Reepham Oak Barn

Reepham Oak Barn is located in the Norfolk countryside, close to the gorgeous market town of Reepham. Brimming with ancient houses, quaint shops and a few restaurants and cafes, the town is very attractive. It hosts a wonderful market on Wednesday mornings. The market was founded in 1277 when Sir John de Vaux obtained a charter from King Edward I so Reepham comes with a wealth of history. Reepham also enjoys a small museum. It is the start of the Marriott’s Way trail, a former railway trackbed, which is perfect for cycling, walking and horse riding.

Norwich is a wonderful city with its cathedral, unique shops and an exceptional gourmet dining scene. Its restaurants include the vegetarian Benedict’s and Roger Hickmann’s. Norwich also boasts many cosy pubs including The Fat Cat and St Andrew Brew House where delicious craft beers are made on the premises. Norwich Cathedral stands in all its majesty with the ancient beauty of stained glass windows, a booming organ and hushed cloisters. You can enjoy free guided tours and learn how the cathedral survived riot, war, plague and fire. There are peregrines that nest in the cathedral’s spire. The observation point is manned by expert volunteers from the Hawk and Owl Trust so that you can get a good view of them. The cathedral plays host to many reverent and impressive concerts and recitals throughout the year. Norwich also boasts dozens of churches from its medieval heyday, some of which have been repurposed into cultural and exhibition spaces such as the Norwich Arts Centre. The Forum is a huge glass edifice and the home of BBC Norwich as well as being a thriving library and boasting restaurants and a bustling cafe. Norwich’s open-air market delights shoppers with traditional fruit and veg stalls alongside gourmet tea and coffee vendors, artisanal bakers and others.

Not far from the barn is the gorgeous Georgian market town of Holt. Holt is home to some excellent art galleries, antique and book shops, butchers, greengrocers, delicious eateries and a maze of 18th century Georgian buildings hiding in wonderful courtyards and alleyways.

The ever popular North Norfolk coast offers sensational beaches, big skies, superb gastronomy and a true sense of calm. Within easy reach are the fantastic beaches of Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham, both backed by pine woods and nature trails. The dunes are splendid and the colourful beach huts at Wells are definitely Instagram worthy. Holkham’s beach is totally unspoilt with a glorious semi-circle basin filling to form a spectacular shallow lagoon at high tide. The beach is famous for the closing scene in Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Shakespeare in Love’. The 25,000 acre Holkham Estate is rich in history, architecture and wildlife. Holkham Hall is the seat of the Earl of Leicester, an 18th century mansion still lived-in as well as open to visitors. There are six acres of walled garden, walking and cycling paths, lakes, deer, a tree top high ropes course with its swings, bridges and ziplines, rowing boats, canoes and kayaks on the lake and a woodland play area. The gorgeous seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea boasts a family friendly feel with novelty shops, amusement arcades, gift shops and lots of fish and chips which can be eaten on the splendid quay wall while watching the boats at high tide. Wells’ lovely leafy green ‘The Buttlands’ is home to several gastropubs. You can take the Wells to Walsingham Light Railway for an afternoon excursion. If the shopping isn’t enough in Wells, you can head into Burnham Market where independent shops circle the village green. Burnham Market hosts a wonderful craft market on the village green in August which you really shouldn’t miss if you happen to be taking a holiday then. Another must is a trip to see the seals off Blakeney Point. The famous, picturesque village of Blakeney offers a pretty harbour, fishmongers, butchers and galleries, gastropubs and its amazing landscape of marshes, sand hills and mud banks. Within this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Blakeney National Nature Reserve offers uninterrupted views of the coastline and you are very likely to spot migratory birds as well as the seals at Blakeney Point. Trips can be taken from Blakeney and Morston Quay to visit the seal colonies. The pups are born during November to early January with over two thousand seal pups being born each year. Just down the road is the enchanting artisan village of Cley-next-the-Sea with its iconic windmill, galleries, pottery, deli and smoked fish shop. The marshland was used for horse races up to the early 19th century as well as being a regular haunt for smugglers. The area is excellent for birdwatching so look out for ringed plovers, oystercatchers, brent geese and common teal. Norfolk Wildlife Trusts’ Cley Marshes Visitors Centre offers a cafe as well as wonderful birdlife. Wighton is an ancient Norfolk village with a listing in the Domesday book. It is pretty, tranquil village, three miles from the sea and with a charming village pub. Also worth a visit is the fascinating village of Walsingham, famous for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary. It contains the ruins of two medieval monastic houses including the abbey which looks spectacular when the snowdrops are out.

Cromer is a quintessential British seaside resort. Perched on the very edge of the North Norfolk coast, it is famous for its delicious Cromer crabs, wide open beaches, its lighthouse, its iconic pier and its proud tradition of RNLI service. The Henry Blogg Museum offers a wonderful insite into the lifeboat service’s history. Cromer boasts many small local independent shops and restaurants and feels a little as though you have gone back in time.

Slightly further around the coast is the charming Victorian seaside village of Mundesley. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, visitors enjoy breathtaking coastal walks on the Paston Way and the Norfolk Coast Path. Mundesley became popular with the Victorians after the opening of a railway in 1889.

National Trust lovers can enjoy Blickling Hall, Felbrigg Hall and Blakeney Point. Blickling Hall is a beautiful Jacobean mansion in 4600 acres brimming with ancient yew hedges, stunning mature gardens, hiking and cycle routes.

Sheringham is another traditional seaside town. It was once an old fishing village and now offers a Blue Flag beach, scenic walks along the pretty promenade, colourful beach huts, a theatre, museums, cafes, tea rooms, restaurants and many special events. There is a Viking Festival each winter, celebrating the town history and the Crab and Lobster Festival and Sheringham Carnival in the summer months. There is also a Steam Gala in the autumn, celebrating the heritage North Norfolk Railway which runs from Sheringham to Holt, through Kelling with awesome sea views along the way. The National Trust’s Sheringham Park is a popular excursion with miles of hilly countryside covered with gorse and purple heather. Fantastic views can be found at the top of Beeston Bump, a large grassy hill 103 metres tall.

Guests staying in Reepham Oak Barn also enjoy trips on the water at Wroxham and the Norfolk Broads and the gorgeous beaches of Horsey and Happisburgh. The Trinity Broads are three lakes that are found in the north eastern region of the Norfolk Broads. These are land locked and not connected to the main Norfolk Broads waterways. The Trinity Broads are comprised of Ormesby Broad, Rollesby Broad and Filby Broad. Fishing is very popular, there are a number of boardwalks, a wonderful waterside restaurant and pub and a sailing club. Locals often refer to the area of the main Norfolk Broads as ‘Broadland’. The beautiful Rivers Yare, Ant, Waveney, Chet and Bure meander their leisurely way through Norfolk and Suffolk connecting beautiful inland lakes, creating waterways and wetlands that make up The Norfolk Broads. Wildlife is abundant and conservation has been very successful in reintroducing species such as otters and herons that struggled for some time to survive. To the eastern side of the Norfolk Broads, the sandy beaches and stunning coastline caress the Broads at Horsey Mere with the salt water of the North Sea coming within a hare’s breathe of the the fresh water. Grey and common seals thrive on the shoreline. Guests love watching them at Horsey Gap. Boat hire on the Broads is very popular and an absolute must. Any visit to the Norfolk Broads really should include a visit to the bustling town of Wroxham, the hub of boating activity and a tourist mecca. It has everything, shopping, attractions, cafes, restaurants and beautiful local walks.

The historic village and beach of Happisburgh is definitely worth a visit. It boasts the oldest working lighthouse on the Norfolk Coast and the only independently operated lighthouse in the UK. The lighthouse, built in 1790, is open to the public on occasional Sundays and Bank Holidays during the summer plus private visits can be arranged. The village offers a secluded sandy beach and enjoys a constantly changing coastline.

Found in the East of England, Norfolk’s charms are as broad as the famous network of rivers that run through it. With an abundance of natural beauty and wildlife, this is one county where you can really kick back and enjoy some quintessential English countryside.

But it’s not just a rural idyll – there’s loads of stuff to see and do, which we’ve all put together in our handy Norfolk travel guide. And don’t forget, if you need a place to stay our luxury cottages in Norfolk offer everything you need for an amazing family holiday.

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