From grand halls to cosy tree houses and eco-homes, there is something for everyone
West Lexham. Luxurious treehouses and tree temples, glamorous bell tents and beautifully restored barns and cottages in the parkland of this country estate near King’s Lynn offer an idyllic route to rural isolation. Wander the woodland, take a dip in the wild swimming lake, or try a yoga retreat. westlexham.org
The Ingham Swan. The thatched coaching inn dates back to the 14th century but guests can stay in state-of-the-art luxury in the four beautiful bedrooms converted from the stables, and in three new rooms in a neighbouring cottage. The Ingham Swan, near Stalham, is renowned for its food too. theinghamswan.co.uk
Albion Nights, Woodton, near Bungay. A new off-grid eco cabin is welcoming visitors to a six-acre wildflower meadow in the Waveney valley. Almost all the materials used to create the retreat are reclaimed or recycled, with solar electricity and a wood-burning stove for heat and hot water for the shower and outdoor bathtub on the veranda. albionnights.co.uk
Boathouse Barn, Horstead. A 17th century renovated barn nestled by the river Bure in the Broads National Park. The three-bedroom holiday home and offers river access, stunning views and a tennis court. norfolkholidayproperties.co.uk
Hill Farm Barns, Little Massingham. A new luxury holiday retreat including three barn conversions and two B&B rooms has just opened in 17 acres of secluded wildlife-rich parkland between King’s Lynn and Fakenham. hillfarmmassingham.com
Hoveton Hall. The grand hall is still a family home - with B&B customers frequently arriving as guests and leaving as friends, to return time after time. hovetonhallestate.co.uk
The Assembly House is a stylish city centre sanctuary with 11 luxurious rooms, each with marble bathrooms, drench showers and sumptuous antique furniture. Several have their own secret gardens and lounges and there are three opulent suites. A spectacular breakfast is included, and you’ve an ideal chance to sample their exquisitely imaginative afternoon teas or fine-dining lunch and evening menus. assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk
Titchwell Manor, near Brancaster is a beautiful boutique hotel created from a Victorian farmhouse, with has uninterrupted views across the marshes to the sea. It has an enviable reputation for fine dining and lavish hospitality. Stylish and comfortable inside and out, some rooms have a private terrace and hot-tub.
titchwellmanor.com
Appletree Barn, Brancaster. This spectacularly converted barn directly overlooks the marshes, with views right out to Brancaster beach. Appletree sleeps eight in the lap of luxury and even has its own lookout; a front row seat to Norfolk’s famous wide-open skies. norfolkhideaways.co.uk
Beach hut, Wells-next-the-Sea. There’s not much that can improve a Norfolk beach on a sunny day – but how about enhancing your holiday at home with a beach hut? You can’t sleep here, but you can enjoy fabulous views and sophisticated picnics, or perhaps a sundowner as the sun goes down. And Norfolk Holiday Properties has beautiful accommodation across the county too, available, like Blue Horizon beach hut at Wells-next-the-Sea, from norfolkholidayproperties.co.uk
Afloat: Richardson’s Boating Holidays has a fleet of boats for magical holidays floating along the miles of tranquil rivers and lakes which make up the Broads. Moor for the night on a silent riverbank and marvel at the night skies or at a pretty village staithe, close to a country pub. Richardson’s has a comfortable, easy to handle boat to suit almost everyone to hire from its Stalham base pluso day boats for shorter adventures. richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk
A special places for families with special needs: Wilbur the Caravan, Caister-on-Sea. Wilbur is a caravan with a mission – to make holidays special for families which include someone with a disability. Occupational therapist Claire Broughton-Welsh and her husband Steve set up Holistic Thinking Holidays to help families who need more than just wheelchair access for a happy holiday. They have fitted out their static caravan at a Haven holiday park with extras to help families with care needs enjoy an affordable, comfortable, non-clinical break. Steve said Wilbur’s name comes from the Elmer the Elephant stories. “We have a campervan that I converted and painted in multicoloured patchwork like Elmer the Elephant. Elmer represents embracing difference, which we are passionate about when it comes to people with special needs and Wilbur is one of Elmer’s friends.” holisticthinkingholidays.co.uk
Magnificent mansion: Hales Hall, Hales Green, near Loddon. Fancy your own exclusive country estate? Most summers this romantic Tudor mansion would be hosting weddings. But this summer, with so many weddings postponed, it has restyled itself as a breathtakingly lavish self-catering retreat complete with idyllic walled gardens, moat and acres of meadows. The hall itself has seven double bedrooms, each individually styled with antique furniture, free-standing baths and rainfall showers. Reception rooms include a library, large dining room and huge and luxuriously-equipped country kitchen. It is dog friendly too with stunning grounds, sunny alfresco dining areas and plenty of room to relax and unwind. And if you need more room, how about taking the gatehouse, with room for another couple, the stylish cottage, overlooking the gardens, for up to five, and the garden rooms which sleep four in a beautifully restored stable block. Your estate also includes a thatched Tudor barn, which is the largest brick-built barn in the country, light and airy inside, with a galleried reception room and views across the wildflower meadows. haleshall.com
Hoveton Hall. The grand hall is still a family home - with B&B customers frequently arriving as guests and leaving as friends, to return time after time. hovetonhallestate.co.uk
The Little Potting Shed, Fring, near Brancaster. Rustic and utterly romantic, this gorgeous retreat was formerly the gardener’s potting shed, and is tucked into the walled garden on the beautiful Fring Estate. This delightfully quirky hideaway sleeps two even has an outside bath tub, from which you can enjoy beautiful views as the sun goes down. It is one of many idyllic holiday hideaways across the county available from norfolkhideaways.co.uk
From cosy romantic boltholes to large and lavish houses perfect for active extended families, every luxury retreat in some of the loveliest parts of North Norfolk is beautifully equipped and welcome visitors with hampers and fluffy bathrobes and slippers. Dogs are welcomed to many properties. barefootretreats.co.uk
Hundreds of hand-picked cottages from beautiful barn conversions to flint fisherman’s cottages, some with swimming pools, boat mooring or a beach hut. norfolkcottages.co.uk
