Whether you’re a nature lover, a history buff or a family with children, Norfolk has something for everyone.
West Lexham is near the geographical heart of Norfolk and is perfectly sited for exploration of this historic and beautiful area of the UK. There’s a timelessness to this place, our village location has been populated for millennia and our church is a thousand years old.
We are proud to be in the centre of this varied county which we’ve spent many years exploring.
For nature lovers, Norfolk boasts stunning beaches and open skies, it’s rich in bird life and has pioneering rewilding projects. If you’re into food the county is rich in fabulous local produce which you can buy from the farm gate or markets in the historic towns, sample in world-class fine dining restaurants or in cosy country pubs. A self-care holiday can include a trip to the theatre and spa treatment. History-lovers can delve into an abundance of ancient churches, stately homes and prehistoric sites. Aesthetes will revel in quaint market towns, beautiful houses, formal gardens and Houghton’s sculpture park. Families can enjoy varied days together from swinging in treetops, learning stone age skills to go-karting.
10 mins by car
There has been a market here for over 800 years. Every Saturday the outdoor market has around 25 regular stalls including fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, cheeses and eggs, housewares, collectibles, jewellery, silver, clothes, hardware, tools, bric-a-brac and plants. The auction is an experience, we highly recommend it if you have an eye for a bargain and are up for something different.
Auction starts at 11am
30 mins by car
On the first Saturday of every month from 9.30am-1pm. There are over 50 stalls fresh local produce including meat, fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers in season, cheese, cakes, savoury and sweet tarts, pies, fudge, artisan breads, pickles, oils, vinegars, preserves, local ales and wines, juices and plants.
www.creakeabbey.co.uk/farmers-market
Burnham Rd, North Creake, Fakenham NR21 9LF
30 mins by car
The Holt Sunday Market is an award winning, destination street market. We showcase the best local independent craftspeople, designers, makers, food producers and street food traders on the first Sunday of each month from April to December.
West Lexham church- 2 mins walk
East Lexham church- 2 mins by car, 24 mins walk
The lovely white round tower of West Lexham’s St Nicholas church watches over our kitchen garden and is open for visitors. Inside there’s an early font and an impressive painting by Richard Foster RA. Legend has it that the tower was built to keep watch for Vikings sailing up the River Nar, which still flows through the West Lexham land today.
The 30 min stroll to East Lexham is along a pretty road, and the village has an excellent adventure playground. St Andrew’s church is a honey-coloured delight filled with more paintings by Richard Foster who is a resident of the village.
5 mins by car
50 min walk
This charming village boasts an extraordinary wealth of history, as well as a pub, lunch and brunch cafe and an antique shop. It is a rare and complete survival of a Norman planned settlement, including a motte and bailey castle and the ruins of Castle Acre Priory, one of the best-preserved monastic sites in England.
The place is steeped in history and the main road into the village runs between two stone gatehouses dating from 1200. The magnificent 14th and 15th Century church of St James the Great sits at the center, rich with mediaeval paintings which survived the Reformation.
9 mins by car
Walk through the rewilding project of the Nar Valley Wilderness Belt. West Acre Estate has re-wilded lowland farmland to restore biodiversity and create new nature-based enterprises within an area of 2000 acres. Animals such as Exmoor ponies, Iron Age Pigs and White Park Cattle as well as numerous species of deer roam free grazing on wildflower meadows, peatlands, marsh and wet woodland. The idea is to restore the natural balance of nature whilst attracting new and long dispersed species of flora and fauna for us all to enjoy.
20 mins by car
Oxburgh Hall is a stunning 15th Century moated house, famous for its Catholic history and priest hole. The National Trust run Oxburgh Estate which is still home to the Bedingfield family who have lived there for 500 years. In addition to the hall there are gardens and parklands to explore, as well as a reliable National Trust tearoom and gift shop.
Near Swaffham, King’s Lynn PE33 9PS England
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/oxburgh-estate
If you’d like to make a day of it we recommend the Bedingfeld Arms, a locally sourcing gastropub.
The Green Swaffham, Oxborough PE33 9PS England
20 mins by car
Historic Palladian mansion built in 1770s by Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole. You can explore the grand house and its extensive grounds, the gardens are a must see. Houghton is also famous for its sculpture park and art exhibitions. There’s a brilliant tea room and exciting adventure playground.
Bircham Road, Houghton PE31 6TY England
40 mins by car
Holkham Hall is an 18th-century Palladian style house, largely unchanged and famous for its marble hall. The house is within 25,000 acres of rolling parkland with extensive grounds and planted gardens- we love the walled kitchen garden.
They run various events throughout the summer.
Holkham Rd, Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea NR23 1AB England
20 mins by car
Sandringham House was the beloved private country home of the late Queen Elizabeth and it’s where the royal family spend their Christmases. The house is open from April – October, the main eight ground floor rooms including annual exhibition, are regularly used by the Royal Family, with decor and contents remaining very much as they were in Edwardian time. The dog friendly Royal Parkland with courtyard featuring the shop and restaurant is open all year. The Parkland covers over 243 hectares with way-marked trails for cycling or exploring by foot and a large children’s woodland play area.
Norfolk is rightly famous for its beaches. There are many to explore, the coastline has something for everyone from white sand to islands, gravel spits and salt flats. Here are four of our favourites
47 mins by car
Sandy beach for fossil enthusiasts, with blue flag rating and lifeguards if you fancy a swim. West Runton beach is most well-known for the Elephant, or Steppe Mammoth which was discovered in 1990, dating back to the ice age and one of the oldest fossil elephants to be found in the UK. The rockpools are teeming with fossilised belamites and you can even find prehistoric tools in the shallows.
Child and dog friendly.
35 mins by car
A beach that makes you want to paint. Panoramic views and stripes of white sand and blue sea and sky. There’s wildlife galore and Branodunum, an intriguing Scheduled Ancient Monument which was once the home of the Roman Army, now a grassy meadow home to skylarks and a vast variety of insects. Perfect for a picnic and dog walk.
30 mins by car
Enjoy the expanse of sand bordered by a pine forest and brightly coloured beach huts.
There’s an excellent beach cafe for refreshments during the summer months.
The town of Wells-next-the-Sea has a quaint harbour, a pier to catch crabs from and array of highly rated fish and chip shops.
wellsguide.com
35 mins by car
At the heart of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Blakeney National Nature Reserve boasts wide open spaces and uninterrupted views of the beautiful North Norfolk coastline. The four mile long shingle spit of Blakeney Point offers protection for Blakeney Harbour and the surrounding saltmarshes, providing a perfect habitat for the vast array of residential and migratory wildlife and a colony of wild grey seals. You can walk or view the wildlife from a ferry departing from Morston Quay.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/blakeney-national-nature-reserve
24 mins by car to Walsingham, 30 mins by car to Wells.
The world’s smallest public railway. The famous Wells & Walsingham Light Railway steams between the Norfolk seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea and the beautiful Abbey village of Walsingham. Open from March- November and the journey takes 30 mins.
Snacks are available from the Signal Box Café and there is a play area to enjoy before or after your adventure on the train.
40 mins by car
Time travel back to the stone age. Learn primitive crafts and skills with Will Lord, an expert in primitive survival techniques. He runs various events and courses- booking is essential.
Near Barnham, Thetford, IP24 2QW
50 mins by car
A huge woodland full of family fun, imagination, and outdoor adventure.
Based on the magical and enchanting books by author and creator Tom Blofeld. A world of treehouses, super slides, giant swings, extra-long zip wires, as well as storytelling and creative crafts. On site food offerings locally sourced.
Horning Rd, Hoveton, Norwich NR12 8JW
40 mins by car
A forest adventure. With high ropes courses for kids and adults, bouncy nets 30 ft above the forest floor, and all-terrain Forest Segways,
Go Ape Thetford,, High Lodge Forest Centre, Brandon IP27 0AF
20 mins by car
Enjoy a 700-acre nature reserve and woodland conservation park with bird hides, interactive trails and eco play areas. Feast in the on site cafe and explore a variety of beautifully planted gardens.
Pensthorpe Rd, Fakenham NR21 0LN
20 mins by car
A 300 year coaching inn with feasting food from street market stalls, and an amazing adventure play area complete with zip wires and climbing frames. They also have Container Golf which is a 9-hole adventure golf course complete with loop-de-loops, mazes, and a golf ball vortex.
Lynn Rd, King’s Lynn PE31 6BJ
20 mins by car
While away a rainy afternoon with some competitive ten pin bowling.
Station Rd, Dereham NR19 1DF
20 mins by car
Perfect for both young and old enthusiasts who wish to try Go Kart racing for the first time or perfect their driving skills. There are two outdoor karting race tracks which can be combined to make a 1.03km, adrenaline fuelled, day of exciting outdoor kart racing. The centre caters for adults and junior racers aged 8 and above (minimum height of 4ft 4″).
The Airfield, North Pickenham, Swaffham PE37 8LL
50 mins by car
A huge woodland full of family fun, imagination, and outdoor adventure.
Based on the magical and enchanting books by author and creator Tom Blofeld. A world of treehouses, super slides, giant swings, extra-long zip wires, as well as storytelling and creative crafts. On site food offerings locally sourced.
Horning Rd, Hoveton, Norwich NR12 8JW
10 mins by car
Offering inspiring, inclusive and creative excellence in the heart of rural Norfolk, Westacre Theatre serves up a wealth of cultural arts in a secluded scenic setting.
River Rd, West Acre, King’s Lynn PE32 1UD
30 mins by car
A family owned vineyard growing 9 grape varieties and producing red, white, rose and sparkling wines. They hold wine tastings and events such as Jazz Nights and supper clubs.
Beacon Hill Road, King’s Lynn NR21 9LN
10 mins by car
A farmhouse brewery focused on fresh beers and wild ales that are brewed from nature, creating local jobs and using local hops. You can buy beer from their kiosk Mo-Fri. They hold banquets on the first Saturday of every month, and have tap days where you can try a variety of their beers every Saturday and Sunday from noon. You can even have a tour and tasting session with the founder on the first Saturday of every month. Booking is recommended.
Abbey Farm, River Rd, King’s Lynn PE32 1UA
35 mins by car
England’s premier lavender farm. World famous lavender oil distillery founded in 1932, with gift shop, farm shop and restaurant sited in around 100 acres of lavender fields.
Norfolk Lavender, Caley Mill, Lynn Rd, Heacham PE31 7JE
30 mins by car
An innovative vending machine of cheese and raw milk adjacent to the marvellous Parlour Cafe which serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea until 4pm. Binham is a stunning village with a magnificent ruined priory.
Warham Rd, Fakenham NR21 0DQ
30 mins by car
Norfolk’s only working water powered flour mill producing flour from locally grown grains. The mill was built in 1802 and is open all year, Mon to Sat. Working demonstrations take place Tue to Fri. The mill has a shop selling flour & other baking essentials.
Riverside Rd, Letheringsett, Holt NR25 7YD
17 mins by car
Energise Pentney Health Club and Day Spa is an independent health club and day spa. Day spa guests can use the indoor swimming pool, saunas, steam rooms and outdoor heated vitality pool. In the treatment rooms you’ll find a good range of treatments from tailored facials to relaxing reflexology to perfect pedicures.
Low Rd, Pentney, King’s Lynn PE32 1JF
18 mins by car
For the ultimate treat try one of the luxurious spa treatments at Congham Hall. Book time in their luxury spa, with its indoor pool, thermal suite, and tempting menu of wellness and beauty treatments.
Lynn Rd, Congham, King’s Lynn PE32 1AH
The Bird ID Company offers a wide variety of guided birdwatching day tours and longer birding holidays, to see birds and other wildlife across Norfolk and beyond. Tours run regularly, with several dates available most weeks right through the year.
Booking is essential.
9 mins by car
Vintage Village Velos hires out brand new hand-built Pashley bicycles by the half or full day so you can leave the car behind and explore the peace and beauty of the local countryside.
Abbey Farm, River Rd, King’s Lynn PE32 1UA
“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
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