Where to Stay in Norfolk, UK

A popular haunt for retro-appreciating young professionals in Norwich, this is just the place to join the locals for an after-work drink. Craft ales are the speciality, and you’ll find limited editions from East Anglian breweries on the rotating taps. Dine on pan-fried salmon and chicken supreme in American-diner-style booths or at tables that smack of wooden school desks. Roberts radios, old dial-up telephones and Smeg mini-fridges add a vintage twist to the bedrooms, too.

You’ve done the Broads in a motorboat, a kayak and perhaps even on a stand-up paddleboard – but how about an open-top yacht with a kitchen-fresh hamper of home-made quiche, chutney and brownies? At this unique place to stay in Norfolk, you can hire a boat, complete with a picnic. Return in time for afternoon tea – the raspberry cheesecake in white chocolate soil is a must-try. Need more chill time? Pop into the spa for a Natural Spa Factory treatment, then relax on your private terrace with a glass of something chilled.

The beaches in Norfolk are legendary, but so are the market towns, with Burnham Market arguably the king. Explore the 30-plus indie stores, delis, boutiques and galleries to pick up the best crafts and produce in the county. Be sure to try Satchells wine merchants, established more than 120 years ago, or Gurneys Fish Shop. To get the most of that experience, upgrade to the top-flight divine room at the Hoste Arms for when you need to recuperate; the Zoffany-clad walls and free-standing baths won’t fail to impress.

During World War II, politicians and military top-brass held clandestine meetings in the Walnut Suite of this Norwich hotel, accessed through secret tunnels from St Giles Church. Immerse yourself in this Grade II-listed building’s history by checking into one of the art deco-themed Georgian suites with claret-wine walls and antique furniture. Uncoil with an Elemental Herbology treatment in the spa, then tuck into the fantastic food options in the dining room.

Escape the daily grind at Lynford Hall, a country house that’s just begging you to stay outdoors. Make sure you bag a courtyard room with a private external door so you can leave the mud-cloaked walking boots outside. How much of the 28-acre (11ha) Thetford Forest can you explore before you leave? There’s a lake, or you can try one of the forest trails on your doorstep. Peddars Way (the old Roman road that links the North Norfolk Coast with Central East Anglia) also beckons.

You don’t need to stay on the coast to enjoy Norfolk. At Felbrigg Lodge, the glorious beaches of the North Coast, such as Cromer and East Runton, are less than a 15-minute drive away. For a real get-away-from-it-all vibe, spend time exploring the hotel’s 7 acres (3ha) of woodland, a few miles inland on the outskirts of Aylmerton village. Order one of a picnic hamper (try the Norfolk cheese and wine one), find your own secluded spot and pretend no one else exists.

Transport yourself back through 800 years of Norwich history with a stay at the Maids Head, the oldest hotel in the UK. Bishops once resided here, Admiral Lord Nelson propped up the oak-lined Jacobean Bar, and the first-ever mail coaches from London rolled into the courtyard once upon a time. Stay in the Catherine of Aragon suite (named after yet another historical patron) for a wood burner, hand-drawn English floral fabrics, a roll-top bath and a Tudor street mural. Head chef Magic’s cured sea trout in the AA rosette WinePress restaurant shouldn’t be missed, either.

Chat to locals over a craft beer at this rural place to stay in Norfolk. Slip in front of the log fire or unwind in the garden and see why Amelie Nicholson and Marcus Seaman returned years later to run it themselves. Stay over in the converted barn and amuse residents by trying to guess which places the room names stand for. Here’s one to start you off: Hunny, for Hunstanton, of course. Conveniently placed in the middle of the county, this 17th-century pub is a great base for the North Coast, Norwich and the lesser-known Brecks.