I have stayed in many cottages over the years. Mostly in the New Forest so it was fabulous to have the opportunity to stay at The Cottage Behind The Chapel, in Norfolk. I stayed in the cottage with my sister and four year old son and it was the perfect size. This cottage would be an idyllic romantic location for a couple or a young family. The master suite is massive so you could easily have a travel cot in it and there is a single bed located downstairs.
The cottage is located in a quaint little village called Hunworth, located two miles from the market town of Holt. The village is tiny with a pub and various cottages located around a central green. Admittedly it did take a few minutes to find the cottage, the Chapel should have been the giveaway…fail
The cottage has parking for two cars at the top of the garden. The front lawn is vast and perfect for playing football on much to my sons delight! There is also a seating area located right in front of the cottage which would be perfect for evening drinks in the summer.
What we loved about the cottage was that the owners have really managed to blend the old with the new. The cottage which is decorated in various tones of grey and white has masses of character features combined with some really lovely modern twists. A boat oar for a stair rail leading up to the master bedroom for example.
Being in the middle of rural Norfolk we did not have mobile phone reception we did however have wifi. Wifi access in a cottage is a rarity and a very welcome addition. Whilst there may not have been a village shop within walking distance, it didn’t matter as we could read the morning newspapers online. Win.
The downstairs of the cottage consists of a modern kitchen which was well stocked with everything you need. As a seasoned cottage visitors we had packed basic condiments that are usually required for a short stay, salt, pepper etc. But we didn’t actually need them as the cottage was stocked with them.
A bathroom which whilst small was completely functional and make the best of a small space. Clever use of a mirror gave the impression of it being bigger than it actually was.
The single bedroom was again small and bijous but perfectly fine for a short weekend break. I think that if you were staying for longer it might be frustrating as there wasn’t anywhere to hang your clothes.
The lounge was everything a cottage lounge should be, characterful, with a mixture of country inspired furniture and the starring feature being a gorgeous woodburner. There was ample seating in the lounge however the sofa which can also double up as a futon was not that comfortable. The TV was small but had freeview and a dvd player.
On Saturday morning we decided to head out and explore Norfolk. My son has been asking to go to a windmill for ages so we headed to Bircham Windmill. You can purchase tickets to go into just the windmill or a combined ticket for the gardens, play area and to feed a small selection of farm animals. Much to my son’s delight we were able to climb right to the top of the windmill. Be warned…its knackering and not really advised for people who have issues with small spaces! The wooden steps were steep! But the view from the top was stunning.
The windmill is still in operations and makes its own flour. There is also a bakery onsite. My son had the opportunity to make his own loaf in any shape. He made it into a hot dog. Obviously. We were told to return in 30 minutes when it was out of the oven. This gave us time to have a sausage roll and a drink in the play area, have a quick look at the goats, sheep and Guinea pigs and then have a quick look at some of the historical exhibits. We returned to the bakery to collect the hot dog loaf which according to the small child was very tasty.
We then headed to the seaside town of Hunstanton. We had a quick walk along the promenade, I could imagine that this area gets really busy in the summer months as there are fun fair rides, ice cream kiosks and amusement arcades.
We decided to head to Cromer from Hunstanton. En route we stopped off at Droves Orchard. What a little find!! There is a well stocked farm shop, randomly a fish and chip restaurant! And then some local retail units. One of which is called Joyful Living which stocks many fabulous items for them home. My sister and I could have spent a fortune in there! In fairness I did, the shop stocks beautiful glassware with bee motifs by La Rochere. With the surname Honey I simply had to get some.
We then had lunch in a yurt. Like you do! The yurt café has a simple menu of which we had soup and sandwiches. They were yummy and very well priced.
Our stop at Drove Orchard was very impromptu but I highly recommend making a trip there
We then continued our journey for another hour to Cromer. After eventually finding somewhere to park which did involve a few trips around the one way system! We had to be the typical tourist…we tried crabbing off the pier. Apparently crabs don’t like cold roast beef? Then we went and sat on the beach whilst my son dug sandcastles. There are loads of places to have dinner in Cromer but we decided to head home to the cottage and make our own dinner from our purchases at the windmill and farm shop.
On Sunday we had roast dinner at the local pub the Hunny Bell which is less than 5 minutes walk from the cottage. The pub had a selection of pub classic and some seasonal specials. The restaurant was fully booked but we were able to be seated in the bar. Our roast dinners were served quickly, the portion size perfect. The beef was just about rare enough and the red cabbage was amazing. We noted that really having such a lovely pub located so close to the cottage that really other than breakfast items you wouldn’t really need to cook!
Overall our experience in Norfolk and our stay at The Cottage Behind The Chapel was really very pleasant. We would definitely visit Norfolk again and would look at Norfolk Hideways for another cottage.
You can find out further info and book your stay at The Cottage Behind The Chapel on the Norfolk Hideaways website.
Review by Beverley Honey
Many thanks to Norfolk Hideaways for arranging this press trip.