Norfolk guides

Things to do within an hour of Foulsham: Norfolk days out

An hour's drive from Foulsham opens up the best of Norfolk: the whole of the North Norfolk coast, the city of Norwich, a royal estate and the Broads. Sitting in the middle of the county is the quiet advantage here, and a week at Lavender House gives you time to do all of it. Below are the trips worth the drive, with rough times from the house.

The North Norfolk coast

Around 30 to 40 minutes north, the coast is the reason many people come to Norfolk, and it is genuinely special: miles of pale sand, saltmarsh, big skies and a string of villages that have kept their character. Holkham is the showpiece, with a vast beach backed by pine woods, a grand hall, a walled garden and deer park, cycle hire and a ropes course; the park opens 9am to 5pm. Wells-next-the-Sea next door has the famous row of stilted beach huts, a working harbour and a miniature railway down to the sand. Cromer and Sheringham at the eastern end are the traditional seaside towns, Cromer with its pier and its famous crabs, Sheringham with the North Norfolk Railway steam line. And Holt just inland is the smart shopping town, full of independents and delis.

The Blakeney seals

About 40 minutes north, the seal trips from Morston Quay out to Blakeney Point are one of Norfolk's great wildlife experiences. Blakeney Point is home to England's largest grey seal colony, with around 9,000 pups born each winter. Boats take you out to see them hauled up on the sand; you view from the water rather than landing. Pupping season runs late October to mid-January and is the spectacle, but there are seals and, in summer, breeding terns year round. Book a trip ahead in the school holidays, and take a warm layer even in summer.

Norwich

Around 35 to 40 minutes south-east, Norwich is a proper city day out and one of the most complete medieval cities in England. The Norman cathedral and castle, the cobbled Elm Hill, the independent shops of the Norwich Lanes and one of the country's largest open-air markets are all within an easy walk of each other. Park and ride from the ring road saves the stress of driving into the centre. It is also the obvious wet-weather fallback, with museums, a theatre and cinemas.

Sandringham

Roughly 35 to 40 minutes west, Sandringham is the King's country estate and open to visitors through the season. You can tour the house and its grand gardens, walk or cycle the free country park, and visit the little church of St Mary Magdalene. Opening is seasonal and occasionally closed for royal use, so check dates before you set off. A calm, handsome day out, and easy to combine with the west Norfolk coast.

BeWILDerwood

About 40 minutes east near Horning, BeWILDerwood is a much-loved outdoor adventure park built around treehouses, zip wires, rope bridges, marsh walks and storytelling, all themed around a series of children's books. It is imaginative rather than white-knuckle, which makes it a winner with younger children, and much of the fun is outdoors among the trees, so bring boots and waterproofs.

The Norfolk Broads

Also around 40 minutes east, the Broads are a national park of lakes and slow rivers, and the classic way to see them is from the water. You can hire a day boat at Wroxham, the capital of the Broads, and potter along the river with no experience needed, or take the Bure Valley Railway, a narrow-gauge steam line that runs between Wroxham and Aylsham with a boat-train combination if you want both. A gentle, very Norfolk sort of day.

Getting around

The one thing worth knowing is that Norfolk driving is country-road driving. There are no motorways out here, so an hour on the map is an hour of pleasant but unhurried lanes and market towns. That is part of the charm, but set off in good time for the coast on a sunny summer weekend, when the beach car parks fill by late morning. A week at Lavender House gives you the luxury of doing the coast one day, the city the next, and the Broads the day after, without ever feeling far from anywhere.

We look after Lavender House in Foulsham, right in the middle of all of this, and booking direct with us is around 10% cheaper than the same dates on Airbnb. You can see it and check dates here. For the closer-in days, our guide to things within 30 minutes covers Roarr!, Pensthorpe and Blickling on the doorstep.

Where to eat and drink near Foulsham: a Norfolk food guide

Norfolk eats well, and eats local: samphire from the marshes, crab from Cromer, mussels from Brancaster, beef and game from the farms, and a genuinely good scattering of pubs, delis and cafés. From Foulsham you have the village pub on the doorstep and the whole coast within reach for a special evening. Here is where we would actually send guests, with a note on what each does well.

The village pub

Start here, on the first night, because you can walk to it. Foulsham's village pub is a short stroll from Lavender House, which makes it the sensible call while the group settles in and nobody wants to drive. A proper Norfolk local, a pint and something from the kitchen, ten minutes from the door. It is the easy win of the week.

Byfords, Holt

About 25 minutes north, Byfords in Holt is a Norfolk institution: a café, deli and "posh B&B" in the oldest building in town, open all day every day from 8am. It does brunch, lunch, cake, afternoon tea and dinner, all built on local produce, and it is as good for a mid-shopping coffee as for a proper meal. Holt itself is worth the trip for the independent shops and the food halls, so make a morning of it. Byfords is popular, so book ahead for dinner or an afternoon-tea table.

Cley Windmill

Roughly 35 minutes north on the coast near Blakeney, Cley Windmill is one of the most memorable places to eat in Norfolk, a restored windmill with rooms and a restaurant looking out over the marshes. The restaurant is open to non-residents on Thursday to Saturday, so it needs planning around, but it is a lovely setting for a celebration dinner. Booking is essential.

The coast for seafood

The North Norfolk coast is where you go for the fish. Cromer is famous for its dressed crab, Brancaster and Stiffkey for mussels and oysters, and the coast villages from Wells to Blakeney are dotted with pubs and shacks doing the day's catch. Wells-next-the-Sea and Blakeney both have good waterside pubs for a lunch with a view, and the seafood stalls and smokehouses along the coast road are worth stopping at to take something back to cook in the Lavender House kitchen. Half an hour to forty minutes from the door, and best combined with a beach or a seal trip.

Market towns and everyday shopping

For the everyday, Fakenham and Dereham (both around 15 to 20 minutes) have the supermarkets for a big shop, and Reepham, ten minutes away, is a pretty stop for a deli lunch and a coffee. Holt is the smart end of things, with delis, a famous food hall and butchers worth the drive. If you are self-catering for a group, it is worth doing one proper shop on the way in and then topping up locally, because the villages between are quiet.

Farm shops and local produce

Norfolk is farm-shop country, and there are good ones scattered across the county selling local meat, veg, cheese, bread and beer. They are ideal for stocking the Lavender House fridge for a group, and for picking up the bits that make a self-catering week feel like a treat rather than a chore. Ask us when you arrive and we will point you at whichever is currently best and closest.

A word on booking

Norfolk is relaxed, and midweek you can often be spontaneous, but the good coast restaurants and the destination places like Cley Windmill and Byfords do fill on weekends and through the summer, so book ahead for those. Sunday lunch anywhere with a reputation is worth a call. And with the kitchen at Lavender House set up for a crowd, plenty of guests do a mix: a couple of nights out, a couple of nights in with a private chef or a big BBQ.

We look after Lavender House in Foulsham, a short walk from the village pub and an easy drive to the coast for dinner, and booking direct with us is around 10% cheaper than the same dates on Airbnb. You can see the house and check dates here. If you would rather walk off the meal, our walker's guide to mid-Norfolk has the best routes.

If you have a Norfolk favourite we have not mentioned, tell us and we will add it. We keep this guide current so guests are not sent somewhere that shut last year.

Walks from the door: a walker's guide to mid-Norfolk

Norfolk is made for walking: it is flatter than almost anywhere, the paths are dry and easy underfoot, and the skies do half the work. From Foulsham you have quiet country lanes from the door and some of the best coast and riverside walking in England within a short drive. Here are the routes worth lacing up for, with rough distances, terrain and a note on dogs and buggies.

Country lanes from the door

As long or short as you like, easy, flat. Dog and buggy friendly.

You do not have to drive anywhere to walk here. The lanes and field paths around Foulsham are quiet, level and criss-crossed with footpaths, which makes for an easy morning stroll or a proper pre-breakfast leg-stretch straight from Lavender House. Big open fields, hedgerows and the occasional church tower on the horizon; this is classic mid-Norfolk, and gentle enough for everyone in the group.

Marriott's Way

Up to 26 miles, pick your stretch, flat and surfaced. Dog and buggy friendly.

Ten to fifteen minutes away at Reepham, Marriott's Way is a former railway line turned long-distance path running 26 miles between Norwich and Aylsham. Because it follows an old railway it is flat, wide and well surfaced the whole way, which makes it ideal for an easy walk, a family bike ride or a buggy, and you can join it at Reepham or Whitwell and do as much or as little as you fancy. Old stations, woodland and river valley along the way, and dogs love it.

The Blakeney and Morston coast path

3 to 5 miles, 2 hours, easy but exposed. Dog friendly (with seasonal restrictions).

About 40 minutes north, the stretch of the Norfolk Coast Path between Blakeney and Morston is the big-skies Norfolk you picture: raised sea banks winding through saltmarsh, boats on the creeks, birds everywhere and the light doing extraordinary things. It is flat and easy, though exposed to the wind, so take a layer. Combine it with a seal trip from Morston Quay. Note that dogs are restricted on Blakeney Point itself between April and August to protect nesting birds, but the marsh paths are fine.

Holkham beach and pinewoods

2 to 4 miles, 1.5 to 2 hours, easy. Dog friendly. Buggy friendly on the boardwalk.

Around 40 minutes north-west, Holkham is one of the great beaches of England: a vast sweep of pale sand backed by fragrant pine woods, so big it never feels busy even in summer. A circular walk out through the pines, along the sand and back is easy and unforgettable, and there is a boardwalk from the car park for buggies and wheels. Dogs are in their element here. Time it for low tide for the full expanse of sand.

The Bure Valley path

Up to 9 miles one way, half a day, flat and surfaced. Dog and buggy friendly.

About 25 to 30 minutes east, the Bure Valley path runs alongside the narrow-gauge steam railway between Aylsham and Wroxham, nine flat, easy miles through the Bure valley. You can walk one way and take the steam train back, which children love, or do an out-and-back for as far as suits. Level going throughout and well surfaced.

Blickling park

1.5 to 4 miles, 1 to 2 hours, easy. Dog friendly on leads. Buggy friendly on main paths.

Twenty-five to thirty minutes north-east, the parkland around Blickling Hall gives you a gentle circuit past the lake and through ancient woodland, with the great house as a backdrop and a café for the end. As long or short as you like, and easy underfoot on the main tracks. Free to walk the park; parking is £5 for non-members.

Practical notes

A few things worth knowing. Norfolk is flat and its paths drain well, so walking here is easy year round, but the coast is exposed, so pack a windproof layer even in summer. The mid-Norfolk lanes are quiet but do carry the odd tractor, so keep dogs close on the road stretches. And two of the best walks pair perfectly with something else: Holkham with a beach afternoon, Morston with a seal trip, so build the day around them.

Lavender House is dog friendly by arrangement, which makes Foulsham a sensible base for a walking-and-a-dog sort of week, with the coast path and Marriott's Way both a short drive away. We ask only that you agree it with us first and keep dogs off the furniture; the details are in the guest manual.

We look after the house a few minutes from all of these routes, and booking direct with us is around 10% cheaper than the same dates on Airbnb. You can see it and check dates here. For the days the weather beats you, our guide to Norfolk when it rains has the indoor options sorted.

Norfolk when it rains: indoor days out from Foulsham

Norfolk gets big weather along with its big skies, but a wet day only spoils the plan if you did not have a second one. From Foulsham there is plenty under cover within easy reach, from a proper city to indoor play barns and grand houses. Here is where to head when the forecast turns, roughly in order of how far it is from the door.

Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure

Fifteen minutes south at Lenwade, Roarr! is a better wet-weather bet than an outdoor park has any right to be. Alongside the outdoor dinosaur trail there is Dinomite, a large indoor play barn with slides, ball pits and rope bridges, and Dippy's Theatre showing films and live shows. You can duck inside when it pours and dart back out when it eases. Book online ahead for the best price, and treat the weather as part of the adventure.

Pensthorpe Natural Park

Fifteen minutes north-west near Fakenham, Pensthorpe has the covered WildRootz indoor play, the discovery centre and the café to fall back on, with the bird hides for the gaps between showers. It is a calm, warm few hours with children, and the wetland birds are often at their most active in dreary weather. Open 10am to 5pm.

Norwich

Around 35 to 40 minutes south-east, Norwich is the best full wet-day out in the county. Norwich Castle is a Norman keep housing a large museum; the cathedral is free and magnificent; there are further museums, the independent shops of the Norwich Lanes, big shopping centres, cinemas and a busy theatre. You can happily fill a rainy day here without going back to the car, and park and ride keeps it stress-free. If one plan has to survive the forecast, make it this.

Blickling and Holkham houses

The grand houses come into their own in the rain, when you are inside looking out. Twenty-five to thirty minutes at Blickling, the Jacobean hall and its Long Gallery library are a proper indoor visit, with cafés and a bookshop to wait out a shower. Forty minutes at Holkham, the hall and the Holkham Stories exhibition do the same on the coast. Both reward a committed half day when the sky is set in. Check house opening times, which are shorter than the grounds.

BeWILDerwood

About 40 minutes east near Horning, BeWILDerwood is mostly outdoors, but it is built for Norfolk weather: much of the fun is under the trees, there are covered areas and indoor bits, and children in waterproofs barely notice the rain. If the whole week looks wet and you have younger ones, it holds up better than you would expect. Boots and waterproofs essential.

The Bure Valley Railway

Around 25 to 30 minutes east, the narrow-gauge steam railway between Aylsham and Wroxham runs covered carriages, which makes a rainy-day ride through the Bure valley a cosy rather than a soggy one. Pair it with a look around Wroxham, the capital of the Broads, and its shops. A gentle, easy option when nobody fancies a big day.

Closer to home, and back at the house

The honest truth is that Lavender House itself is one of the best wet-weather options you have. With the swim spa, hot tub and XL sauna, the games room with ping pong, table football and karaoke, the log fire and a kitchen built for a group, a rainy day in can be the highlight of the trip rather than the fallback. Plenty of guests plan a "house day" on purpose: a long spa morning, a games-room afternoon and a big cook-up in the evening.

One last practical note: mid-Norfolk's position means even the further options here stay a reasonable drive in bad weather, when country lanes elsewhere would slow you right down. A wet day in Norfolk is an inconvenience, not a write-off.

We look after Lavender House in Foulsham, well placed for all of the above and set up so a rainy day indoors is no hardship at all, and booking direct with us is around 10% cheaper than the same dates on Airbnb. You can see the house and check dates here. When the sun comes back out, our guide to things within 30 minutes has Roarr!, Pensthorpe and Blickling ready to go.