Norfolk – October 2020 (by Gill, June 2024)
Our first (and so far, only…) holiday with our amazing Lewis (and gorgeous daughters too!) to Norfolk in October 2020.
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where we stayed in Norfolk
The Dairy Barn, Toftrees, near Fakenham, Norfolk (one well-behaved pet allowed)
We stayed in an adorable 2-bedroom cottage. The rooms were more than adequate in size, which was important to us as we knew we would be spending some time “at home” due to COVID and no doubt the weather.
We shared a bathroom with our girls, upstairs next to the bedrooms. And downstairs was an open plan living room and kitchen diner. There was even a handy shelf on the back wall for us to lay out all of our drinks on for the week. It’s the little things that tickle me. The kitchen had everything you needed; an oven, hob, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, and kettle, and in the living room a TV, DVD player and a selection of books, plus WIFI.
The Dairy Barn is a small complex of 6 independent cottages with shared facilities on site; parking, a courtyard, a washing machine & tumble dryer, a games room (with table tennis, pool and snooker tables) and an indoor swimming pool. Due to COVID, we had to use the pool on a rotational basis.
The barns were renovated from an 18th century diary and have exposed wooden beams and bricks throughout. Everything was tastefully furnished and very comfortable. The sofas were brightly coloured and mismatched with plenty of cushions to sink into. They totally changed the way I do sofa shopping now!
We didn’t spend too much time exploring or relaxing outside in the courtyard and gardens, mainly due to the weather. The setting was peaceful and felt remote, even though it was relatively close to shops and local towns.
Plenty of time was spent in the pool. Almost every day we were able to find a slot that worked for us. Some days, when Lewis was tired and we felt totally comfortable leaving him in the cottage, we were all able to enjoy time in the pool together.
the places we explored in Norfolk
Wells next the Sea: the harbour (known as The Quay), the flood defence wall, the woodlands, and beach
Wells next the Sea is a port town on the North Coast of Norfolk and has been designated as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, alongside Hunstanton, Blakeney, Sheringham, Cromer and Mundesley.
The Quay, the flood defence wall, and woodland area is dog friendly. Dog are allowed on Wells Beach all year round, but there is a dog-free zone for the first 200 yards of beach from the main entrance. There are no restrictions from the pinewoods entrance.
When we went, the whole area of Wells next the Sea, was very quiet. We hardly bumped into another soul. The beach is huge, lined with well-kept, painted beach huts, and there is a lovely walk you can do through the woodlands behind the beach.
We came here at least 3 times during our stay as it wasn’t very far from our cottage and we always found somewhere new to explore. The first time we mainly walked around The Quay, and all along the flood defence wall. Lewis enjoyed stretching his legs somewhere new, and didn’t seem as interested in other dogs or walkers as they were of him!
The Quay is quaint and quite different to any we have seen have before with the iconic Granary Building and its overhead gantry (designed to load grain onto large ships). And one of the first walks we did was along the flood defence wall with Lewis.
On our second walk we had a lot of fun walking through the woodlands at sunset. We passed a peaceful lake, the girls climbed some big trees, and we looked out from the sand dunes over the painted huts, across the beach and out to sea.
More of the woodland walk at sunset. Our Lewis, the happy pup! A giant tree, perfect for climbing. A view of the beach at low tide with the tops of those delightful beach huts.
Luke and I came to the beach on our last evening in Norfolk. Another sunset walk with Lewis to tire him out ready for sleep. To soak in every last bit of coastal atmosphere before heading home the following day. Lewis ran for miles across the beach (avoiding the sea at all costs), until finally he was tired enough for photos.
Sunset at Well Beach. A Griffiths “shadow family portrait” and our stunning Lewis.
Holkham National Nature Reserve
Open daily, this unique, windswept Nature Reserve is dog friendly. Lewis was able to run free, but only where we felt he wouldn’t be a bother to others. In the main, we did have him on his lead, for greater control and where signposted.
There is a real mix of natural beauty and habitat here. Pinewoods, sand dunes, an abundance of wildlife, the sea & foreshore (the area between high and low watermarks, extremely exposed to the elements), marshes and wide-open spaces. You can explore most of the reserve easily by following the footpath from the main car park.
We spent a good part of our day here. I particularly enjoyed the boardwalk from the car park into the reserve surrounded by the tall trees. Nature seemed so much more alive and happier during COVID. Lewis loved his new sense of freedom, and even started to become more comfortable around water. He particularly had fun running around with a dead seagull in his mouth and digging in the sand.
The boardwalk entrance into the Nature Reserve. It wasn’t just Lewis who enjoyed a paddle here! Thank goodness we had a change of clothes and footwear back at the cottage.
Sandringham Country Park
Dogs are welcome in the Royal Parkland. However, they are not permitted in the House or Gardens, with the exception of assistance dogs.
The Parkland has 2 way-marked trails winding through woodlands and parkland, and further unmarked paths which you can explore.
It was a wet day, but both girls still came along with us. The star of the show was Lewis, who enjoyed a brief spell off his lead playing fetch with a stick.
We were able to pop into the café to grab a takeaway drink, a treat and to use the facilities while we were there. They were readily accessible by the main car park.
One of the marked trail pathways, Lewis enjoying running free in the parkland, and Lewis enjoying drinking his water from one of our coffee cups! #poshpup!
Holt Country Park
Luke and I popped here for a dog walk as we needed to get Lewis out of the cottage to use up some of his energy, after a day of rain and only a short trip to Sandringham earlier.
We didn’t venture out for long, maybe an hour tops. The weather still wasn’t great, but you don’t holiday in England in October and think it will be perfect. It was a bit muddy, and we didn’t want to make a mess back at the cottage with a muddy dog, so we kept our walk short and sweet.
Holt Country Park is a Green Flag Award-winning country park, with a children’s play area, waymarked walks, a visitor centre (seasonal), a viewing tower and several sculptures to enjoy.
I remember loving this walk “even through the rain”. The sounds of all the birds, walking the woodland paths where the trees had started to lose their leaves, seeing the sculptures, and a lake which Lewis particularly enjoyed stopping to explore.
We did keep him on lead at all times as he’s not a massive fan (or a bit scared) of large wooden carved things!
A selection of the sculptures we saw on our woodland walk.
Blakeney Point
Being members of the National Trust means that it’s always the first book I reach for when planning a trip, or the first website I type in to find if there’s anything to see or do in the area.
The National Trust are great for recommending places for families and those which are dog friendly.
Access to various trails around Blakeney Point for dog walkers depends on the time of year. Restrictions are in place for ground-nesting bird season (between April and August) and during seal pupping season (later October to mid-January). There are some walks where dogs are simply not permitted at all.
We followed a designated path from the National Trust car park by The Quay at Blakeney. This meandered across flat marshland areas, towards Cley Windmill and then back along the roadway, through Cley, passing St Nicholas’ Church in Blakeney, back to the car. It was a beautifully bright day, but the breeze still whips right through you on these exposed pathways. We were all glad of our windproof jackets!
A large ship “docked” near the harbour car park at Blakeney. The pathway we followed throughout our walk towards the Cley Windmill, and St Nicholas’ Church, Blakeney
Cromer
We came to Cromer as Luke’s mum used to holiday here as a child with her family. She has shared many a story with Luke and the girls about her fond memories of times spent by the beach, which inspired us to visit.
Cromer is traditional seaside location, with gorgeous Victorian buildings full of history. The town sits up high and is full of narrow ancient streets.
We visited the pier, Cromer Parish Church (with the tallest tower in Norfolk), walked along the beach, and along the promenade.
Cromer Pier is a Grade II listed, 151 meters long traditional Victorian pier. Dog are allowed on the pier, but not into the Pavilion Theatre or the Lifeboat Station.
The brightly coloured beach huts, our Lewis on the sea defence wall and the promenade. A view of the quaint Victorian buildings of Cromer.
We all tend to do the same thing on holiday. We unpack everything, and as it gets worn, it gets popped in the suitcase. This makes the dreaded “time to go home packing” a bit more bearable.
The girls took turns cuddling a very tired Lewis, while Luke and I packed away as much as we could, to make cleaning up, and taking out the rubbish in the morning, a bit easier.
what we took with us to Norfolk
For anything Lewis related – please see the section further below.
The amount of “stuff” you need to take with you varies on the accommodation and its facilities. Due to covid, we decided to err on the side of caution and take everything you could imagine so that we didn’t go without a few treats or a way of getting into something (scissors, tin opener, etc.) in the first place. By being as self-sufficient as possible it ensured we didn’t put unnecessary strain on the local community.
We took bits and bobs for the kitchen, including kitchen roll, tea towels, washing up liquid and bin bags. We took plenty of food; fresh, tinned and boxed. Some condiments, herbs & spices to make mealtimes a bit more tasty. And of course, some games, some lose change for parking and my trusty old National Trust Book.
For my full packing list please see here.
what the weather was like in Norfolk
When you holiday in October – it’s not until the week you go that you really know what weather you will receive! We manage to dodge some rain where we could. Needing to take the dog out for regular walks did mean that at least one of us got rained on regularly.
We took plenty of wet weather gear, and just hung them up by the front door to dry ready to wear again. Taking a “bag of bags” is a must for us. Carrier bags are excellent for leaving shoes on top of to avoid getting the car or nice carpets muddy.
In the main, we were very lucky with some sunshine. Our trips to the Nature Reserve, Blakeney Point and Cromer were dry to glorious!
As many of the places we had planned to visit were relatively close by, we could wait for any bad weather to pass before venturing out and about.
how we travelled around Norfolk
Sadly we had to take 2 cars to fit in 4 people, 4 lots of luggage, 1 large Lewis, supplies for the week and a large travel crate (Lewis’ bed). Due to COVID we really didn’t know what to expect, or what may happen at short notice. As I’ve mentioned above, we really didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on an area we didn’t reside in, so we avoided going to shops or supermarkets, cafés and restaurants altogether. This meant taking more with us. We only used both cars on the journey there and back; we just used the 1 car on a daily basis.
holidaying in Norfolk with a dog
We picked up Lewis in the May of the same year, he was 8 weeks old. By the time we ventured to Norfolk he was 8 months old. He was still acting like the pup he was, and we were still very much learning to be dog owners.
I did a lot of research online about where you can go with a dog, which nature reserves, beaches and gardens are dog friendly, and if there are any times of the year or day to avoid or restrictions.
We took some of Lewis’ home comforts with us. Some of which we trained him to become happy with and part of every day life before we went away – such as his large travel crate for sleeping in at night, some peanut butter and a blanket especially for him.
Mostly Luke and I took turns to stay with Lewis while the other went with the girls to the games room or indoor swimming pool.
We have always been very good at taking Lewis out for walks 2-3 times a day, but rarely is he able to come off his lead. This new found sense of freedom, enabling him to run, really did make him tired. This seemed to do the trick with ensuring that he had a good night’s sleep, even though he was somewhere unfamiliar.
Aside from Lewis’ large travel crate, mattress, blanket, toys, food (and a weighing scale for measuring) and some tasty treats. We also took with us a small white noise machine and a baby camera monitor. All of us were used to these 2 items from home. We had, at the time, particularly noisy neighbours who would disturb Lewis during the night – needless to say, we didn’t need to worry about that happening here. It was peaceful and quiet in the evenings at the Diary Barn. The baby camera monitor however is excellent. It meant that we could check on Lewis and make sure he really was ok without going downstairs to disturb him.
Lewis wide awake in his crate one morning. Chanae training Lewis to be patient with his dog treats. We kept chairs in front of the stairs, as he hadn’t quite mastered them at home yet and we didn’t want him either to mess up upstairs or break a leg falling down them.
Lewis posing and Amy comforting Lewis on his first night to help him feel “at home”.
final thoughts on Norfolk
Norfolk truly is a beautiful part of England, even in the rain. There is so much space. The sky seems bigger. The coastline is beautiful and there is plenty to see and do, without having to spend a fortune. I would stay at The Dairy Barn again too.
It’s just over 2 hours to get to Norfolk from Leicestershire and we have done a few day trips to the beach with Lewis since.
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