I am the kind of person who, come the 2nd of January, likes to have their holidays mapped out for the year. Places I had wanted to visit in 2020 included Byron Bay and Bali. Places I actually visited: Worcester, Hunstanton and Truro. However, whilst things may not have panned out as originally planned (owing to the small matter of a global pandemic) we still had a great Summer, revisiting some favorite spots in the UK and adding some new ones to the list as well. With restrictions on UK stays looking likely to be lifted later this Spring, I wanted to share one of my favourite places to holiday at home with you: the North Norfolk Coast. We have been coming to this part of the world for over 10 years now drawn by huge sandy beaches, wide open skies, pretty flint villages and a winning combination of nice places to eat, drink and shop.
Where to Stay
There are so many great places to stay and something for every budget. From self catering to great gastro pubs with rooms, chic bed & breakfasts, glamping spots and comfortably grand hotels. If you are looking for all the advantages of self catering with all the luxury touches of boutique hotel then look no further than Ford House Norfolk.
Ford House Norfolk serves up some serious kerb appeal
It is located in the pretty village of Docking, which is located just ten minutes drive from Burnham Market, one of the buzziest places on the coast and within easy access of two of my favourite beaches: Holme Dunes and Brancaster. It has three bedrooms (two doubles and one bunk room) two bathrooms, a gorgeous kitchen diner with an Aga keeping it cosy and living room with brick built hearth, woodburner and the squishiest of sofas. Outside you have the choice of two gardens, lawn to the front with a kid pleasing trampoline or a lovely courtyard garden at the back with table and chairs and a fantastic mud kitchen to keep the kids entertained whilst you are soaking up the sun!
A sunny spot in the rear courtyard garden with a lovely mud kitchen for the kids
Ford House is beyond well equipped. Every single thing you could possibly conceive to make your stay as comfortable, luxurious and relaxing as possible has been thought of. It starts in the kitchen with a welcome hamper waiting for you when you arrive packed with useful basics and delicious extras, jars of sweets for the kids on the counter and a chocolate traybake awaiting you in the fridge. As a dedicated tea drinker I loved the choice of gorgeous ceramic mugs hung above the kitchen counter for your morning tea or coffee.
In every room there are scented candles from Join and bath foam from the same independent Suffolk brand when you want to run yourself a long hot bath at the end of a day on the beach. If you settle down in the evening in front of the fire there are a host of magazine and interiors books to tuck into and plenty of board games and dvds to keep the kids entertained should the Norfolk weather not be on your side. I am not kidding when I say there were days when we struggled to leave the house as it catered to our every need! I don’t know where Amanda (the owner) sources the duvets on the beds from but it was like going to sleep in a cloud every evening.
It is impossible not to sleep well whilst staying in the beautiful bedrooms at Ford House
The cosy living room has plenty of interiors books and magazines to keep you occupied
If Ford House is booked up (as I know it often is!) then why not try one of these great Air BnB options saved to my North Norfolk wishlist which I know had some Summer availability left (if you are quick). There is a handsome townhouse in the beautiful village of Cley, 5 mins from a great beach), the sweetest two bedroom cottage with great rustic industrial interiors near Holkham, a newly renovated barn with a hot tub for 4 guests near South Creake or a Scandi Rustic chic cottage in the beautiful market town of Holt. If camping is your thing then this Summer, in a secluded corner of the Holkham estate, there’s a new pop-up campsite called Camp Elwood with space for grass pitches, bell tents and a dining hall with a restaurant and fully licensed bar.
For relaxed bed and breakfast in a gorgeous grand country house, book into Stay at the Whitehouse . They have spacious suites that offer plenty of privacy and the breakfasts are worth dragging yourself out of bed for.
Beaches
If you can prise yourself away from the house then within a ten-twenty minute drive are two absolutely beautiful beaches. A new discovery for me this time, Holme Dunes is by all accounts a little bit of a North Norfolk secret so I feel slightly bad for sharing it here! From the car park make your way down to the beach through windswept sand dunes to find a gently shingled beach. There is no cafe so pack a picnic and find a good spot in the sand dunes to hunker down and enjoy the view out to sea. If you want a beach with more facilities, Brancaster slightly further along the coast towards Wells is also one of my favourites. There are vast open stretches of sand, and a hut selling ice creams, coffees, buckets and spades. Although it is more popular than Holme Dunes it never feels crowded because it is such a big beach. Also if you wanted to combine the two beaches in a day you could start at Holme Dunes then stop off on the way to Brancaster in Thornham where the legendary Thornham Deli awaits. From hearty breakfasts to amazing afternoon teas they do it all with plenty of tasty options to takeaway as well. There is also a great playground next door and playing field, always good to know if you have kids like mine who need to burn off labrador like energy levels!
The tranquil sands at Holme Dunes
If you want to venture further field then Wells by the Sea has lines of iconic pastel coloured beach huts , a minature railway leading down to the sea, a cafe serving breakfasts and lunches, and ice cream van and even a mini off shoot of Joules! My other favourite has to be Holkham. Norfolk is famous for it’s wide open skies and nowhere is that more true than on Holkham beach. You make your way down to the beach through pine trees and then come out onto great expanses of sand stretching far out to sea. It is impossibly wild and beautiful and once you have blown the cobwebs away you can head back up the beach to the Victoria Inn. A fantastic foodie pub with goregous rustic interiors. My other favourite beach has to be Cley by the Sea. You make your way towards it through a pretty flint village with it’s own Windmill and a new sell out bakery Pastonacre. The road leading down to it gets water logged at high tide so be careful how you time your visit (I ended up with very wet shoes and socks) but it is a lovely place for a walk as the sun goes down.
Places to eat and drink
There are so many great options that it is truly difficult to know where to start! So maybe I will break it down into different categories to make it easier - although several are great whatever meal of the day you are wanting to eat!
Breakfast & Brunch
I have to start this category with Byfords, a Norfolk institution and rightly so! Located in the pretty Georgian market town on Holt inside a beautiful old building with crooked floors and think wooden beams. There are tables hidden away in every nook and cranny and the breakfast/brunch menu will fill you up for the day. I always have eggs benedict whilst the pancakes are a firm favourite with the kids. On your way out stop into the deli section and pic up a home cooked meal for the evening or a doorstep size slice of one of their many delicious cakes. They also have rooms for overnight stays but make sure to pack elasticated waist trousers!
On the road out of Holt is another one of my favourite brunch spots: Back to the Garden. Located in in a converted barn with huge soaring ceilings it is set around a pretty courtyard garden with brunch options featuring lots of delicious local produce. If you want a more casual breakfast then you can’t do better than a trip to Stiffkey Stores for coffee and freshly baked pastries (more on that below).
Casual Lunches
There are so many great places to choose from in this category that it is hard to narrow it down! Here are some of the ones I enjoyed the most on our most recent trip. If you are visiting Holkham beach then add on a trip to Holkham Hall, a grand stately pile up from the beach with an excellent (and free) forest adventure playground for the kids, huge grounds to roam around in and, during the Summer, a outdoor food market on Fridays and Saturdays. In the shadow of the hall there are vintage style vans selling everything from cheesy chips (my fave) to burritos, burgers, wood fired pizzas and much more.
Wiveton Hall is on a smaller scale than Holkham but in amongst fields and a farmyard they have opened a wonderfully colourful cafe serving casual meals using lots of local produce. Even better for those with kids there is a mini recreation of the hall for climbing and playing hide and seek in.
When it comes to delis from which to source the ingredients for a tasty picnic your cup overfloweth. I have already mentioned Thornham Deli and Byfords in Holt but a couple of others which deserve honourable mention include Gurney’s at the Brancaster Village Store and Picnic Fayre in Cley Next to the Sea. The former is next to a playing field, communal tennis courts and picnic tables and the latter is in a beautiful Old Forge within walking distance of a beautiful beach.
Throw the diet out the window when in North Norfolk! There are so many great delis to pick up local produce
Evening meals
If you don’t fancy cooking your own dinner then there are plenty of great options for evening meals ranging from fish and chips through to fully on fancy fare. Erics Fish and Chips just outside Thornham has rapidly become a local institution with it’s modern take on fish and chips. They do all the classics, including gluten free options but also have some knock out side specials like pesto arancini balls that have to be tasted. There is loads of outdoor seating and last time we visited they have also added an ice cream van.
If you want something a little fancier then would really recommend Socius in Burnham Market which offers a British take on tapas with a delicious selection of small plate dishes. We have not yet managed to get a table, but The White Horse in Brancaster Staithe comes highly recommended by others with a stunning terrace overlooking lobster pots, oyster beds and saltmarshes out to Scolt Head Island and the sea beyond. For simple pub fair with boho style interiors (and a huge slide in the middle of the beer garden to keep the kids happy) head to the Gin Trap Inn. Two more great pubs with playgrounds (if you are eating early with the kids) include the Kings Head in Letheringsett and The Victoria Inn, Holkham. The food at the latter is seriously delicious.
Socius in Holt serves up great mini plates of food in British tapas style
Shopping
I could probably dedicate this entire section to my favourite North Norfolk shop: Stiffkey Stores. It is part general store, part cafe part amazing interiors shop in what was once the local post office. The L Shaped building frames a pretty courtyard garden where there are plenty of places to sit with the newspapers, freshly baked croissants and a coffee. My kids love the selection of sweets stocked inside which always buys me a bit of time for browsing in the interiors section of the store. The owners have an amazing eye for display, pulling together a selection of homewares that sits perfectly against the white wash and brick walls, wooden beams and stone floors of the building. In summer they often have plants and flowers to buy displayed in old iron bath tubs outside the front of the store. It’s a truly lovely place to while away an hour or three.
I challenge you to come home from Stiffkey Stores without making a purchase
Burnham Market has a nice selection of independent shops stocking a mix of fashion, jewellery , gifts and homeware and is a nice place to pass a happy hour or two browsing shops like Anna, Norfolk Living, Foras and Barefoot Living.
Another favourite shopping destination of mine is Holt, a handsome market town set slightly inland. It is a great place to stock up on provisions with an Adnams shop for those seeking locally brewed beers as well as butchers, green grocers and delis. There used to be a fabulous vintage store in a converted shop which was great for a rummage but that has sadly closed. A new find for me on our last visit was Sprout offering homewares right up my Scandi Rustic Street.
I loved the displays at Sprout in Holt
Just outside Thornham, another favourite shop of mine is Joyful Living. A treasure trove of gorgeous interiors products, from cushions to candles and everything inbetween that are not outrageously priced. It is great for combining with a trip to Eric’s Fish and Chips which is just next door.
I hope you love North Norfolk as much as we doo.
There is so much more I could share with you about this amazing part of the world but I will leave it there for now!
I received a small discount on my stay at Ford House Norfolk but with no obligation to blog about our stay.