Thoughts on Centre Parcs, Elveden Forest

The Centre Parcs Elveden Forest village is located in Thetford, Suffolk, a short drive from some key tourist attractions in the area, and from some questionably named places – I’m looking at you Hockwold cum Wilton and Wangford! Since we’re relatively local to Suffolk, and aren’t minted, we tend to book a stay from Friday night to Sunday night. As devoted dog parents, we had to take Ted, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with us, so our experience is centred around navigating the resort with a dog in tow.

On our first visit, I’d hoped to spend a couple of hours exploring the local area, or visiting Bury St Edmunds, however, we ended up spending the whole weekend in the Centre Parcs village, a testament to just how much there is to do there.

Related: How we spent a weekend in Woodbridge

The cabins are comfortable

Our first stay was with family in a three bedroom, L-shaped cabin that I thought was great. There were two toilets – one bathroom and one WC by the front door. It had a TV, a small fire, and all the amenities you need to cook. Our ‘back door’ was a glass, patio door which led onto a small paved area within the forest; over the weekend we were visited by a collection of wildlife, including a jay and some muntjac deer. I particularly liked the large chalkboard drilled to the wall of the living area – it’s a slightly quirky touch that I’d bet kids love to interact with. When we arrived, we found that our cabinmates had used it to write our itinerary for the weekend.

On our next visit, with our two year old V, we booked a four bedroom cabin: two double bedrooms, two twins, and an extra shower room. The rest of the lodge was exactly the same as the smaller one we’d stayed in back in 2020.

The major issue for us was that our first cabin wasn’t dog-friendly – Ted stayed two doors away with Dan’s sister, her family, and their dog Rolo. It transpired that the two cabins were actually almost identical, but the only difference was some plastic panelling screwed on the bottom half of the doors, which wasn’t actually there in the four bed cabin. And although the four bed lodge is dog-friendly by description, there is no way to enclose the patio space.

The sliding glass door locks itself when it’s closed, so there is no access from the rear of the lodges once the door is closed. We discussed how in warm weather, it would be tricky to manage having a dog and wanting to sit outside. Although there is a hook on the wall, we supposed to attach a lead, but it restricts their freedom to walk inside if they’re getting too hot.

I understand that Centre Parcs needs to have ‘no-dog’ cabins for allergy purposes, but it was annoying that the dog-friendly cabins are quickly sold out, especially when there is practically no difference between the two. Perhaps Centre Parcs could do with a few more, especially since dogs can’t enter the village.

The food is tasty

During a two night stay, we were able to sample a few of the restaurants. On our first night we ordered a delivery to the cabin. Instead of all of us committing to the same type of food, we were able to select a couple of different cuisines from the menu. Prior to Covid, there was a wider range than in 2023. Pre-Covid, I had a pizza, Dan had Mexican, someone else had a burger, someone else had a curry, but second time round, the options were pizza and Chinese. I wouldn’t say it was delicious, but it was enjoyable for a delivery.

What was delicious was the Saturday night steak I had at ‘Huck’s American Bar and Grill‘, and the pancakes at the aptly named ‘The Pancake House‘. Both restaurants are in the Village Square, and from what I understand, it’s better to book a table, especially at Huck’s.

Both Huck’s and The Pancake House have a kids’ menu and a soft play area to enjoy. Huck’s also have TV screens dotted around the restaurant (showing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs when we were there) which is ideal for keeping kids entertained while the adults want to enjoy their melt in the mouth BBQ ribs or their wings. I’d recommend the mango and habanero flavoured wings with the blue cheese sauce – absolutely delicious!

The pool is awesome

Perhaps awesome is an understatement. With four nieces and a daughter who love splashing around in the water, we ended up spending hours at the pool.

The Subtropical Swimming Paradise is aptly named – it consists of a wave pool, numerous slides, a lazy river, outdoor rapids, hot whirlpools, and for some reason, a Starbucks. We went on almost every slide at least once; the girls had us hurtling down the rapids more times that I can count. Centre Parcs Elveden Forest has the largest watersports lakes of all the Centre Parcs villages, but it’s the pool that is the real draw. Even better, access to the pool is free for everyone staying, whereas some of the watersports may incur extra charges.

The changing rooms are a let down though: it’s dirty, and the layout is so weird. A door on each side of the cubicles means that you’re left searching for a cubicle, thinking there should be more than there are, especially since the two door access is totally pointless – you can just walk round to the other corridor, where the door leads to the exact same cubicles as you’ve just walked past. Dan was whacked on the back by a woman trying to come in while I was still closing the other door.

The floor was also absolutely filthy. Perhaps it’s just because it was January, muddy, and no one was wearing sandals or flip flops, but there were clumps of mud and grubby puddles throughout the whole area. I did see cleaners, but they seemed to be directing people more than mopping up the mud. Perhaps if the layout was a bit more sensible, the cleaners wouldn’t have to spend their whole time telling others where to go.

Cabin areas aren’t well signposted

On the first night of my first stay, after a drink in the pub area, I got lost. We’d travelled up on Friday evening, straight after a full week of work, and while Dan and his family (who had booked annual leave) were having drinks, I was exhausted and needed a sleep. I made the decision to walk back to the cabin. But our cabin was in an awkward location. Our second was in the Maple area, next to the village, but the first was the area behind and a much trickier route.

What should have been a five minute walk to the village became a 30 minute walk home. At night, the forest is pitch black, and poorly lit surrounding the village. Evidently, I took a wrong turn and walked down a road for near on 15 minutes following cabin numbers before I saw a sign that told me I was in the wrong area! Continuing on for another 5 minutes I found the main signpost and worked out where I was, but it meant at least another 10 minutes walking.

It was a February night. It was freezing cold. There was no way I could cut across roads to make it to my area. Were it someone else, a child, or someone anxious, it could have been a really upsetting experience. I’d recommend a walk in pairs or groups if it is dark.

It’s not as dog-friendly as I’d hoped

Lastly, my main gripe with Centre Parcs Elveden Forest is that it’s not actually very dog-friendly. I’d argue they’re more ‘dog-tolerant’, especially in comparison to what I have seen about how some of the other Centre Parcs villages welcome dogs.

Related: Take your dog on holiday this year with this ultimate guide

Yes, dog-free cabins are designed to protect those with asthma and allergies. Dogs must be on a lead at all times (unless in the designated dog pens, which are essentially a 10m x 10m cage, a pathetic attempt at catering for larger dogs, or allowing them to run) to protect wildlife and people who don’t like dogs/ are afraid of dogs/ from overly excitable dogs. Dogs cannot go into any indoor area of the village, which is okay when the weather is pleasant, but on a stormy February day – complete with gale force winds – it’s not ideal.

When Ted was younger, he became quite distressed being left on his own in an unfamiliar location for so long. Even though he was with his bestie, it’s not the same as being at home, or out with his dad… or even me. By the end of the weekend, we walked him then spent the rest of the day in the cabin, only leaving him for a couple of hours for a swim. The second time he was much more confident in being left alone, but I still felt guilty leaving him for so long, and for so many times during the day.

Although part of the allure of the cabins are to allow nature into your space, I firmly think a beneficial addition to the dog cabins would be to add a fence around the paved section. There you’d be able to sit in your cabin with the door open, for your dog to be able to roam more freely outside.

Would I return? Now that Ted is more comfortable on his own, yes. But I think I want to come when the weather is a bit better, and the kiddies are a bit older!

Did you like this post? Why not let me know what you thought by leaving me a comment below? Or, if you want to keep up to date with new posts and any other travel ideas or thoughts I might have, you could follow me on Twitter or Instagram instead.