Hindringham Barn, Fakenham

Norfolk. Sleeps up to 12

Interior designers and landscape gardeners have certainly waved their magic wands over this magnificent barn conversion! With six exceptional bedrooms, twelve guests will be walking into the pages of an interior design magazine. Hindringham Barn, dating from the 15th century, has been lovingly restored and now offers lavish, stunning, very social accommodation. Natural materials, local to Norfolk, such as brick and flint and brilliantly crafted antique beams have been sensitively paired with high-end contemporary wonder. Every single room is the picture of style and grace with vibrant art decorating the vast walls. With wondrous lofty opulence, the historic carcass of the main living space has had architects in their element blending ancient charm with modern, sumptuous living. It is truly inspired.

Hindringham Barn enjoys a spectacular rural position close to the delightful village of Hindringham, just a 15 minute drive from the celebrated town of Wells-next-the-Sea and very close to the ever popular Blakeney with its wonderful harbour and seal trips.

It is hard to imagine that this lavish, cavernous, cathedral-like gem was once used for nothing more than storage for the farm. Its exposed vaulted ceiling, brick and flint walls and timber beams feel effortlessly luxurious and the huge contemporary windows and doors drench the space with natural light. Sumptuous sofas are perfectly placed to enjoy the fabulous garden views. Extravagant fabric artworks break up the exposed walls. Dinner can be served on the fabulous central dining table or the alternative table, close to the kitchen. Perhaps breakfast at one and dinner at the other? After dinner, you may enjoy an evening of merriment striking up songs around the grand piano.

Down a few steps, you will find the amazing, contemporary kitchen which features outstanding appliances, a beautiful central island, a feature painted flint wall and atmospheric beams. Again, this striking area is illuminated through the contemporary floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. This kitchen is truly dreamy for your chefs. It offers another massive dining table which seats your whole group.

The six bedrooms and four bathrooms offer an achingly luxurious feel. Three bedrooms boast double beds, one a king-size bed and two bedrooms offer twin beds. Two delightful bedrooms boast en-suite shower rooms plus there is an outstanding family bathroom and a ‘Jack and Jill’ bathroom with a gorgeous freestanding bath. Whichever heavenly space you end up with, you will sleep like kings. Exposed flint walls, vaulted ceilings and dreamy beams all feature throughout the bedrooms and bathrooms.

The grounds are equally impressive with colourful, pretty gardens planted with nasturtiums and lavender. There are seasonal fruits and vegetables, all waiting for you to pick them for dinner. Entertainment comes in the form of boules, croquet and table tennis. Alfresco dining can be enjoyed in several spots, you are spoilt for choice. Pre-dinner drinks can be taken on the deluxe lounge furniture surrounded by pretty planted boxes and with a firepit on hand for chilly evenings.  Be prepared not to want to leave this very special holiday home!

Hindringham Barn enjoys a fabulous rural location, 6 miles from the wonderful Wells-next-the-Sea. Hindringham itself is a picturesque delight. Hindringham Hall neighbours Hindringham Barn. It is a delicious little moated manor house straight from a story book. It boasts a medieval moat dating from 1150 and delightful fishponds, a working walled vegetable garden, formal and informal borders, all wrapped around a brick and flint Tudor Hall. The stunning gardens are a water encircled wonder and are open to visitors twice a week, on Wednesday and Sundays, between April and October. It is a lovely afternoon out. You can take a guided tour, take tea in the charming cafe beside the moat, smell the roses, watch the black swans, listen to the birdsong and you can even hire the tennis court. The Guardian has described the gardens as being ‘Amongst 12 of the Best Secret Gardens in the UK’. The beautiful house was built by Martin Hastings, a courtier to Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII.

Six miles away you will find the gorgeous seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea. It boasts a family friendly feel with novelty shops, lots of fish and chips which can be eaten on the great quay wall, a fabulous sandy beach and fragrant pine woods. The pretty, painted beach huts that line the beach in front of the pine wood are wonderful. The mammoth sandy beach sprinkled, with dunes and grasses, leads you all the way to Holkham. Wells’ lovely leafy green ‘The Buttlands’ is home to several gastropubs. You can take the Wells to Walsingham Light Railway for an afternoon excursion.

Holkham’s beach is totally unspoilt with a glorious semi-circle basin filling to form a spectacular shallow lagoon at high tides. The beach is famous for the closing scene in Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Shakespeare in Love’. The 25000 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 6 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 famous, picturesque village of Blakeney offers a pretty harbour, unique shops including 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. You should try one of the fresh crab sandwiches from the mobile van in the car park at the harbour. They are delicious! 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 2000 seal pups being born each year. It is a wonderful family outing.

A few miles away is the enchanting village of Cley-next-the-Sea which boasts fabulous vistas across the marshes, an outstanding deli, several art and pottery galleries and a 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.

The Georgian market town of  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.

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.

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