

Single storey chalets are another option at Summerfields Holiday Park

This particular chalet at Summerfields Holiday Park is one of the closest ones to the beach

Summerfields Holiday Park also has a good number of caravans

If you prefer detached accommodation, go for one of the caravans

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A great location - if you don't mind a short walk

The location of Summerfields Holiday Park is within a nice part of the country, but it doesn't lead directly onto a beach. Instead, you need to take a short walk to the end of the road. The walk took me 10 minutes from the first accommodation unit to the sand.

That's certainly not unusual and a 10 minute walk is not a big deal, but there is hot competition in Great Yarmouth and the surrounding area with several holiday parks to choose from, including some which are closer to beach (e.g. Haven Caister on Sea Holiday Park and Parkdean Resorts California Cliffs Holiday Park).

I don't want to sound lazy, but if it's a choice between direct access or a 10 minute walk, I'm always going to choose the first option!

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A beach and a half!

Once you've walked the short distance along the road you are treated to what must be one of the best views in Norfolk. Maybe I'm getting a bit carried away but you get a really beautiful panoramic view of the beach, which is sandy and goes on for miles. These photos don't really do it justice.

​You won't see lots of ships sailing past, but I can guarantee you will feel almost instantly relaxed (well, I can't guarantee it but I think it'll help). Being Norfolk, the beach is backed by really lovely sand dunes. 

Getting down to the beach is easy, via a sloped path that leads onto the sand. 

Perhaps I was lucky when I visited, but it didn't suffer from the sideways winds you sometimes get at Norfolk's beaches. I very nearly stripped down to my pants and jumped in the sea but managed to resist when I remembered I didn't have a towel. The sight of my pale body jumping into the ocean may have scared a few children as well.

We loved the beach near to Summerfields Holiday Park (Scratby Beach)

The cliff top view is simply gorgeous and is only a 10 minute walk from Summerfields Holiday Park

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Final thoughts about Parkdean Resorts Summerfields Holiday Park

If I'm completely honest, Summerfields Holiday Park is not quite my cup of tea, but that's not to say it isn't suitable for anybody and it certainly has some plus points.

There's nothing wrong with Summerfields Holiday Park and it will make a perfectly good base if you just want simple accommodation with a swimming pool and entertainment so that you can explore the beautiful local beaches. However, this isn't really the sort of holiday park where you could spend days on end without needing to go and explore. One other thing worth mentioning is that Summerfields Holiday Park is next door to California Cliffs Holiday Park - and you can use their facilities if you want to. 

I'm a firm believer that everyone looks for something slightly different in their holiday, so Summerfields might be just what you're looking for. I certainly didn't have a bad experience and I wouldn't want you to write it off just-based on my preferences!

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Most of the photos on Holiday Park Guru are original photos that we’ve taken ourselves from our own visits to 100+ holiday parks around the UK. Please don’t use them without permission.