The Malmo & Moss Guide to the North Norfolk Coast

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.

A Weekend at Eden Hall Cottage, Norfolk

Does anyone remember the TV programme ‘Challenge Anneka’?  The basic premise was that Anneka Rice (sporting a blue jumpsuit that made her look like an errant Kwik Fit employee) had 48hrs to complete a seemingly impossible task like reintroducing an obscure species of Owl to the UK or persuading Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen to wear beige.  It sadly disappeared from our screens some time around 1994 but I think the BBC should bring the show back and set Anneka a new challenge. Find a holiday cottage near the coast in the UK that sleeps 10-12 people (without anyone having to sleep in a drawer) with interior’s that don’t look like the inside of your Auntie Pat’s conservatory all for less than £5000 a week.  I suspect it would make reintroducing that obscure owl look like child’s play.  But fear not Anneka, I’ve got this one.  In my little black book of holiday cottages is a place that ticks all of those boxes and more: Eden Hall Cottage.

The gorgeous back porch of Eden Hall Cottage which is a traditional flint cottage on the North Norfolk coast

About the Cottage

The cottage is located on the North Norfolk Coast on the so-called secret side (i.e. the stretch that is not overrun with men called Tarquin down from London for the weekend who are partial to red trousers).  Eden Hall’s owners are Vicky and Chris White.  If I tell you that Vicky is the founder of the beautiful home and lifestyle brand Plum & Ashby you will start to appreciate that this is going to be a pretty special place.

Edenhall as it looked when Vicky and Chris first went to view it

Vicky, Chris and their dog Bertie live in Olney (Bedfordshire) but have always been regular visitors to the Norfolk coast.  They got engaged there and, in 2015, they started to look for a property they could turn into the coastal holiday home of their dreams.  After two years of searching and several close misses, in November 2017 (on their shared birthday) they went to view Eden Hall Cottage and fell in love. 

The Renovation

It took some vision to see it’s potential as a beautiful beach bolthole because it was, at the time, completely run down with rats in residence and a random toilet in the middle of the drive.  However they were able to look past the loo and having secured the property, brought an architect on board to help them restore it to it’s former glory. Their ambitious goal was to have the property ready for its first visitors by the summer of 2018.   

The inside of the property had seen better days but the potential was easy to see

Some gorgeous period features were still shining through the gloom

Having hired a team of local builders following a tender process, their first step was to strip the property back to it’s bare bones (including taking out and replacing all of the upstairs floors the joists of which turned out to be rotten).  This is what the cottage looked like when I first popped round “Kevin McCLoud” style at the start of their renovation journey.

The upstairs landing and staircase. The entire upper floor had to be removed as part of the renovation and replaced after the joists were found to be rotten

Vicky and Chris kept and restored the original brick fireplace

The Interiors

By the time Malmo McCloud returned to stay as one of their first guests in October 2018, it was virtually unrecognisable.  With the renovation complete, the cottage has five double bedrooms (three of which are ensuite), a stunning kitchen diner with vaulted ceilings, a relaxed sitting room with open fire, a family bathroom with a gorgeous cast iron roll top bath and a boot room and separate utility.  There is a lovely secluded patio garden at the front and a large lawned area at the back (perfect for letting our pack of lad labradors off the leash). 

Vicky battled her builders to have vaulted ceilings in the kitchen/dining space that is at the heart of the house

The rowing oars are a subtle nod to the cottage’s coastal location

The family bathroom blends contemporary and vintage features with a huge rolltop bath to relax in

Vicky said that her aim for the interiors was to create an English take on an American beach house and it is a triumph of Nantucket come to Norfolk.  The walls are painted in a pallet of clean minimal neutral colours which act as the perfect backdrop to some seriously luxurious furnishings from brands such as Neptune, Rowen & Wren, Also Home and the White Company.  There is not a jaunty anchor or whimsical shell in sight. 

The relaxed sitting room is at the front of the house and opens on to a secluded patio courtyard garden

The star of the show has to be the duck egg blue Humphrey Munson kitchen which is at the heart of the house and fabulously well equipped.  I loved the way that Vicky and Chris had chosen to leave sections of the original flint walls exposed in the kitchen to provide a rustic contrast to the contemporary units. 

The Humphrey Munson kitchen Vicky chose in duck egg blue works perfectly with the flint walls left exposed

The perfect shelfie

Those flint walls

Marble worktops and brass taps add a vintage edge to the

We stayed at the house as a group of ten (with 5 friends rather than 5 children I have previously failed to mention in case you are wondering).  The layout of the cottage is perfect for groups of friends or families..  Upstairs are two generous double bedrooms (one of which is ensuite) and a further single with bunk beds and some lovely touches for children staying like a minature teddy version of Bertie the dog. Upstairs is also host to the family bathroom of dreams which has Georgian style panelled walls, a huge roll top bath and gorgeous brass taps. The bath products are all from Plum & Ashby’s beautiful range made in the UK.

The upstairs ensuite bedroom with gorgeous striped headboard and exposed wooden beams

I have this thing with the amazing honeycomb tiles on the floor in the ensuite

The second upstairs double bedroom which is a great size

The family bathroom with fabulous Georgian style pannelling

The lovely single bedroom complete with bunk beds and lots of thoughtful touches for junior guests

I love that Vicky and Chris were able to keep the original window frames

Downstairs are two further double bedrooms both of which are ensuite.  This layout meant that those in our party with kids could sleep upstairs whilst those without occupied the bedrooms downstairs so that they were spared a 7:30am wake up by the Octonauts/Fireman Sam/Mr Tumble emptying his spotty bag.

One of the downstairs double bedrooms. I love the panelling painted in a lucious dark green

Pinstripe cushions from Also Home up the comfort levels in all the bedrooms

The bedrooms are all beautiful but the one to fight over is definitely the master suite off the kitchen which has both a four poster bed and roll top bath of it’s own.  It is set off the kitchen/diner and is like a mini hotel in it’s own right. I loved the vintage boathouse sign that hangs above the doorway to this room adding a nod to the coast.

Prepare to duke it out for who gets to sleep in the stunning master bedroom

The four poster bed of my dreams from the White Company in the master bedroom

A peek into the ensuite which has a roll top bath of it’s own

And a shower to with marble metro tiles

We all then enjoyed big communal breakfasts together with papers around the huge kitchen table which can easily seat 12.  Bacton, where the cottage is based has a small local shop which stocks all of your bread/milk/Sunday papers essentials. Though it is not the kind of the place where you will be able to source artisan pate or gluten free granola so maybe stock up in advance if those things are your daily essentials.

Evenings were spent slobbed out on the two huge comfy sofas in front of the fire. The zinc coffee table is truly a sight to behold, I am pretty sure that it may be bigger than one of our bedrooms at home. If you have been out taking the sea air during the day then coming back and running a bubble bath in the stunning main bathroom of an evening is also to be recommended.

The living room with open fire and that zinc coffee table!

I love all of the subtle nods to coastal decor that Vicky has included in the cottage without it ever feeling beach themed

Settle down on one of the two huge sofas and enjoy a film

The kind of bath you want to linger in with Plum & Ashby products on tap

The Surrounding Area

If you can bring yourself to leave the comfort of the house then there are two stunning (and nearly deserted) beaches close by.  The one at Carts Gap has a little café and Happisburgh boasts a Lighthouse and an excellent playground.

The seafront in Bacton on a slightly stormy day

The lighthouse at Happisburgh which is just ten minutes drive from the house

Bacton woods close to the house offer excellent dog walking/Gruffalo hunting opportunities and if you are in need of a National Trust top up then Felbrigg Hall is just 10 minutes away.  The delights of the rest of the North Norfolk coast are also within easy reach with Holt (a lovely Georgian market town) just twenty minutes drive and beyond that gems including Wells on Sea, Blakney, Stiffkey, Holkham and more.

The harbour in Blakeney a lovely place to visit about an hours drive from the cottage

HUge open skies and miles of sand on Holkham beach

Disclosure 5 minutes after this idyllic mother and son photo was taken he did an emergency poo in a sand dune

We enjoyed a delicious pub lunch at The Victoria at Holkham and then a run on the vast and beautiful beach.  We also called in at Stiffkey Stores for a coffee and spot of modern rustic interiors shopping.  The kids loved a) the cabins for sitting in outside and b) the excellent selection of sweets for less than 50p on offer. I should also mention that the Gunton Arms (rated in the Top 50 places for a pub lunch by [    ]) is also just ten minutes away from the house.  Be sure to reserve a table well in advance of your stay though as it gets really booked up!

The Victoria Inn at Holkham where we enjoyed a delicious pub lunch

Stepping inside Stiffkey Stores in like stepping into my Modern Rustic paradise

Some of the beautiful displays in Stiffkey Stores

So Anneka hang your jumpsuit back up and return to presenting the Sunday Morning Sizzle on Radio Colchester as this is one challenge I have solved without your helicopter even having to leave Broadcasting House.  If you would like to book a stay at Edenhall Cottage click here you can also follow the cottage on instagram here. We were lucky enough to be guests of Vicky and Chris when we stayed but at less than £2000 for a stay even at the height of peak season it is a complete bargain compared to anything I have found of similar size/quality anywhere else in the UK!

*We did not pay for our stay at Eden Hall but I was not asked to produce any content in return for our stay. I am writing up our stay for the blog because it is genuinely one of the nicest places I have ever stayed and I wanted to share it with you *

A Weekend at Ivywood Cottage, Norfolk

Mr Malmo and I are not really country people. He grew up in Nottingham surrounded by bus fumes rather than bushes and, although I hail from Northumberland, 20 years of living in London have rendered me twitchy whenever I am more than 300 metres away from a filament bulb and a flat white. However, having three boys has given us a new found appreciation of wide open spaces where you can let lad/labradors off the leash with less people around to hear you loudly telling them to stop what they are doing and go for a poo or to take a SuperZing out of their nose. With this in mind my google holiday search have increasingly started to feature more escapes to the country than city breaks which is how I discovered Ivywood Cottage on the Norfolk/Suffolk border .

The black timber clad exterior of a rustic shed in the garden of Ivywood Cottage in Norfolk

About the Cottage

Ivywood Cottage is owned by Laura and James who live in the big house next door with their 3 year old identical twin boys and new baby. It was the discovery that they were expecting the twins that prompted them to trade in their one bedroom flat in Islington for James’ native Norfolk and a Georgian House in the country with the added bonus of Ivywood Cottage attached. Moving from such a busy part of North London to Redenhall was, Laura admits, a massive change. Instead of the emergency services hurting past at all hours of day and night and noisy neighbours stomping around, they now have the odd tractor trundling past and a cockerel crowing next door. But having grown up on a farm herself and James a country village it wasn't the huge shock it could have been.

The dreamy cottage exterior of Ivywood with a picture perfect porch. I love the whitewashed bricks and clematis growing up around the door

In the summer this would be the perfect spot to sit out with a glass of wine watching the sun set

Their adjustment to country life has, therefore, been fairly smooth bar some standard country-newbie errors (running out of oil...several times, forgetting they have a septic tank, not realising they had a soak-away pond, not realising the lush green garden was actually thick with ground elder and bind weed…. Reading this list revealed the depths of my own #urbanignorance because I initially thought Laura was referring to running out of olive oil here and thought a soak away pond might be some sort of cool Grand Designs style contemporary garden water feature rather than a tricksy pond drainage system.

Where most people see an old shed I see my dream modern rustic cabin with black cladding. I would love to add a garden studio at home a little bit like this. I loved the bunting strung from it

Downstairs at the Cottage

Ivywood Cottage has been beautifully restored so that you get the best of old and new. So there are gorgeous flagstone floors, exposed beams and quirky staircases but also the comfort of having a beautiful contemporary kitchen in soft grey with metro tiles and on trend copper taps and the very 21st Century pleasure for soft linen bedding from Loaf on all the beds.

I loved the whitewashed brick flooring in the living room laid in a herringbone pattern

The living room at the cottage was painted in neutral colours with texture and warmth added through touches such as the jute rug and woolen cushions and blankets

We visited in January so took full advantage of the cosy woodburner in the living room which comes complete with all the urban comforts you need to ease you into country life gently i.e. ready access to the latest copy of Kinfolk. I loved how Laura has carefully mixed interiors styles together in this room, introducing vintage pieces such as two 1950s midcentury armchairs covered in gorgeous mossy green and smokey grey velvet.

One of the changes that Laura and James made to the cottage was to add a woodburner

Laura has been really clever at blending contemporary and vintage in the cottage. I loved these velvet mid century armchairs she had had restored

City dwellers relax, the cottage was fully stocked with the latest issues of Kinfolk and Cereal Magazine

The nearest town to the cottage is Harleston where we stocked up on locally baked bread, bacon from Norfolk bred pigs and fresh orange juice for breakfast (and if I am honest also Weetabix, Nutella and Robinsons squash because my kids regard Granola and Fresh Orange Juice as their breakfast enemies ). The kitchen has a gorgeous farmhouse table, bench and tolix seats and I loved the industrial touches like the vintage lights over the island and the concrete worktops.

White metro tiles on the walls give the kitchen a contemporary feel that works with the medieval bones of the cottage

Concrete worktops contrasted with the shaker style kitchen units to add a shot of industrial style to the kitchen

Restored vintage brass taps in the kitchen with my dream Belfast sink

I loved the vintage industrial pendant lights hanging over the kitchen island

The dining table and chairs which comfortably seat 6-8 for large family breakfasts, lunches and dinners

Upstairs at the Cottage

Upstairs are two double bedrooms (one with an ensuite) and a large landing area with vaulted ceiling which houses a sofa bed meaning the cottage can comfortably sleep six making it ideal for a family break, a weekend away with friends or a romantic retreat with your partner where you can enjoy spaces in your togetherness i.e. escape their snoring if you need to!

The vaulted ceiling landing space which has a sofa bed. I loved the pinstripe blinds

High ceilings and gorgeous exposed oak beams in the landing area. I liked the modern twist added by the contemporary bulb lights

I loved the panelling that had been added to the second double bedroom and the smoky grey colour on the walls

The combination of linen bedding and cast iron radiators in the bedrooms make them super warm and toasty

There are a plethora of lovely country walks you can do from the cottage and a host of country pubs dotted all around. Laura’s favourite walk is a big loop from the house which just happens (!) to pass three pubs along the way. The last pub (about a 10 minute walk from the house) has a super children's play park a stones through away #parentingwin. After you have been out to take in the country air come home and warm up in the huge roll top bath. I have never been a huge shower curtain fan but the yellow and white candy striped one at Ivywood totally changed my view. I would happily have it cling to my naked body (if you are reading Ryan Gosling have similar thoughts about you).

The vintage sink and vanity area in the gorgeous rustic bathroom

Pale pink metro tiles add a contemporary twist in the bathroom and provide contrast to the timber walls and wooden floors

The yellow and white shower curtain that frames the roll top bath

Exploring the surrounding area

Whilst the cottage is perfectly positioned for enjoying the best of the countryside there are also plenty of lovely coffee and cake shops nearby should you need a #FlatWhiteFix. One of Laura’s favourite cafes, Marsh Larder, is on a local farm and when it's warm, you can sit outside with a glass of prosecco, eating homemade cake whilst the cows in the field next to you gaze on. Or, if, like me, you have a slight fear of bovine animals, why not try the Earsham Street Cafe in Bungay who serve up an awesome homemade cake. Bungay also has some great antiques and interiors shops and Laura recommends checking out Naken Interiors in Beccles who stock great brands like Ferm Living. Slightly further afield are all of the delights of the Suffolk coast. We worked our way over to Southwold one day via Darsham Nurseries which serves up delicious breakfasts and lunches in a garden nursery (think Petersham Nurseries rather than Dobbies Garden Centre).

Darsham Nurseries is a must visit place for delicious lunches and brunches close to the Suffolk Coast

I loved the vintage mirrors and industrial pendant lighting in Darsham Nurseries cafe

The reclaimed wood clad bar at Darsham Nurseries was ticking all my modern rustic boxes

There are great beach walks to enjoy at Dunwich, Covehithe, Aldeburgh, Thorpness and Southwold to name but a few and even more great pubs and bakeries to sample. No self respecting instagrammer (or donut fan) should leave Suffolk without calling in at the Pump Street Bakery in Orford. And if you are looking for the perfect place for Sunday lunch look no further than the Unruly Pig near Woodbridge.

Miniest Malmo enjoy a romp through the sand dunes at Walberswick

The sand dunes at Walberswick beach on the Suffolk Coast

We stayed at Ivywood Cottage at a discount but even at full rates it is great value for a weekend away at around £100 a night depending on the time of year. A single hotel room can easily cost that without any of the comforts, luxuries and style that Ivywood offers. We are already thinking about coming back not least because I can’t wait to see the renovations that Laura is carrying out on their neighbouring Georgian House. I am hoping I can convince her to let me come back and do a house tour when she is finished! In the meantime if you would like to book a stay at Ivywood Cottage the link is here