Undiscovered Norfolk

Once neglected in favour of other beachy gems, Norfolk’s big skies, pristine coastline, majestic waterways, native wildlife, fresh bounty and quaint villages are beginning to attract attention from holidaymakers looking for something different.

If all the counties in the UK had distinctive personalities, Norfolk would be the humble, unassuming beauty with creativity in spades - and friendliness in bucket-loads. Stuck out of the British map like a bulbous afterthought, Norfolk’s hard-to-reach location is its blessing, welcoming just a smidgen of the visitors that flock to Devon, Cornwall and the Lake District each year. The beaches stay pristine, the seafood shacks are without queues, and the luxury hotels and boutique boltholes keen to welcome guests.

From thriving Norwich – with its vegan cafes, pop-up bars, cobbled streets, historic buildings and sparkling river (pictured) – to the golden, sandy coastline spanning an impressive 90 miles, and the network of majestic waterways flanked by windmills and lighthouses, visitors to Norfolk will be handsomely rewarded. Every day that passes during the summer months is like turning another page of a pretty pop-up book – the county’s big skies on a constant rotation of feathery sunrises, coral sunsets and star-studded nights; flowers carpet meadows and wildlife – from birds to seals – pops up just about everywhere. Dream Escape can help you experience the best the county has to offer, including visits to grand stately homes and luxury overnight stays.

The Coastline A beguiling blend of wilderness, tidal salt-marshes, shingle, dunes, ridges and golden sand as far as the eye can see, Norfolk’s coastline is as scenic as it is diverse. The beach on the Holkham Estate is widely considered to be one of the country’s most unspoilt, beautiful stretches of sand - the huge dunes sculpted into shape by the wind; the vast heart as breathtaking as it is other-worldly. From here it’s an easy head to curiously-named Wells-next-the-Sea, with its pastel-hued beach huts propped up by wooden stilts and sandbanks dotted with basking seals. A popular spot for surfing and kite flying, Hunstanton Beach, affectionately named Sunny Hunny for its glorious sunrises and sunsets, is surrounded by striking pink and white cliffs formed by a combination of Norfolk carstone and white chalk. Other must-see beaches include Happisburgh (pronounced hays-borough), known for its striking red and white lighthouse and soft golden sand, and Cromer, a pebble beach with a traditional promenade filled with ice-cream huts, arcades and novelty shops. To socially distance in style, head to the smaller, but equally glorious beaches, at Overstrand, West Runton, Horsey, Scratby, Caister-on-Sea and Eccles.

Early morning light on the red and white striped lighthouse at Happisburgh. Rape seed flowering crop in the fields.

Villages of note Sitting pretty on the North Norfolk Coast, Brancaster Village is set within an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a sandy beach, a bustling harbour and a spattering of independent shops, hotels and restaurants. Being one of the driest villages in the country makes the area ripe for outdoor adventure, with cycling, sailing, kite surfing and golf on the menu. Or simply find an empty bench on the water front and watch colourful fishing boats head out for their daily catch, returning with plump oysters and succulent mussels to be used in delectable dishes.

Happisburgh (pronounced hays-borough), is a must-see beach, known for its striking red and white lighthouse and soft golden sand, and Cromer, a pebble beach with a traditional promenade filled with ice-cream huts, arcades and novelty shops...

Samphire, Norfolk’s beloved sea vegetable, has risen to culinary heights in recent years with every restaurant worth its salt delicately draping several pieces over a perfectly-cooked piece of fish when in season. But foraging for your own – and cooking it for dinner with plenty of butter and a sprinkle of rock salt – is an experience only Norfolk and Dream Escape can deliver.

For something super quaint – and picture-postcard pretty – Burnham Market, with its village green, chichi shops, Guerney’s fishmongers and pub with rooms, The Hoste, delivers. A popular summer pastime is to order drinks to go and sip them on the green whist watching the world go by. Lovers of antiques – and ridiculously cute tea shops - will feel very at home in the nearby Holt.

Sheringham Beach Boats

Looking out over Sheringham

Broads National Park

No visit to Norfolk would be complete without spending some time on the Broads, a mammoth network of 60 waterways and seven rivers each with its own diverse wildlife and cultural heritage. Originally dug out to provide peat for fuel, flooding during the 14th century created the beautiful broads we know today. The best way to experience the area is on the water, sailing on a boat with a skipper or taking out a self-drive cruiser, canoes or kayaks. Binoculars at the ready for otters, water voles, cuckoos and eels; look up for hawks, harriers and butterflies, and either side for windmills aplenty, including Thurne which was built in 1820 and saved from ruin several times. There are plenty of mooring points - and pubs - along the way to stop for lunch or dinner. The broads can also be enjoyed by bike, on a horse or beside a lake while fishing. If you are staying overnight on a cruiser, be sure to sit on the deck at nightfall and wait for the vast, unpolluted skies to light up with stars.

Historic properties

Lordly family dynasties, politicians, royalty and history-makers have created - and left - some incredible architectural treasures in Norfolk over the years, many are now open to the public. Holkham and Houghton Halls are two of the finest examples of English Country Houses in the UK; pinnacles of Georgian architecture that quickly became part of the "English Grand Tour" along with Wilton, Blenheim Palace and Stowe. Visitors will also be able to admire some of world’s finest collections of art.

Houghton Hall

Built in the 1720s for Britain’s first Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole, Houghton is the older of the two, and remains one of England’s finest Palladian houses. Major bronze and steel works by celebrated sculptor Tony Cragg will be installed in the state rooms, gallery, vast gardens and grounds of the property this summer, with visits running until 26 September.

Pensthorpe Natural Park

Holkham Hall - built between 1734 and 1764 by Thomas Coke, the first Earl of Leicester – is one of the ten “treasure houses” of England, and still contains the original 18th century collection of art and furniture. For a rare glimpse into the life of the Royal family, Dream Escape will arrange a private tour of the 800-hectacre Sandringham Estate, home to four generations of British Monarchy since 1862, including Sandringham House (the Norfolk residence of the Queen), Anmer Hall (occasional home of Prince William and Kate Middleton, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and the surrounding 142-hectacre Country Park. Purchased by Queen Victoria for The Prince of Wales for him to follow his love of country sports and entertaining,

Holkham Hall

Sandringham is where the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, chose to spend much of his retirement, and where The Royal Family spend most of their Christmases. Visitors can take a look around the church where Her Majesty the Queen - accompanied by various generations of her family – is photographed each year after attending morning service.

The Marble Hall in Holkham Hall

IMAGE © VISITENGLAND/IAIN LEWIS / STEVE ADAMS

For a rare glimpse into the life of the Royal family, Dream Escape will arrange a private tour of the 800-hectacre Sandringham Estate, home to four generations of British Monarchy

National Trust's Blickling Estate, Norwich

IMAGE © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS TAYLOR

Grime's Graves

Despite its rather gruesome title, Grime’s Graves is the only Neolithic flint mine in the country open to visitors. First dug in around 4000BC, Neolithic caves are the earliest industrial monuments in Britain with pre-historic miners cutting into the chalky walls using tools made out of just bone and stone.

The grassy lunar landscape of Grime’s Graves opens again this summer after a period of enforced closure, with visitors invited to watch a small exhibition illustrating the history of the site before descending a 30ft ladder into one of the excavated shafts to see the jet-black flint in its natural habitat, before it’s mined, cut, polished and used to make gems, jewellery and beads. Grime’s Graves forms part of the Breckland Heath landscape with rare flora and fauna filling the perimeter.

Norwich

Voted one of the best places to live by The Sunday Times this year, Norwich’s enduring charms are finally getting the column inches they deserve. A small city with a mighty personality (and that’s before mentioning local residents Stephen Fry and Delia Smith), flint-fronted houses tell the story of a medieval past, with as many churches as there are pubs (locals love the fact that there used to be a pub for every day of the week and a church for every Sunday) and not one, but two cathedrals.

Cobbled Elm Hill – the setting for Netflix festive movie Jingle Jangle – is almost too quaint to be true, while life along the river is good.

Culture comes in the form of an independent cinema, several theatres – including a dedicated puppet theatre – museums, art galleries and a packed rota of festivals and events. Football fans should watch the Norwich Canaries play at Carrow Road; music lovers are spoilt for choice with gigs, concerts and festivals. It’s leafy here too, with three parks – Eaton, Waterloo and Chapelfield – providing all the walks, playgrounds, tennis courts and golf courses you could wish for. Norwich’s best-kept green secret, however, is The Plantation Gardens, a historic oasis tucked so cleverly behind a busy main street that many residents have yet to discover. The summer outdoor cinema sessions here are splendid.

Where to stay

The Gunton Arms

Gunton Arms (author's own)

Owned by serious art collector Ivor Bracka, The Gunton Arms is no ordinary place to stay. Each of the 16 bedrooms has been individually designed by Robert Klime, who counts HRH The Prince the Wales as his client; artwork by Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin, Gilbert and George, Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud graces the walls of the bar and restaurant, with its open fire and meaty menu - even the vast grounds are dotted with deer and Anthony Gormley sculptures. A full English breakfast the next morning in view of roaming deer is an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.

The White Horse

Loved for its stunning salt marsh views and incredible seafood restaurant. Seaside themes and soft furnishings give rooms a fresh feel; splurge on the Room at the Top and you can enjoy your own two-storey pad complete with viewing telescope. As well as fifteen en-suite bedrooms, there are eight garden rooms, architecturally designed with grass and sedum roofing to blend in with the marshland beyond. Each has its own terrace and path down to the marsh, ideal for walkers and visitors with well-behaved dogs. A sun-downer on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace is an absolute must, if only to discover just how friendly the locals really are.

Morston Hall

History and comfort combine at Morston Hall, a 17th century country house hotel and restaurant just two miles from Blakeney. Bed down in one of 13 boutique rooms set in the main house or the garden Pavilion, each with period features and modern comforts. Dinner is served in a single sitting, starting with a pre-dinner tipple and canapés in the lounge and continuing with a seven-course tasting menu, designed to showcase local produce – think King's Lynn brown shrimp and wild Stiffkey sea bass. Don’t worry if you are planning on staying a few days – the menu changes daily.

Holkham Estate

Holkham has teamed up with property gurus SALT to create four cottages in the grounds of the estate, each brimming with style and boasting spectacular views. Of the four, Grade I-listed Triumphal Arch has been named one of the most stylish places to stay by Telegraph Luxury. Other cottages include Grade II-listed Palmers Lodge, woodland hideaway Palmers Folly and Samuel Sanders Teulon designed South Cottage. Fully-equipped kitchens, wood burning stoves and private gardens are just some of the features awaiting guests. As part of your stay here, Dream Escape will arrange a special tour of Holkham Hall on this wonderful estate, home to The Victoria, a handsome pub with rooms.

Cley Windmill

Cley Windmill

There aren’t many windmills in the country that you can stay the night in, but Cley is one. A five-storey, 23ft diameter windmill built in the 19th century, Cley Windmill has been converted into a place to stay with eight individually-designed bedrooms with exposed brickwork, vaulted wooden ceilings and round windows. River Room on the ground floor has its own huge garden rolling down to the marshes. Walk off dinner with a climb to – and walk around – the top of the windmill or wander through the village (checking out the deli and art gallery) to Cley Beach. Breakfast is a cooked-to-order affair; the kippers come from Cley Smokehouse and are highly recommended.

Find out more

Sally Strange, Blue Badge Guide "After months of lockdown during the Spring and Summer of 2020, an escape to Norfolk and a stay at The Gunton Arms was like manna from heaven! A stop at the University city of Cambridge and a punt on the River Cam broke the journey on the way up. After an excellent stay at The Gunton Arms, with fabulous food cooked on an open fire and artworks by leading C20th British artists literally littering the walls, at every turn you are faced was another treasure! Some are not for the faint-hearted. We then headed over to Houghton Hall for the annual sculpture exhibition which in 2020 was Anish Kapor. We just loved it and all comes highly recommended!".

⬥ sally@dreamescape.co.uk → dreamescape.co.uk

WORDS | JO GARDNER