This north Norfolk village has everything you’d want, especially if you love stars, there aren’t any street lights; if you don’t leave a light on if you’re going to be out late, you’ll not find your way back!
The village stores are a delight – with local produce including a super range of local ales, apple juices and organic wines. They also have rooms of antiques to browse through and will order your fav newspaper for you to collect each morning, too! The Gin Trap, local pub is close for food and beverages and the plant nursery iat the back of us is great to pop in to, too. We’ve been on some super local walks especially at Holme Marsh Bird Reserve and Andrew’s sick of me gathering pinecones for my students back at college – we’re going to be creative with nature, next term!
Musts to visit are of course Sandringham, although we were a little disappointed that you’re only allowed in a few downstairs ‘showing rooms’. However, for your £11 admission fee you do get to see the stuffed, hunted animals (yuk), gun collection (not to my taste) and superb collection of cars and carriages. We were surprised at the tearooms – never before have I received a mug of boiling water, tea bag and plastic spoon at a stately home! However, their variety of home produced apple juice available at our village store is exceptional!
Burnham Market with its shops is pretty as is Walsingham’s Farm Shops (both in Walsingham and at Norfolk Lavender, Heacham). The Walsingham Old Abbey and Court House is well worth a visit with a superb river and woodland walk.
Topping the bill is Holkam Park’s lakeside nature walk followed by afternoon tea – in teacups with a teapot – along with the most superb home made cake. Your £2.50 car-parking fee is also refunded against food/souvenir purchases so afternoon tea for two, with cakes came to under £7. The nature walk’s great as the little signposts tell you all about the ducks and undergrowth too (Andrew says its like leafleting, lots of stopping but with a educational read rather than a letter box!).
The Sedgeford Village SHARP dig is the longest running community led archaelogical dig - we were welcomed to teh visitor’s centre and volunteers working on teh dig came over to offer to talk to us about it - and invited us to sign up for a course to learn how to help next summer (maybe a project for my students!). Hiring cycles from nearby Bircham Windmill was also fun as was the climb up this lovingly restored now working windmill - with super bakery and tea rooms - so we’re heading for home with their special flour, too!
Pity, as with all holidays – there is an ending and a pile of emails/letters and phone messages to deal with when life meets us back home. … until next time ….. in another cottage in another quiet English village (with a shop of course!) … or maybe back here ……