Local Area

The local North Norfolk area around The Retreat combines the perfect balance of rural isolation with easy accessibility to the Norfolk Broads and North Norfolk Coast. If you are looking for a walking holiday in Norfolk then take the footpath beside the River Bure to the local village of Itteringham, home to the award-winning pub, the Walpole Arms, along with a well-stocked village shop and the nationally acclaimed St Judes Gallery. Stroll a little further and you reach Mannington Hall, an attractive country house with gardens and footpaths open to the public.

Less than five miles from the pretty market town of Aylsham, The Retreat is deep in National Trust country, with both Blickling Hall only two miles away, and Felbrigg Hall, less than 10 miles distant. The historic cathedral city of Norwich is only thirty minutes drive away and offers a wide range of cultural and historic sites, while the nearby Georgian town of Holt is renowned for its range of independent shops. The popular Norfolk Broads centre of Wroxham is less than half an hour by car, and from there you can enjoy a wide range of activities such as hire a day boat, ride the paddlesteamer or enjoy a steam train ride through the pretty Norfolk Countryside on the Bure Valley Railway. A day trip to the Norfolk Coast is highly recommended for sailing, walking and bird watching – choose from idyllic coastal villages such as Cley next the Sea and Blakeney or bustling seaside towns like Cromer and Hunstanton.