WINTER EDITION
Whitlingham Country Park News
Want to know what's happening at the park? Read on...
EVENTS 2026
February 14th
March 15th
March 28th
May 22nd - 24th
Outdoor Cinema - films and times TBC
June 21st
July 12th
August 1st
August 12th
FREE Teddy Bears' Picnic family event
FUN ALL YEAR ROUND -
Flint Barn Café Autumn/Winter opening hours are 9-4
There are always new things going on at the park. Here is some of our latest news:
The air is crisp and the water glistens as you look across the Great Broad. Get your warm winter boots on and come for a wintery Whitlingham walk.
We are finalists! 🎉
The Whitlingham team are thrilled to announce that we have been chosen as finalists in the Broadland and South Norfolk Business Awards 2026. That is a significant achievement for a small, independently run country park. We are proud of what we offer our visitors and we are delighted to be recognised among other worthy local businesses in the tourism sector. We will welcome judges to the park soon, and find out the result in due course. We will, of course, let you know how we do!
Photography competition 2026
Whitlingham is the perfect place for photography, with its water, woods and wildlife. There is always a great shot to be captured. If you have an eye for a good photo, this is the opportunity for you. We've had snow already, creating tranquil white vistas. What else will we see this year?
How can I join in?
Photo entries (in landscape format) must be sent to admin@whitlinghamcountrypark.com by 23:59 on 30th September 2026 to be in with a chance of your photo being included in our 2027 calendar. That means you can take photos throughout the seasons. Multiple entries are encouraged.. Find full info here. Will you be the winner? Good luck!
Thank you to those who have entered their shots already during the first few weeks of January.
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Volunteers and park projects
The park's regular volunteers and our corporate groups have been as busy as ever. Even just one month in to 2026, you will notice the coppicing work that continues to take place on the south side of the Great Broad. It opens up the space beautifully, allowing new growth and different ages of habitat for wildlife. Our new dead hedge has been a real hit with visitors and is great for wildlife too. Buddleia has also been tackled on the north side of the Great Broad. Our amazing volunteer team and corporate groups have already donated well over 100 hours of their time since the coppicing season began in autumn. They are an amazing and dedicated bunch 🌟
Members of a recent Aviva volunteering groups commented:
"It was a joy working alongside your regular volunteers at Whitlingham Lake. Everyone was so friendly, kind and genuinely welcoming. They kept the energy high and made the whole day fly by. Their passion and teamwork shone through in everything they did. A wonderful group of people making a real difference."
“I was extremely impressed with the level of commitment by the Regular Volunteers as they are hard-working, friendly and provide much needed assistance to make sure that this incredible space is maintained for the benefit of all”
Let the sun shine! ☀️
Our solar array was completed by local experts Barrington Solar in late November, and is already generating well, despite the wintery weather and frosts we have had. Check out this fantastic photo taken by one of the electrical team. What a great shot!
The solar array is set to save 9,000 kg of CO₂ each year, which is equivalent to planting over 400 new trees. We expect to generate 43,500 kWh of electricity annually too. A fantastic result!
Great thanks to South Norfolk and Broadland Council, the The Geoffrey Watling Charity and RC Snelling Charitable Trust for their generous contributions to this vital sustainability project..
The south-facing array will generate energy particularly well in spring and summer. We are proud to have this excellent setup to reduce Whitlingham Charitable Trust's annual costs. The savings will enable the Trust to spend on further improvements in the park. There are big plans in store for 2026!
What's new at Flint Barn Café? ☕
There are exciting new tastes on the menu, plus a newly refurbished mezzanine area with more seating options. We never stand still at Whitlingham. Our café team have been busy coming up with a range of new flavours for you to kick off 2026 in style and great taste.
Introducing our NEW freshly filled rolls:
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With the vivid pink of a beetroot roll, our new olive tapenade, roasted tomato and rocket roll is both stunningly colourful and super delicious. And it's Vegan too! £5.20
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Or why not try the "New Yorker" featuring pastrami, cheese, gherkins and French mustard, topped with fresh lettuce leaves, all in a ciabatta roll. £5.50
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Have you tried our savoury croissant before? We have our whipped feta, spinach and roasted cherry tomato combination to tempt you. Yum! £4.75
Snacks and baked goodies are available all day, every day, between 9am and 4pm
Sausage rolls and pasties, Vegan sausage rolls, breakfast pastries and home made cheese scones, fruit scones, and cakes galore. The only challenge is what to choose first! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for regular updates from the café.
Lunch is available daily from midday.
Our homemade soup option changes regularly. The current recipe is:
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spiced parsnip served with roasted pumpkin seeds and a granary roll + butter. Delicious & warming.
All of our soups are Vegan and Gluten Free! (For GF bread, just let us know when ordering.)
Have you tried our range of paninis? You can even take one on a walk to keep your hands warm as you eat! Just ask staff for yours as a take-away option. They're hot and ready super quickly. 👍
Thanks for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you to Whitlingham again soon.
The Whitlingham Country Park team
Please see our FAQs if you have a query, and then contact the team if your question has not been answered there.
Your next quarterly newsletter will be sent at the end of April 2026.