This Norfolk getaway is perfect for a big celebration, writes Adam Bloodworth
THE WEEKEND: You’d be forgiven for having moved not only countries but continents by now in search of better weather, given the year we’ve had. But then last week changed everything and it’s finally nice! And you know what that means? It’s time to book a beautiful UK staycation immediately, because you know as well as anyone else that these blue skies won’t hold. Soon we’ll have another seven months of misery to endure. Isn’t that a nice thought? No? Well hurry up and book a staycation then!
WHERE? The quaint farming countryside of Norfolk, of course. You can stroll to the coast, take boat trips, and buy gorgeous local seafood and surprisingly good coffee in the cute hipster eateries of Blakeney, the seafront town close by to where we stayed. Or take the Norfolk Coast Path for a longer, more bracing afternoon’s adventuring.
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THE STAY: Knotting Hill Farmhouse is the party house to end all party houses. There’s an entire corridor upstairs dedicated to the very essential art of dressing up, with tens of costumes, ranging from Halloween inspired to just plain bonkers. There are giant hats too, so you can slip up before dinner and don your most ludicrous outfit. It’s ideal for big celebrations, parties, anniversaries, or corporate functions.
Knotting Hill Farmhouse in Norfolk, with its outdoor hot tub, walkable from the coast
Sleeping sixteen, with two bunk beds and the rest gorgeous doubles, my room had a balcony and a serene view out onto a field of yellow rapeseed that curled off over the hill into the horizon. There’s an outdoor wood-fired hot tub, and a generous entertaining area with another fire, with giant puffy sofas for dancing on late into the night. Oh, and a huge entertaining-cum-dining room for the more formal part of the evening, because you’ve got to dress up smartly before you change into your fancy dress, right?
THE FOOD: There’s a big kitchen with everything you’d need but, let’s be honest, a private chef is the splurge you deserve on your big day. (That’s what I told myself when I booked Knotting Hill Farmhouse for a weekend away.) We had Will Gowing from The Private Chef Experience cook us a real evening-maker of a meal, with trio of pork, duck breast salad and roasted local venison loin. It’d be an insult to call it ‘restaurant quality’ as it was homemade food, made with love.
ASK ABOUT: We also booked Mayu Retreats who ran an excellent yoga class for us before the drinking began. It made us feel loads better about the millions of bottles of wine we drank. NEED TO KNOW Book Knotting Hill Farmhouse with Norfolk Hideaways. Go to norfolkhideaways.co.uk. Three-night breaks begin from £5,250.00. Book Mayu at mayuretreats.co.uk and Will Gowing at theprivatechefexperience.co.uk.
Also in Norfolk: Go for a day trip to easily Norfolk’s most impressive attraction, the Watatunga Wildlife Reserve.