Golden, sea-washed sand stretching out endlessly, wild dunes and pine forest hiding any form of civilisation and the wind whipping clouds briskly across the ever-changing sky: at low tide, Holkham Beach in North Norfolk feels otherworldly. It can be unsettling in its emptiness. But it is also utterly beautiful, and a brisk stomp along the sand here will do more to clear your mind than an hour of meditation.
It’s easy to see why the Prince and Princess of Wales love this stretch of coast — a short drive from their home, Anmer Hall, it’s believed to be where they shot the video marking the end of Kate’s cancer treatment.
It's the perfect spot for a very British sort of family holiday: jumping off dunes, racing kites and chasing dogs. In fact, a word of warning — come to Holkham without a four-legged companion and you may feel left out. The constant stream of labradors and springer spaniels bounding joyfully towards the sea certainly kept my two-and-a-half-year-old entertained — that, and burying my husband up to his knees in the sand.
Along the coast, you can explore the pretty seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea, while inland Holkham Hall and its grounds offer everything from art to zipwires.
Two and a half hours from London by car, Holkham — along with the pretty seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea and, a little inland, the historic village of Walsingham — is the perfect spot to recharge your batteries for a long weekend. Warning, you may spend the journey home searching online for black lab puppies…
Where to stay
Lapwing Cottage
Retreat after a windswept day to one of the handsome cottages on the Holkham Estate. We stayed at Lapwing Cottage, a two-bedroom property which was refurbished last year. Everything is furnished to hotel standard: the beds are huge and comfortable, the linen crisp, the towels fluffy and white. The bathroom is particularly gorgeous, with a Crittal-screened waterfall shower and a deep bath.
There’s a log burner in the living room, which kept us cosy as snow fell outside, but visit in the summer and you can take advantage of the sunny courtyard garden. There’s everything you could possibly need in the kitchen — right down to an air-fryer — plus practical additions for an outdoorsy holiday, including a boot room and an outside shower for dogs and muddy boots.
Robin Hood and Stable Cottage
If you’re bringing a crowd, book a stay at Robin Hood & Stable Cottage in Walsingham, a short drive inland. Originally an 18th-century pub, the property has been lovingly converted into two holiday homes. Grade II listed Robin Hood Cottage sleeps 10, while Stable Cottage, just across the courtyard, sleeps two and has its own kitchen and sitting room. We stayed for a big family celebration and this cosy space, with sunshine streaming through the skylights and warm floorboards under foot, made a restful escape for the grandparents.
In the main property, the vast living room and dining room are warmed with two log burners, the walls are decked with eccentric works of art and every chair is invitingly squishy. The bedrooms, with original beams, are peaceful and chic; think pink scalloped bedside tables, charming floral lampshades and superking beds with deep mattresses and soft duvets.
The flagstone-floored kitchen is equipped with everything you could need, including a Nespresso machine and thoughtfully-chosen ceramics. We loved our morning coffees in the sunlit breakfast room overlooking the courtyard.
Owners Chris and Julia Dunne have created a wonderful, stylish retreat, which works whatever the season. In the winter, help yourself to a board game from the hamper and hunker down in a button-backed chair; in the summer, take a bottle (or three) of rosé into the Mediterranean-inspired courtyard — so sunny that olive trees flourish there — and set up camp, lighting the firepit as the sun goes down.
Idyllic as it is, the courtyard hides an even more delightful secret — disappear through a gate to find a vast garden, with wisteria, roses and vines rambling over a pergola, a wooden rope swing and even table football, squirrelled away in an old potting shed. Enid Blyton-style countryside bliss for children (and their parents and grandparents, too).
What to do
Pull on your boots and get outside. Start your first morning by heading seaward to make the most of Holkham Beach and nature reserve. Pick up a cup of coffee and a sausage roll at the Lookout Café then follow the winding path through pine trees, with the needles under your feet slowly becoming sandier until you find yourself on the beach, a huge unspoilt expanse of golden sand: at low tide, the sea will be barely a blue smudge on the horizon.
As well as being impossibly beautiful, it means that, even in high summer, there’s plenty of space for the serious business of shell-spotting, sandcastle construction and kite-flying.
Stroll inland for the afternoon, perhaps stopping off at The Victoria Inn for lunch or picking up a beer or three at the Adnams shop next door (it also does a good range of pre-mixed cocktails for a beach picnic). Your destination is the 25,000 acres of lush green parkland that surround Holkham Hall.
You can visit the grand 18th-century Palladian-style house, too, but if you’ve got small children in tow, your best bet will be hiring a boat on the lake, letting them tackle the high ropes or just marvelling at the herd of deer peacefully roaming around the grounds.
The next day, head along the coast to Wells-next-the-Sea — five minutes by car or 40 on foot, if you follow the beach around from Holkham — a seaside town with a working harbour and its own glorious stretch of sand, lined with a candy-coloured collection of beach huts. Stay long enough and you might even spot a seal.
Stock up for a beach picnic at one of the many bakeries or delis in town. The counter at The Two Magpies bakery on the Quay is quite irresistible; sourdough croque monsieurs heavy with ham and mustard, croissants made with Lescure butter and deeply savoury Marmite and cheese swirls.
For cheese, pies and cured meats head to the Alexandra Howell Deli, then complete your picnic with a bottle of wine at the North Norfolk Cellars, run by sommelier Bert Blaize.
For shopping, head to Staithe Street, which is lined with independent shops — try Glitter & Mud for bright and quirky gifts, Bringing the Outside In for plants and homeware and Nomad & The Bowerbird for offbeat clothes and children’s toys.
No toy, of course, is as joyful for a small person as a real-life steam train: to make all their Thomas the Tank engine dreams come true, keep on walking out of town and you’ll find yourself at the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway. The miniature train runs four times a day from March to October, chugging gently cross-country between the seaside town and inland village. Hop on the midday service and be in Walsingham in time for lunch – you can’t leave without a stop at the Walsingham Farm Shop, for everything from locally made lip balm to a chicken, ham and leek pie and a bottle of Norfolk cider to take home for supper.
Where to eat and drink
No country break is complete without a lost afternoon in a country pub, and you’re spoilt for choice here. Top of the list if you’re staying in Holkham itself is The Victoria Inn. Known affectionately as The Vic, it’s barely a minute’s walk from Lapwing Cottage.
Strictly speaking it’s a hotel, but its restaurant retains the feel of a pub, especially in the winter when you can a seat by the crackling fire in a cosy corner. In summer, ask for a table in the orangery and bask in the light streaming through the windows as you gaze out over the nature reserve. The Vic is rightly proud of its two AA Rosettes and locally sourced food. And it really is local: game, beef, lamb and fruit and veg all come from the Holkham estate itself.
The small plates were especially good when we visited, from pheasant croquettes to smoked salmon fishcakes, and there was a truly exceptional chocolate and hazelnut ice cream. A nice touch if you’re staying for longer are its plats du jour, ranging from a half lobster to chicken schnitzel Holstein.
The cafes on the estate — The Lookout and the Courtyard Cafe — are good spots for refuelling when you’re out and about: think sausage rolls, scones and huge slices of cake.
In Wells, The Globe Inn is as serious about its friendliness as its food. Overlooking the green in the centre of the town, it’s a handsome white-fronted building with two huge bay windows: request a table in one of those and watch the world go by or hide away in one of the snugs and feel as though you’re in your own private dining room. There’s board games, of course, and a great cocktail list, or pick a pint of local Woodforde’s ale at the bar. The Bowling Green is another friendly local in Wells with homemade, unpretentious food. In Walsingham, head to the Black Lion for its friendly welcome and elegant seafood dishes.
If it’s classic fish and chips you’re after — eaten one-handed and hungrily, doused in vinegar and guarded warily from clever-looking seagulls — French’s Fish Shop in Wells is the place to go.
For a more modern take, a great family-friendly tip is Eric’s Fish & Chips, about 20 minutes by car in Thornham. It’s a bright, open space serving tapas-style dishes — buffalo cauliflower, say, or black pudding fritters — as well as proper fish and chips. Yes, there’s tartare sauce, but also black garlic mayo and a Japanese fish burger with bonito flakes.
If you’re trying to appease family members with opposing appetites, eat next door at Eric’s Pizza — a yurt with a wood-burning stove and pizza oven; leave your jumper in the car — and order some fish dishes across. It’s part of a small collection of shops and foodie spots, including Gurney’s, a local smokehouse — don’t leave without a pot of its homemade aioli — and Mim’s East Coast Gelato, for fabulous ice cream made just down the road in Hunstanton.
There’s even a ship-themed playground: let the small people be pirates while you sip a bottle of the Drove Orchards cider, made from apples on site, and quietly captain the crew from afar.
How to book
To book a stay at Lapwing Cottage in Holkham, visit holidaycottages.co.uk. Prices start from £1,228 for seven nights. Two bedrooms, sleeps four, plus up to three dogs.
To book a stay at Robin Hood Cottage and Stable Cottage in Walsingham, visit norfolkcottages.co.uk. Prices start from £3,212 for a seven nights, sleeping 12 people in six bedrooms, with two dogs.
Lording it up! The stately homes you can book into, from Badminton to Cliveden House
Earl to auction 450 family artefacts in ultimate attic sale at Holkham Hall in Norfolk
Kate, Princess of Wales, announces she has finished chemotherapy in moving family video
10 of the best staycation houses with hot tubs for an epic group gathering
