Garden and grounds
The big toys here are set seamlessly into the five-acre grounds. In spring and summer, the 15-metre outdoor pool comes warmed by woodchips from the estate to a toasty 32 degrees. Dive in, cool off, chill out. Play croquet on the lawn. Then get your topspin forehand firing for the (also seasonal) all-weather tennis court.
Wander the woodland and parkland. Watch our for Muntjac deer, but don’t get on first-name terms: you might fancy venison on the barbie as part of the population-control programme. Enjoy the garden in any weather in the loggia and conservatory. And stay out past bedtime to watch the last hour of daylight on the sunset mound.
Living spaces
With three working fireplaces, you’ll be super-cosy wherever you wander. After a day at the coast or a ride around the lanes, come home to several thousand square feet of baronial splendour. Put your feet up in front of two 63” TVs, streaming a choice of Sky, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix over the superfast BT broadband.
There’s plenty of room for recreation amid the relaxation: head to the games room for pool, snooker, table tennis and darts. Enjoy the garden from the loggia and conservatory. And delight in the sense of aristocratic grace at every turn, amid high ceilings, chandeliers, ornate cornicing and heavy-draped curtains.
Cooking and dining
There’s deer in the parklands, and our partners, Graves butcher’s, can supply venison from the estate as part of our population-control programme. Eat out in the sunshine with space for 20 with meat sizzling on the coal barbecue. For indoor cooks, an Aga and four electric ovens should do the trick.
Special occasion? Call up the pros from the Norfolk Catering Company for sandwiches, focaccias, baguettes, wraps, whole-lunch platters, salads, soups, snacking pots and more. Or call out for takeaways from Silk Road II (Chinese), or fish and chips from the Docking Fish Bar. Shop at Sainsbury’s and Tesco, with wine from Satchell’s.
If beer gardens and play areas are your thing, consider The Rose and Crown in Snettisham, while The Jolly Sailors will serve you Brancaster mussels and a fine pint of real ale. Go gastro at The Gin Trap in Ringstead and invade another lovely beer garden. Or get all high society at fine-dining establishment Socius.
Picture an English country pub decked in ivy and facing a village green wrapped around an ancient oak. That’s The Dabbling Duck in Great Massingham – tuck into 8oz rump steak or BBQ monkfish washed down with Mucky Duck gin. Or eat al-fresco around the pool at The Café at Brovey Lair.
Bedrooms
Your dreams are unlikely to be disturbed too much by the munching of the Muntjac deer. So settle back for serene sleep in the pristine perfection of eleven period bedrooms supported by six beautiful bathrooms. Most rooms will fit a cot.
The Green Room offers a superking bed, an ornamental fireplace and a sink. The Dressing Room also comes with a superking and sink, and shares a Jack and Jill bathroom with the South Room, a superking with ornamental fireplace.
Muriel and West bedrooms provide a superking and king respectively and share a Jack and Jill. The Striped Room is a single with a sink and the Nursery bedroom comes with a superking and ornamental fireplace.
The North Room has a superking bed, sink and ornamental fireplace, while the Lift Room gives you a queensize bed and sink with a Jack and Jill shared with the East Room, a superking with sink and ornamental fireplace. Finally, the Pink Room is a superking with en-suite, sink and ornamental fireplace.
What people say
Woolly cuties and rusty crabs
Bottle-feed woolly cuties at Snettisham Farm Park, meet more goats at Bircham Windmill or the seals at Blakeney Point, then ride the zips at BeWILDerwood. Tuck into street food at Barsham Brewery or chill on a spa day at The Retreat. Visit history at Felbrigg Hall and Castle Rising, and finish up with drinks in the Rusty Krab.
