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 on the Suffolk Coast staying at The Dunns

Suffolk: land of my father’s birth and fictional birthplace of Harry Potter (true fact Potter fans). Inland it is dotted with lovely towns and villages featuring pastel coloured cottages with thatched roofs. But head to its easterly side and you will also find a stretches of glorious unspoilt coastline abutted by tasteful towns where you can queue up for gluten free fish and chips and wash them down with a craft ale or two like a proper DIFL.

Since discovering the charms of its coast 15 years ago we have been regular return visitors. I spent my 30th birthday eating chips on the beach in Aldeburgh, we celebrated my mum’s 60th birthday with a meal at the Crown & Castle in Orford and we returned (without my mum) for a dirty weekend in Woodbridge back in the days when that wasn’t shorthand for clearing out the garden shed.

Its charms are endless and I am always on the look out for great new self catering places to stay on this stretch of coast now that our days of holing up in hotel rooms are over. So I was delighted when Jodie got in touch to ask me if we would like to come and stay at The Dunns, a newly converted cedar clad Scandi style holiday home in the heart of Orford, one of my very favourite Suffolk spots.

The Dunns definitely has coastal kerb appeal

I love how they have brought the bungalow up to date with the use of timber cladding

Orford sits on the mouth of the river Ore and you reach it via a soul stirring drive through Rendlesham Forest. There is very definitely a sense of leaving the world behind behind you as you whizz past pine trees under huge open skies. Whilst Orford is a vision of cute cottage loveliness it also has some really cool contemporary houses as well which take full advantage of the amazing views out over Orford Ness Nature reserve.

Orford is full of pretty houses like these red brick beauties

The Dunns is one such home. It sits nestled in a great spot just yards from the castle and the quay and has been newly renovated by Jodie and her family to create a light, bright and spacious holiday home. Downstairs it has a brilliant open plan layout with a newly installed navy kitchen which leads out to a courtyard at the back and a great garden at the front.

The open plan kitchen/dining space

The super well equipped kitchen

A tap like this is on my kitchen renovation wish list

I liked how Jodie had mixed some vintage pieces into the Scandi inspired decor

There are two bedrooms at The Dunns, a double and a twin that can also be a double. The twin is on the groundfloor with an ensuite shower room whilst the double is upstairs in the dormer with its own balcony, stunning floor to ceiling windows and access to an eaves bathroom with the kind of roll top bath you will struggle to get out of.

The master bedroom upstairs with access out to a balcony

I loved the floor to ceiling windows and the views out to Orford Ness

There were so many lovely touches with plentiful interiors books to read in bed

The bathroom in the eaves. I loved the cement tiles they had used in the shower

The view from the bathroom through to the bedroom

The twin bedroom downstairs

With its own ensuite and some more show stopping tiles

Back downstairs, the living room has a lovely squishy corner sofa and woodburner for days when the sun isn’t shining so bright. There is also a sideboard stocked with board games to keep everyone amused as well as a Smart TV.

The squishiest of sofas

As you can see it wasn’t long before everyone had made themselves at home!

A cosy corner by the woodburner

The interiors have been kept simple and Scandi so were right up my street but what really sets The Dunns apart is the level of thought and detail that Jodie has put into making this a truly comfortable and cosseting hideaway. There are stacks of gorgeous interiors books that you will want to sit down with in front of the fire, back issues of Simple Things mags to stay in bed on a Sunday with, Plum & Ashby bath products, lots of board games (and most thrillingly of all for my 3 year old a set of Power Ranger figures) and then also wine, chocolate and biscuits from local producers awaiting you on arrival.

Arriving to find the new Modern Rustic was bliss

I loved this mural in the hallway

There is an honesty shop in the house offering a range of lovely locally made interiors items

So you can stock up on all your favourite Plum & Ashby products whilst you are there

Things to Eat, See and Do in Orford

If you can tear yourself away from the house Orford itself has enough on its own to keep you happily amused for a whole weekend. Mere metres from the Dunns is the legendary Pump Street Bakery. If there is a purer slice of pastry pleasure on this earth than their Rhubarb and Custard donuts I am yet to find it. If you want to enjoy breakfast in the cafe then make sure you get there are soon as it opens (if not a little before) as there are basically only 4 tables and lots of competition for them! Pump Street also now have a shop in the same square if you wanted to take some chocolate goodies home with you.

People come from miles around to get one of the Pump Street Bakery donuts

They also have a chocolate shop just across the square

Inside the small but perfectly formed cafe. Be sure to get there early if you want a table!

Donut heaven

Parking our posteriors outside Pump Street Bakery

Walking away from the main square you have the choice of going right to the castle or left to the Quay. The castle is defo not of Windsor sized proportions but our boys loved rampaging around its walls and ground playing hide and seek. If you have worked up a hunger from hide and seek you can call into the Crown & Castle (formerly owned by Ruth Watson of the Hotel Inspector) for a lovely meal or a drink by their fire. Or back on the market square you can enjoy a truly locally sourced meal at the Butley Orford Oysterage. Pinneys who own the restuarant (and a shop down on the Quay) have been growing and smoking Oysters in nearby Butley Creek since the 1950s.

Orford castle: small but perfectly formed

The Crown & Castle is definitely worth a visit for lunch or dinner

If you are not too full of seafood or sausage and mash head down to the Quay to walk it off at Orford Ness a ten mile shingle spit with marsh, lagoons and waterways. If you prefer to gentle cruise to a stomp through marshland there are daily river cruises from which you can take in all of the same scenery. Sit on the quay at sunset and you will see fishing boats coming back in as the light catches the water and seagulls swoop over head. You can warm up in the nearby Jolly Sailors, one of many excellent Adnam’s brewery pubs on this stretch of coast.

The Quay was my coastal heaven with faded black clad huts

The perfect place for a pint after a wintery walk in Orford Ness

Things to Eat, See and Do on the Suffolk Coast

If you can tear yourself away from Orford there are numerous other lovely spots to explore, almost too many to mention in one blog post! Orford is within very easy reach of all the hotspots on this coast. Head slightly inland to Snape Maltings to enjoy a wonderful combination of music concerts, galleries, cafes and shops set in amongst an expanse of reeds and water in a gorgeous old red brick building. Further up the coast from Orford the delights of Aldeburgh await with its bustling high street and two fish and chip shops so good that they have people queuing around the street for their cod and chips. Our favourite is the Aldeburgh Fish and Chip Shop . Go and eat them sitting on the expanse of pebbly beach and if you have room for dessert be sure to head to the Two Magpies Bakery . Keeping heading up the coast from Aldeburgh and you also have great beaches to chose from at Thopeness, Dunwich and Walberswick not to mention all the delights of Southwold to the south.

If you can tear yourself away from the beach the nearest town to Orford is Woodbridge, set on the river and full of lovely old buildings, shops and cafes. Our favourite is Honey & Harvey. Shops to visit include Vanil, New Street Market and Matisa Market for brilliant secondhand clothes. And it would be remiss of me not to mention the Unruly Pig on the way to Woodbridge which is the best Sunday lunch I have ever eaten. If you have time and room in your belly after that list of recommendations then head to Darsham Nurseries for a lovely lunch and spot of plant shopping. There is also a great antiques/vintage place in which to have a rummage just over the road.

The cafe at Darsham Nurseries

Writing this list of recommendations has just completely wet my appetite to book a return stay to The Dunns this Summer. Thank you so much to Jodie for hosting us for the weekend. The Dunns is available to book through Best Of Suffolk. Click here for the link and here for The Dunns Instagram.

Best Places to Stay UK: Carbis Bay Hotel, Cornwall

With February half tem just around the corner and Easter just a couple of Creme Eggs behind it I thought it was high time I featured a Cornish gem on the blog that would make a perfect break for either holiday. If you have been following me for a while you will know that I am a big fan of a Cornish staycation. Not even the memories of a nightmarish 14 hour return journey after a caravan breakdown on the A40 can dim my love for this corner of the UK.

Miniest Malmo has inherited my love of Cornwall

We have spent many a happy holiday in a clotted cream coma on the Cornish coast. However, we have always tended to stay on the Roseland Penninsula or up on the North coast rather than heading west. So when we were invited to stay at the Carbis Bay Hotel, a mere hop and a scone away from St Ives, we eagerly accepted!

The heavenly setting of the Carbis Bay Hotel

The hotel is majestically perched just above its very own blue flag beach (the only hotel in the UK to have one!) with wide sweeps of soft golden sand stretching out to sea. It feels like you have discovered the best beach in Cornwall and no-one is in any hurry to tell other people the secret! The main hotel is in a sprawling white washed Victorian villa. However, we were invited to test out one of the newly added Scandinavian style self catering beach lodges that are nestled into hill below the hotel and which open directly out on to the beach.

The Beach Lodges at the Carbis Bay Hotel which front directly on to the beach

The front door of the beach lodges is actuallly at the top of the house (so far so Hobbit) with a roof terrace that features a large hot tub in which you can soak whilst taking in spectacular sea views. My youngest son loved this feature so much that he broke down in tears on the M4 when we had to break it to him that we had not been able to pack the 10ft by 8ft hot tub into the back of our already crammed full estate car to bring home with us.

Talk about a hot tub with a view!

As you can see we would have struggle to pop this in the boot of the car to bring home

The lodge we stayed in had three generous double bedrooms (all en suite) with two enjoying balcony’s and views out over the beach. To the boys delight they all have flat screen TVs and to my delight the master bedroom came with a cast iron slipper bath.

The cast iron slipper bath in the master suite

On the ground floor, at beach level, is a large open plan kitchen/dining/living space with huge sliding glass doors which lead out to a garden with sun loungers from which it is then mere steps to the beach. We visited in October so it was not exactly bikinis on the beach weather (or in my case sensible swimsuits on the sand) but it was still crisp and sunny and the boys absolutely loved the freedom of being able to run in and out between the lodge and the beach.

The open plan kitchen is super well stocked

There were lots of lovely touches like a lemon drizzle cake awaiting us

The kitchen is open plan with the living space

The views from the bedroom

When it got too chilly, even by their Lad-Labrador standards, we retreated back inside, turned the fire on and hunkered down on the squishiest of sofas to watch a film. The fireplace at the Beach Lodge was actually major inspo for our recently completed contemporary fireplace revamp (click here to read more about that). I loved how they had clad it in white washed rough sawn wood and the way the flames spring, James Bond style, up from the gas fire.

The contemporary fireplace at the beach lodge that inspired our own

I loved the curvy concrete staircase that ran through the middle of the house

The beauty of the Beach Lodges is that whilst they are set up for self catering but you also have the option to tap into the two great restaurants on site as well ( for days when your inner Delia Smith is feeling a bit down trodden). For casual dining that works well for those with kids we loved the relaxed surfy vibes of the Beach Club restaurant which serves up Mediterranean food with an amazing view. If you fancy a treat then the hotel also offers fine dining at its Sands restaurant. We didn’t brave that one just because we didn’t think the other diners would appreciate their Michelin dining experience being accompanied by the soundtrack of the number of episodes of Paw Patrol that would be required to keep my three year old in his seat for more than 30 mins.

The Beach Club restaurant was right up my modern rustic street

If you are feeling even lazier you can actually also order food from either restaurant to be delivered to your lodge instead. Breakfasts are served in the conservatory restaurant up at the hotel (where you can also enjoy afternoon tea) and received the thumbs up from Mr Malmo who could add breakfast buffet connoisseur to list of his hobbies behind running and watching Sheffield Wednesday tussle with annual relegation.

The terrace outside the conservatory restaurant

For the warmer months when you can venture outside without a coat without fear of losing a nipple to frostbite the hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool and year round non nipple risking relaxation is on offer at the C Side Spa.

We could easily have spent the whole weekend just happily flitting between the lodge, the beach and the hotel but a five minute drive or brisk walk along the coastal path brings you to St Ives, brimming with nice shops and places to eat, and, admittedly, in the height of Summer a lot of pensioners on coach trips searching for scones and souvenirs. To escape the crowds, if you carry on walking around the corner from the main bay you will come to Porthmeor beach. It is less crowded and has much more of a surf than silver haired feel to it.

Just one of the many lovely shops in St Ives

We loved getting lunch at the Porthmeor Beach Cafe, nestled into one of their (heated) outdoor booths and watching the surfers attempting to ride the Cornish waves whilst we ate a delicious lunch. We then tootled up to the Tate St Ives which is just minutes away from the beach. We didn’t visit owing tothe combo of our three year old and ceramics being a bad one, but the Barbara Hepworth Museum is also in St Ives and supposed to be beautiful.

The view from the outdoor terrace at Porthmeor Beach Cafe

We reluctantly left the beach lodge and Carbis Bay behind at the end of our stay leaving well truly converted to this corner of Cornwall. The cheapest way to stay at the Carbis Bay Hotel is by booking a stay in the main hotel, where the decor is nice but not as contemporary/Scandi as the lodges. Out of season at this time of year they often have good offers running as well . If you have a bigger budget or are looking somewhere for a special treat or celebration with family then I cannot recommend the beach lodges enough, they really are the most special place to stay. We are dreaming of one day returning and spending Christmas there as waking up on Christmas morning and walking straight out onto the beach would take some beating.

We would love to return to those stools one day

Goodbye Cornwall until next time

This February half term we will actually be Norway rather than Cornwall bound having booked 4 nights away in Oslo. I lasted visited 15 years ago for 2 night so if anyone has been more recently or is a Norwegian native then I would love all your tips!

Our stay at the Carbis Bay Hotel was kindly gifted to us

Best Places to Stay UK : Elmley Nature Reserve

Have you ever been on a road trip? The kind where you hire a classic car and head off down a route of impossibly gorgeous scenery with plenty of nice stopping points along the way? Our last big holiday before we became parents for the first time was a road trip down the Big Sur in California which definitely ticked the scenery and nice places to stop boxes. The only thing missing, owing to budgetary constraints, was the classic car. North London’s answer to Thelma & Louise (with Mr Malmo as Louise in this analogy) toured the route not in a convertible Mustang but a sensible Hyundai Hatchback that bore close resemblance to a large toad. The 9 years and three boys that followed have mainly featured roadtrips to visit our parents punctuated by rows about how to fit the mother f#cking travel cot in the boot and stops at Watford Gap services to change horror nappies and wolf down a Chicken Royale meal. However this Autumn, for Mr Malmo’s 40th Birthday( thanks to a kind babysitting offer from my parents -in-law) Thelma and Louise hit the road again and this time in a classic Mustang instead of a #TouringToad.

This would defo look cooler on the school run than our estate car come Variety Club Minibus

Our destination this time? The Isle of Sheppey. The Isle of where I hear you ask. Sandwiched between Gilligham, Gravesend and Herne Bay it is not, at first glance, the most obvious candidate for a scenic road trip I grant you. But bear with me because hidden away in this lesser known corner of Kent is Elmley Nature Reserve. We arrived on Sheppey just as the sun was starting to set on one of those perfect, crisp, Autumn days. Turning off down a bumpy track to reach Elmley Nature Reserve was like driving into the wide open plains of the American Midwest. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It took us 20 mins to get from the gate to the farmhouse because I must have stopped the car at least 15 times to take photographs

The Isle of Sheppey but could easily pass as the American Mid West

Mustang Malmo

Stopping the car for my 15th photo break

What awaited us at the end of the track was equally special. Gareth and Georgina, who run Elmley, took over the land from Georgina’s parents in 2012 and over the last 7 years have added a small series of Shepherd’s Huts and cabins for guests to stay in across the Nature Reserve. Elmley is the only place in the UK where you can stay on a nature reserve. All of the huts and cabins are in a palette of materials which ensures they blend seamlessly with their surroundings.

The Saltbox, my favourite of the Cabins scattered across the Nature Reserve

You can bath under the stars and roast marshmallows on fire pits

I would love to have cladding like this as part of our renovation

There are also smaller Shepherd Huts to hire with the same amazing views

On the inside they are a cocooning mix of Farrow & Ball colours, silver larch clad walls and reclaimed materials and they have all the mod cons to ensure a truly comfortable stay with bathrooms stocked with delicious Bramley products and a cute kitchenette for making meals in. But the star of the show has to be the surroundings. You can fall asleep to the sound of owls and wake up to the sound of migrating geese flying overhead. It is enough to turn even this townie into a twitcher.

I loved the mixture of reclaimed materials used

The little kitchenette has all you need to see you through a stay

I loved these copper taps like the ones in my old bathroom

Not a bad view to wake up to

With the huts and cabins having proved a runaway success, the couple have turned their attention to renovating the Farmhouse and another cottage on the land so that Elmley now boasts two other exceptional places to stay. We were kindly hosted by Georgina in the Farmhouse which sleeps 14 in 6 truly amazing bedrooms, with an enormous kitchen diner and a choice of three ridiculously comfortable living rooms. The whole things is a masterclass in Modern Rustic Luxe. The kitchen is housed in a contemporary extension to the original farmhouse and combines traditional materials with modern architecture to great success.

The contemporary kitchen addition is a beautiful contrast to the original farmhouse

I loved the view through to the nature reserve from the floor to ceiling glass kitchen window

I think our trip may have been the first time in our entire relationship that I have woken up before Mr Malmo and volunteered to get out of bed to make him a hot drink rather than the other way around! Watching the sunrise over the nature reserve through the huge glass doors in the kitchen was worth going downstairs to put the kettle on for!

The kitchen from the inside is equally stunning

The side window floods the space with lights

A view worth getting up before 7am for

If you are looking for a place to stay for a large family or group gathering I literally don’t think I have ever come across anywhere better! It sleeps 14 in 6 double bedrooms. There are also three different living rooms to chose from ranging from an elegant parlour style room, a sophisticated library and a gorgeous cosy snug with sexy velvet sofas and an exposed brick fireplace

I loved the blend of old features with modern accessories liked this rug in the hallway

Just one of the 3 gorgeous sitting rooms to choose from

Pink to make the boys and Malmo wink

This cosy snug was my favourite of the living rooms

With its exposed brick fireplace and wood burner

But the front sitting room in a rich teal blue gave it a close run for its money

All of the rooms combine insanely comfortable beds with lovely touches like hot water bottles and the kind of bathrooms that belong on a Pinterest board.

Huge comfy beds await

With lots of lovely luxe touches like white robes and hot water bottles in all the rooms

I loved all of the different colours that had been blended together seamlessly

With every room enjoying stunning views over the nature reserve

There are two cosy rooms in the attic with a bathroom which would be great if you were staying as a family of 4

The room we stayed in had a four poster bed and a cast iron bath at the end of bed in which I tried to pull of the insta legs akimbo in alluring fashion pose which ended in me looking less like a graceful swan and more like a dying duck

The stunning bedroom with 4 poster bed where we stayed

Doing my best Elizabeth Taylor impression

I will spare you the photo of me doing the dying duck pose in the cast iron bath that looks out over the nature reserve

If you are a smaller group there is also a freshly renovated clapboard cottage to hire. The black clad exterior belies a light, bright Scandi interior that has more of a coastal cape cod feel.

The interiors in the cottage have a fresh coastal feel

If I were ever to have a pink bedroom this is the perfect shade of blush

I loved the contemporary twist of painting the cladding in two colours

The gorgeous sitting room in the cottage with wood burner

It is often hired for yoga retreats and it is easy to see why

Oh and did I mention there is a fairly light festooned barn with an honesty bar where you can gather for a gin on a hay bale of an evening. Seeing the inside of the barn had me mentally getting down on one knee and proposing a wedding vow renewal to Mr Malmo.

The festoon strung black barn that made me want to re propose marriage to Mr Malmo

Both the cottage and the farmhouse are well set up to self cater but if you are feeling lazy (we were) you can rest your inner Delia Smith for the evening and let the Elmley team rustle you up a relaxed supper, delivered to your door in a hamper. It is basically like staying in the nicest of boutique hotels with all the comfort and relaxation of home. If I were ever to make (an unadmittedly unlikely) switch into agriculture this would be my fantasy farmhouse.

The kitchen is super well equipped but you can also opt to have Supper delivered to your door

Breakfast with a view

This is the kind of farmhouse that could persuade me career change into agriculture

Sadly after 24 hours we had to return both the Mustang and the Farmhouse but this is one road trip we will remember for a very long time.

Thelma and Louise before they reluctantly left Elmley behind

Whole Farmhouse hire is available throughout the year but for certain weeks of the year it is also possible to book individual rooms on a self catering basis (be quick because these get booked up fast!). The Cottage sleeps 10 and must be rented as a whole property. If you would like to enjoy 10% off a stay in the Farm House or the Cottage quote Malmo19 when you phone or e-mail to book.

Stays in the shepherds huts start at just £85 per night and the cabins, which sleep 2 adults with room for 2 children as well, are from £115 per night. So whatever your budget there is a way to stay at Elmley and enjoy it’s magic. For all the details of how to book click here

Our night in the Farmhouse was kindly gifted to us by Georgina