Adventure Holidays at
BAWDSEY MANOR

Suffolk

Stunning beach and river location

An adventure centre like no other!

144 acres to explore

 

  • 8-11
  • 11-13
  • 13-16

Bawdsey Manor, a centre like no other!

PGL Bawdsey Manor, in Suffolk, is a truly stunning location!

Bawdsey Manor is a remarkable Grade II* listed, private site, sitting in 144 acres of parkland and woodland and facing directly onto the beautiful Suffolk coastline, at the mouth of the River Deben. Steeped in history, it has a substantial main house that is said to resemble the Queen's residence at Sandringham and a host of other listed buildings and gardens throughout the property.

Bawdsey is less than 2 hours drive from Norwich, Cambridge and the M25 and direct trains run from Woodbridge (12 miles away) to Liverpool Street Station in London.

Until we purchased it, Bawdsey was a renowned international school as well as a family home and has many excellent existing facilities as a result.

   

We opened the centre fully in 2018 after adding to all the existing facilities and investing heavily in improvements to create an even brighter and bolder Bawdsey Manor, with even more to offer our guests. A new dining room, the creation of en-suite bedrooms, the construction of many additional new PGL activity bases and a lake in the grounds have all transformed it into one of our most exciting adventure centres. 

Here's a great, aerial video that gives you a little glimpse of the setting that makes Bawdsey 'a centre like no other' click here to view .

Available at Bawdsey Manor in 2024: 2, 3, 4 & 7 night Multi-Activity Camps, Aqua Explorer Specialist Camp.

Need some help with travel arrangements? Find out more about our escorted travel here.

Accommodation

You will sleep in the accommodation blocks within the grounds or in the rooms in the main house. Bedrooms are bunk-bedded and most sleep four to six children. A small number of rooms sleep eight to ten children. All rooms in the grounds are en-suite and those in the main house all have bathrooms nearby.

Facilities

Throughout the last couple of years at Bawdsey Manor we have invested heavily in the centre to fill the grounds with additional amazing, purpose-built activity bases creating a full range of all our activities from our classic programme including giant swings, a jacob's ladder, trapeze and climb towers. During 2022 we have also created a fantastic purpose built lake, to allow us to offer raft building and canoeing on site.

Alongside our new activities, we converted the historic clock tower buildings into a 'buffet-style' dining room, creating a new space to relax in and enjoy meal times, just a short walk from the main accommodation blocks.

Dormitory bedrooms in the main house were also refurbished along with the existing accommodation blocks in the grounds (to create ensuite rooms). complete the first phase of what we see as a really exciting future for this special centre.

Also at Bawdsey Manor:

  • Playing fields
  • Meeting rooms / workspaces and lounges
  • Sports hall 
  • Shop

Activities available

Every day is different
We offer almost 40 different activities across all our centres and we pack in as many as possible on every PGL Adventure Holiday. Please note that not all activities are available at all centres; please see the list below for activities available at this centre.

Evening activities
The fun doesn’t stop there! We also include fun-packed evening entertainment programmes at all our centres, every day, all year round, whichever holiday you choose.

Select an activity for a full description

Food

Fuel for adventure
To keep your children energised for their active PGL break our catering teams work hard to produce a menu jam-packed with nutritious family-friendly favourites to suit all appetites. This year we have made some improvements to bring you our best menu yet! View our sample menu here.

  • The PGL breakfast - hot options, cereals, toast, yoghurts, pastries & more!
  • Lighter tastier lunches - a pit-stop to prepare for a busy afternoon. Refuel with fresh sandwiches, soups, pasta or salads.
  • Delicious 'kids favourites' evening meals - crowd pleasing classics such as fish & chips, roast dinners and bangers & mash.

Our buffet style dining room means that children can ‘mix and match’ the items they love most and have unlimited access to our salad bar and fresh fruit. Our Group leaders are on hand to help and will look out for anyone who can’t find anything on the menu that they enjoy. If necessary our catering teams will be more than happy to prepare something special.

Allergies, intolerances and other dietary requirements
A vegetarian alternative can always be provided on all our holidays, and we can accommodate most special diets required on medical or religious grounds, just let us know when you book.

Keeping hydrated
Water, squash, tea and coffee are available with all meals and children are encouraged to refill their water bottles for regular use throughout the day. There are also water fountains available around the centre.

Food at Caythorpe Court

 

Sample Day

Sample day at Bawdsey Manor (based on Multi Activity holidays)
Typical timings Activities
07:00 Your Group Leader will wake you up so that you can get up and get ready for the day ahead.
08:00 Off to the dining room with the rest of your group to fuel up for the day, you’ll need plenty of energy to keep you going. Breakfast includes cereals, toast, yogurts, porridge, and cooked breakfast – you choose!
Don’t forget to refill your drinks bottle before you head off to your first activity.
09:15
Session 1
Sensory Trail
10:45 Break. Catch your breath and have a quick drink before your next session.
11:00
Session 2
Aeroball
12:30-14:00 Worked up an appetite? Great – it’s time to replenish your energy stores with the dining room. If you have energy to spare after lunch your Group Leader will always be ready for a quick kickabout with a ball or you could relax and chat with your new friends.
14:15
Session 3
Archery
15:45-16:00 A chance for a breather and a drink before your Groupie takes you to your next activity.
16:00
Session 4
Buggy Build
18:00 Time to eat again – a different menu each day, (and did we mention, evening meals come with a hot pudding too – or you can stick with fruit if you prefer).
19:00 Talent shows, campfires, quizzes and much more – your evening entertainment programme gives you the chance to get together with everyone else in your age group and have some laughs.
21:00-22:30 Bedtime. The younger ones go first whilst older groups have time to chill out and chat or watch a DVD. Then it’s lights out and time to sleep ready to do it all over again tomorrow!

Please note this is a sample itinerary for illustrative purposes only. Itineraries will be planned by the centre shortly before your arrival.

Customer reviews of this centre

“It is very big and the garden is beautiful”
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
Alexandra, age 9
August 2019
“Really nice and welcoming”
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
  • Not Star
Erin , age 13
August 2019
“Big grassy land, full of activities and fun.”
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
  • Star
Namyaa, age 8
April 2019

Search for Holidays

Search Now

It has never been easier for your child to experience a PGL Adventure Holiday. Select the options below to find the perfect fit for you and your child:

Please select at least one child’s age in order to search. You can select multiple ages if you are searching for more than one child. Your search results will only display holidays for the ages selected.

We will search for departures 7 days either side of the day specified. If we can find no results we find the nearest available dates within 10 weeks either side of the day specified. PGL Adventure Holidays operate during the school holiday periods, please note that dates and holidays may vary at each centre. - February half term - Skiing and Snowboarding in February half term - Easter - May half term - July and August summer holidays - October half term