Every year we get a handful of bookings that aren’t really one booking at all.

They’re four families who’ve decided to come away together. A group of old friends who’ve worked out that a weekend camping is cheaper, and probably more fun, than a weekend in a hotel. Or a scattered family, sometimes spanning three generations, who’ve finally managed to find a weekend when everyone can be in the same place.

Groups need something slightly different from a family coming away for a two-night break. You need space to spread out, but not so much that you barely see each other. You need somewhere that works just as well for a two-year-old as it does for a seventy-year-old. Most importantly, you don’t want everyone squeezed on top of one another for the entire weekend.

That’s really a question of layout, and it’s one of the reasons New Farm Holidays works particularly well for groups.

Field or woodland? Why the difference matters for groups

For campers, we have two distinct camping areas, and groups tend to gravitate towards one or the other depending on the sort of weekend they have in mind.

Our camping pitches give you the choice of field and woodland camping, each offering a slightly different experience.

Field camping for one big camp

Our four field pitches are open and very generously sized. You’ve got good sightlines, plenty of room for everyone and it’s easy to keep an eye on the children or wander between tents with a cup of tea in the morning.

If your group wants to feel like one big camp, with everyone very much part of the same weekend, the field is usually where you’ll end up.

Woodland camping for a little more privacy

Our four woodland pitches are grouped together in a wooded semi-circle. They’re close enough for a group to stay together, but each pitch still has its own space amongst the trees.

It’s good for groups who want to be together, but not too together, if you know what we mean.

Families who like having their own patch to retreat to at the end of the day often prefer the woodland. There’s also a Classic Glamping Pod in that wooded semi-circle, which is particularly handy if someone in the group loves the idea of the weekend but is rather less enthusiastic about sleeping under canvas.

You don’t all have to camp

This is where group stays at New Farm Holidays can become particularly flexible.

You don’t have to choose one type of accommodation for everybody. Plenty of groups mix things up, perhaps tents in the field for some, a quieter woodland pitch for others and a pod for anyone who’d rather have four solid walls and a proper bed.

Our glamping pods are close enough to the camping areas that pod guests still feel part of the group, rather than being tucked away somewhere completely separate.

Glamping pods for the bit of extra comfort

Not everyone wants to camp, and that’s absolutely fine.

Our Classic and Deluxe En-Suite Glamping Pods provide comfortable beds, insulation and a cosy space to retreat to at the end of the day. The Deluxe Pods add the convenience of their own en-suite facilities too.

Around our wildlife pond we have two Classic Glamping Pods and two Deluxe En-Suite Glamping Pods. They’re a particularly good option for grandparents joining a larger family trip, couples who want a little more comfort, or simply that one friend who has made it very clear that tents aren’t happening.

You can take a closer look at our glamping pods here.

The bits that bring everyone together

What makes a group weekend work isn’t really where everyone sleeps. It’s what happens in the spaces between.

The wildlife pond in Ostler’s Wood naturally becomes a focal point, while the woodland itself gives children plenty to discover and adults somewhere peaceful to wander.

Then there’s Ostler’s Orchestra, our woodland music garden. The outdoor instruments tend to be discovered by the children first. Give it until the second evening and you’ll usually find the adults having a go too.

And, of course, there are the fire pits.

There’s something about everyone gathering around the same fire at the end of the day that turns a collection of separate tents, pods and pitches into one weekend away together.

If you’re looking for ideas beyond the campsite too, we’ve put together some of our favourite things to see and do near New Farm Holidays, with plenty of options for groups and families exploring Lincolnshire.

Ten years of one group doing exactly this

We have one group who’ve been proving the idea works for a decade now.

A handful of dads and their children have booked the same weekend with us every year since the kids were small. The toddlers from those first trips are teenagers now. One of them turned eighteen this year and went away with his mates instead, which you can’t really argue with, but it did make us stop and count.

Eleven adults. Twenty children. Ten years running.

Over the years they’ve used a mixture of field pitches and pods, spreading themselves across the site while staying close enough that everyone eventually ends up around the same fire in the evening.

It’s probably the best example we could give of the layout doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: giving everyone enough space to enjoy the day their own way, then naturally bringing the whole group back together again.

Planning a group camping or glamping trip?

Groups come in all shapes and sizes, so rather than trying to work everything out yourself, get in touch and tell us what yours looks like.

Let us know how many people are coming, the ages involved and whether you’re looking for camping, glamping or a mixture of the two. We can then talk you through the combination of pitches and pods that should work best for your group.

There’s a minimum two-night stay across the site, increasing to three nights over bank holidays. For popular summer and bank holiday weekends, it’s always worth getting in touch early if you’d like the widest choice of pitches and pods close to one another.

Have a look around New Farm Holidays, explore our camping options and glamping pods, or get in touch and we’ll help you start planning your group getaway.