North Norfolk
Where to stay + what to do
North Norfolk is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a delightful place to spend a few days if you are so inclined. Blessed as it is with beaches, lavender farms, and stately homes (including the Queen's estate at Sandringham) the area around Holt offers many things to do.
Also pubs. There are some really, very good pubs.
Where to Stay
Hotels, B&Bs + more
Below you will find a small selection of the many hotels, B&Bs, self-catered cottages, and campsites in the area. North Norfolk is very popular with British tourists in July and August, so we do encourage you to book you accommodation as soon as you know your plans. Please note that many of the suggested accommodations require a 2-night minimum booking.*
If you would like to do little to no driving, we advise staying in Holt. Wiveton, Cley, and Blakeney are also nearby.**
* There are also a number of self-catered options on AirB&B etc to suit a range of budgets
** Depending on demand, we plan to provide a coach from the ceremony at St Mary the Virgin to the reception at Voewood, and potentially a shuttle service from Voewood to Holt, Wiveton, Cley, and Blakeney at the end of the evening. If this would be of interest to you, or if you have any other questions, please let us know at joeandchelseafest@gmail.com .
From £175 per night. 16 boutique B&B rooms with store and café downstairs.
From £110 per night. A nice (if a bit dated) hotel in the town centre.
From £125 per night. 3 rooms, 2 self-catered, in a Grade-II listed pub in the town centre.
From £100-150 per night. 10 comfortable rooms in the town centre.
From £65 per night. 2 cosy rooms in a comfortable B&B.
From £130 per night. 6 luxury rooms above a lovely pub.
A two-bedroom, self-catering fisherman’s cottage owned by the Wiveton Bell (please see above, under Wiveton).
From £130 per night. A traditional English hotel with an indoor swimming pool on the waterfront.
From £55-75 per night. A friendly and informal hotel converted from a 17th-century manor house.
From £80 per night. 7 rooms above a Grade-II listed pub.
From £130 per night. 10 rooms including 1 family suite above a pub (and an Adnams pub, at that).
From £120 per night. A lovely, dog-friendly hotel overlooking the harbour.
From £110 per night. A well-regarded B&B with a Scandi vibe.
From £55 single /£75 double occupancy per night. 2 rooms in a traditional B&B located in Baconsthorpe, 3 miles from Holt. Camping also available in Baconsthorpe Meadows from £14 for 1 person/£17 for 2.
From £16 for tent with electric hook-up. Campsite on a working potato and sugar beet farm, 2 miles from Voewood.
From £125 per night for 1 room; £187.50 for exclusive hire. 2 rooms in a rural, boutique B&B near Edgefield, 3 miles south of Holt.
From £175-205 per night. Upscale 17th-century country house hotel in Morston, near Blakeney.
From £160 per night. A 4-star country house hotel with family rooms in Kelling, 4 miles north of Holt.
From £165 per night. A 17th-century coaching inn in Edgefield, 3 miles south of Holt, with a pub, rooms (including 1 family room), and spa.
Eat + Drink + Do
In and around Holt
If you really need a sausage roll on the go (as, let's be honest, we all do), then look no further than this TripAdvisor-Certificate-of-Excellence-laureate Blakeney institution.
Other delicatessens worth a mention: Picnic Fayre in Cley-next-the-Sea and Wells Deli in Holt.
West of Wells in Brancaster Staithe is this harbourside gem. Serving filled baguettes and fresh crabs, lobsters and other seafood from a shack, the Crab Hut is a favourite with locals and critics alike. If you're planning a visit towards Holkham, this is not to be missed.
For a crab hut a little closer to the festivities, you can try Cookie's Crab Shop in Salthouse (though the reviews are very mixed).
A renowned country pub owned by London art collector and dealer Ivor Braka. We have not actually been, but it comes highly recommended by a friend and has long been on our to-do list.
If you are looking for a Sunday roast on your way home, this might be the place for you - from what we hear, you should request a table in the dining room with the open fire.
If you're after a more coastal gastropub, try the Anchor Inn in Morston.
Though not a long-standing establishment (it only opened in 2014) the Sheringham Trawler is one of the best places in the area to get fish and chips. The quintessentially British seaside town of Sheringham, complete with bunting in the streets and shops that are largely devoted to selling plastic pails, provides a delightfully stereotypical setting. Gluten-free fish and chips options are available - who knew?
Other good fish and chips shops in the area: No1 in Cromer and Holt Fish Bar in - you guessed it - Holt.
Already featured in the accommodation section above for its 4-star rooms, the Wiveton Bell has nice food, a lovely outdoor seating area and is conveniently located across the road from St Mary the Virgin, the location of our wedding ceremony. If you're lucky, you may even run into this introspective dog. Imagine that.
Other outstanding, traditional pubs worth a visit: the beer garden at the George Hotel in Cley, the Dun Cow in Salthouse, the Kings Arms in Blakeney, the Kings Head in Letheringsett or Holt and the Three Horseshoes on the outskirts of Briston.
We can highly recommend this thriving, pastoral farm-to-table enterprise.
Wiveton Hall plays host to events ranging from art exhibitions and live music to yoga retreats; and Wiveton Hall Farm supplies the cafe with fresh produce grown on site (also available for purchase from the farm shop) and runs a Pick-Your-Own strawberry and raspberry farm. It really is a wonderful place.
The cafe does get busy on the weekends, so do book ahead.
Other good farm shop/cafes in the area are The Barn in Holt and Back to the Garden in Letheringsett.
Holkham Beach is probably the most famous, and for good reason: Gwyneth Paltrow walked along it at the end of Shakespeare in Love. It is also consistently ranked as one of the best beaches in the UK, due to its size and unspoilt beauty. It is managed by Natural England in partnership with the Holkham Estate and is one of the largest National Nature Reserves in the country.
However, there are a number of other wonderful beaches along the north Norfolk coast, including at Wells-next-the-Sea (pictured here), with its golden sand and colourful beach huts.
Other beaches that are very worth your while can be found at: Hunstanton, Holme-next-the-Sea, Tichwell, Brancaster, Scolt Head Island and Burnham Overy Staithe.
North Norfolk is crossed by natural waterways, and boat hire is available from dozens of moorings and marinas, allowing visitors to take in the beautiful villages, windmills and scenery from this unique vantage point.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, lucky you: you can join us on Sunday 16 July from 2.00 - 5.00pm for a nautical outing. If you would like to come, you can let us know when you RSVP.
Blakeney is an idyllic coastal village perched on the edge of an estuary. The sea may be a fair way out, but the marshy waters around Blakeney Quay are ideal for crab fishing. A number of shops will have the requisite equipment (nets, lines, buckets and raw fish or bacon) - just remember to throw your crustacean friends back when you're done, lest Black Shuck track you down.
July is the perfect time to seek out the beautiful lavender farms in Norfolk.
Based in Heacham near Kings Lynn, Norfolk Lavender has cultivated the eponymous shrub since 1932. It now covers 100 acres of lavender fields, a lavender oil distillery, a restaurant and tea rooms and an animal garden and outdoor play area. Fragrant fun for the whole family.
Wiveton Hall, not content to just have a fantastic cafe and events programme, also offers Pick-Your-Own strawberries and raspberries. Yes, please, and thank you.
Wiveton Hall Farm is now open for the summer season from 10.00am - 4.00pm daily. This is weather depending, of course, so do check the website (linked above) before you go.
Norfolk is well-known for its abundance of great houses and stately homes. Obviously, there is the Queen's retreat at Sandringham Estate. Other stately homes open to visits from the public are: Blickling Hall (pictured), Felbrigg Hall, Hindringham Hall, Holkham Hall and Houghton Hall. Some are still privately owned and have limited opening hours, so do be sure to check and book if necessary before you go.
If you're into art, I would suggest visiting Houghton Hall as it is exhibiting work by Richard Long in the gardens until 26 October.
If you go to Blickling, I would recommend the Buckhamshire Arms across the road for lunch (pre-booking essential).
There are thriving colonies of Common and Grey Seals on the Norfolk coast. Mid-July will be the perfect time to take a trip from Morston Quay to Blakeney Point to pay a visit to the Common Seals and their pups. (The Grey Seals pup from November - January. The colonies will be around, but there won't be any pups to see.)
National Trust-approved seal trip providers are: Temples Seal Trips, Beans Boat Trips, and Bishop's Boats. Pre-booking is essential.
