Never Been to Norfolk… [A weekend at Little Norfolk Cottage]

I made no secret of that fact that we had never been to Norfolk when we ventured there at the end of January for a weekend break with friends.  Oh the surprise and outrage this sparked from Instagram; “Never been to Norfolk? What have you been doing with your life?” Good question. I wanted to see what all the excitement was about, so we ventured around the M25 (clockwise if you’re asking) and up the A11 for a weekend adventure…..

We arrived at Little Norfolk Cottage later afternoon and we were completely blown away by it the second we walked through the door. Every little detail had been so carefully thought of, and the little touches everywhere just kept surprising us. The stone cottage had been lovingly renovated in a style that was both sympathetic of the age and style of the building, but also allowed the creation of all modern comforts within the space. The kitchen was brilliantly equipped for cooking and socialising, and was the room we spent most of our time in. The bedrooms were perfectly panelled in soft tones of pink and green, and both so restful and welcoming.  The cottage is ideal for four adults as there are two double rooms, and then there is the addition of a snug cabin room (perfect for two littles!) in the downstairs of the house, kitted out with the cutest built in beds.

Some of the brilliant modern additions to Little Norfolk Cottage included the Amazon Alexa in the kitchen, who provided me with endless amounts of 90’s tunes throughout the weekend; and Netflix was available on the TV in the sitting room. Both made it feel like much more of a home, and somewhere you would be happy to be stranded if the weather wasn’t playing ball and you found yourself confined to the cottage for the duration of your stay. All of this said, my favourite addition to the cottage decor was obviously the basketball hoop at the top of the stairs, complete with a basket of foam balls in easy reach to try your best shot on the way past!  Oh, and did I mention? There is also a help-yourself “Candy Bar” in the cottage!

I was drowning in suggestions of what to do in Norfolk, thanks to the lovely folk of Instagram; but luckily, we had been left some suggestions by Zara from Little Norfolk Cottage of where to check out first. We wanted to make the most of the evening light, so we headed straight down to Brancaster beach for an evening blast with Boris. Wow, what a stunning coastline! Being January it wasn’t the warmest of climates for an evening stroll, so we swiftly headed back to the cottage for some takeaway Fish & Chips from Eric’s in Thornham (apparently the best in the area?).. it didn’t disappoint and I even treated myself to a deep fried mars bar out of sheer curiosity; which, oddly, didn’t disappoint either?! The evening was spent planning our hit-list for the next day as we wanted to make the most of our trip.

After another windy walk to start the day, Saturday morning called for a visit to Burnham Market. I had been given so many recommendations to visit, and I could see why! It is the most picturesque village, with an array of local shops and some highstreet names along the way (namely a Joules, which I cannot confirm or deny that I snuck in to). We stopped for coffee at The Hoste, where Boris was made most welcome and I enjoyed a pain au chocolate (well, we had been on a walk already?)
We decided to stock up on food and treats for the cottage so that we could cook that evening, and were delighted to find everything we needed in Humble Pie (Delicatessen) and Gurney’s Fish Shop (which incidentally is downstairs from the Deli); we were well and truly sorted to make our Kedgeree for dinner!

Next on the menu, quite literally, was the lunch date that Boris has been waiting for. I had heard great things about The Orange Tree in Thornham, and so that’s exactly where we headed for a pub lunch. Boris had his own menu to choose from, so he was delighted, and happily gnawed away on a filled-bone under the table which left us to enjoy our lunch in peace. The food was brilliant and we managed to get a table right next to the fire, which made for a cosy pub lunch. After lunch (never one to pass up a shopping opportunity) we headed to Thornham Deli. It was an interior-lovers dream, with soft furnishings, decorative items and candles to die for. I can never resist temptation of buying something as a memento, so I treated myself to a couple of things. It was definitely a place I could have spent a lot longer browsing, and I didn’t even get to try the food there either?! (That’s one for next time)

We opted for a quiet afternoon, where I decided that I was going to enjoy the next level of decadence and run myself an afternoon bath! After everyone had had some relaxation time, we were cooking up a storm for dinner and relaxing with a few G&T’s in the cosy cottage sitting room. I must say, I do rather relish being at the age where a weekend away doesn’t necessarily start with pre-drinks, and end with a 4am bedtime and a very sore head the next day!

The next morning there was just one more place we needed to see before we headed home from our stay at Little Norfolk Cottage. I couldn’t leave Norfolk without a trip to the beach at Wells-Next-The-Sea, and what a beautiful beach that is! The rows of colourful beach huts are an Instagram dream, and the coastline simply stunning. We even got to enjoy watching the seals who were swimming and playing around on the beach (Boris kept his distance as he wasn’t so sure!). The Beach Cafe was another brilliant find, where we enjoyed cakes and hot chocolate to warm us up on a windy day. There were more dogs than people and everyone seemed to be enjoying the fresh air and sitting outside; just my kind of place.  Boris was having the time of his life!  Also, another Joules; is Norfolk sponsored?! All in all, well worth a visit.

It felt much like a whistle-stop tour and two nights definitely hadn’t been enough. There was so much more I wanted to do (and do again!), but I am hoping that now we know the area a little better that we’ll be back soon. I must say, as a devotee to the Cornish coast; Norfolk has most definitely turned my head (but don’t tell Cornwall that I said that, okay?). Never been to Norfolk; she has now…….

Elle x

Stays at Little Norfolk Cottage start from £175 per night.  For more information or to book, visit-

www.littlenorfolkcottage.co.uk

{This post has been created in collaboration with The Little Cottage Company, with the stay being provided for us in return for this review; but as always all writing, opinions, and bad jokes, are my own}