Joules Competition Winner Enjoys her Blakeney holiday
Sangeet Bird, 63 was the lucky winner of our Facebook and Twitter competition for a 4 night stay at the lovely Barn House in Blakeney, Norfolk.
Sangeet during her holiday
Sangeet and her husband, both farmers from Essex, have visited Blakeney before, although only briefly.
“We visited Blakeney to see the seal pups recently and went on Bean’s seal trip boat – an awesome experience and Mr Bean and Co. were friendly and informative. But we have never before taken time out to stay there.”
She found The Blakeney Cottage Company through our Facebook page and thanks to her love of the Norfolk coast, entered the competition straight away.
Enjoying the Cottage Décor and Amenities
She initially thought Barn House cottage looked “awesome” upon entering the competition so was thrilled when she won, and had nothing but praise for her stay.
Nautical decor in the living room
“It sleeps 10 at least with a dining room, kitchen, sitting room, sauna and playroom all sympathetically appointed in nautical style. Each bedroom had a bathroom ensuite, the kitchen had every gadget you could possibly wish for, there was a utility area furnished with a washing machine and a downstairs toilet.”
“The beautiful drawing room had comfy sofas, a wood burner, a shelf stacked with books to read for almost every taste and age imaginable plus a plethora of board games for those so inclined.”
“Outside was a delightful split level garden. A dear little stair-case connected the lower paved level of the garden to the grassy top level which had benches in convenient places for enjoying nature, if one so wished.”
Exploring Local Norfolk Towns
The Bird’s spent their holiday exploring local towns such as Holt and Norwich in more depth, having visited previously for a day trip.
“In Holt we have been to some of the small shops that stocked bric-a-brac, hand-made jewellery and antiques. In Norwich we’ve been to the Theatre Royal many years ago. We didn’t this time as most of the shows were sold out already and we were only there for a few days.”
With more time to explore, they discovered what other delights the towns had to offer, including cinemas and walking trails.
“Among other towns close by we motored in to Burnham Market renowned for its quirky and individual shops, and also Holt where to our delight we found many small museums and an Indian restaurant which served up the most divine naans.”
Local shops and cafes in Holt
Beautiful Coastal Views
Sangeet is a keen amateur artist and found the beautiful coastal views very inspiring, taking lots of photos to sketch from later on.
“There were many art shops in Holt that exhibit their own work, which as we strolled along the streets we came across and just popped in. They were great, friendly and welcoming and I’d definitely recommend them.”
“We went to Brancaster Beach this time round and found it more beautiful than we had expected. It was very windy and cold being March, but we still enjoyed our walk along the beach.”
“There is so much to do and see in this area that I could fill up reams of pages recounting the pleasures of this place.”
Supporting Local Food Places
The couple wanted to support local business and quickly found themselves a favourite food sport.
“A two minute walk from our front door was a hotel, The Manor House Hotel, which served food to non-residents and each morning we sallied forth to try their wares. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the food generous and well presented.”
“So filling in fact did we find breakfast that we often skipped lunch and were able to carry out our exploration of the North Norfolk coast uninterrupted by pangs of hunger till late in the evening, when a frugal meal was all we found we required. Not that there was any dearth of delightful hostelries close by had we needed to frequent them.”
Another spot they found was Byford’s in Holt, set in a beautiful Grade 2 listed building, one of the town’s most historic places.
Norfolk Popular All Year Round
Blakeney is especially popular over the summer months with families but off-peak visits are just as enjoyable, as the Bird’s discovered. They stayed at barn Cottage for 4 nights, Monday to Thursday over early spring time.
“We were delighted to discover that an extended stay allowed us to soak in the beauty and tranquillity of both Blakeney and North Norfolk. Much better we felt to go ‘off peak’ and avoid hordes of tourists. The place is so unspoiled, to use a hackneyed term, that crowds would have detracted from its essence.”
Recommending Norfolk & The Blakeney Cottage Company
Sangeet couldn’t recommend Norfolk enough for a holiday destination and the customer service she received was an extra touch that made her holiday special.
“I was spoiled by James and his lovely colleagues at the Blakeney Cottage Company with a welcome pack which included a bottle of Prosecco, 20 red roses and £250.00 in Joules Vouchers which I spent in the Holt branch of Joules. The sweetest most helpful sales assistants made the experience even better. A slice of Heaven.”
“I urge you to go visit and book a cottage through the Blakeney Cottage Company. They have just the cottage you are looking for and they suit every budget. They welcome pets and children and you’ll have an awesome break which will definitely be one for the memory book.”
Book your stay at Barn House cottage today and experience all that Blakeney has to offer.