Willow Cottage

The fabulous Willow Cottage is a beautiful brick and flint cottage dating back to the 1800’s when it was originally built as a farm workers home by the Townsend family of nearby Raynham Hall. Decorated and furnished by an accomplished interior designer, Willow Cottage is packed with character and is stylish, vintage yet somehow contemporary too… it really is a rather special find! The hamlet of Helhoughton is quiet and peaceful and surrounded by beautiful Norfolk countryside and boasts a historic 14th Century church.

From the parking area one enters the cottage in to the stylish kitchen/dining room. The kitchen area has hand-painted units under and over granite work-surfaces and modern appliances including an under-counter double oven, ceramic hob, Nespresso machine and full size dishwasher. The dining area features a rustic styled cross-legged dining table with a bench and two bistro chairs. There is also an electrical ‘log burner’ set in the small inglenook which would have once housed the old cast iron cottage stove.

The cottage boasts numerous original features throughout including the antique pine doors and Norfolk pamment tiled flooring which runs across the ground floor. The cosy sitting room is beautifully styled and has two large comfortable sofas set around an exposed brick fireplace which houses a fabulous Morsø wood burning stove (a basket of logs is provided on arrival).

The gorgeous interior design continues upstairs where there are two good sized bedrooms one with a king sized bed and one with twins. The modern bathroom has a shower above the good sized bath tub.

Outside in the enclosed, south facing garden there is a lovely patio area, a good sized laid to lawn and a summerhouse. The addition of an exterior garden/games room with a pool table and Everhot enamel stove adds yet another special touch to this lovely holiday cottage. There is also a small out house which is used as a ‘utility’ space, containing the washing machine and tumble drier.

If you can bear to tear yourself away from this gorgeous retreat, you will find much to see and do within the local area. For coast lovers, a short drive will take you to the many beautiful beaches of North Norfolk: Wells-next-the-sea with its wide sandy beach and much photographed painted beach huts, famous quay and narrow gauge railway; nature rich Holkham with its vast expanse of white sand, backed by dunes and pinewoods and the traditional seaside resorts of Hunstanton, Sheringham and Cromer.

Nature lovers will find Sculthorpe Moor Nature Reserve and Pensthorpe Nature Reserve close by and Cley Marshes and RSPB Titchwell Marshes in easy reach too. A little further afield you can be at the gateway to the beautiful Norfolk Broads in just 50 minutes where you can join a tour or even charter your own day launch boat.

For a spot of culture why not visit the beautiful estates of Holkham, Sandringham, Houghton and Blickling, the Thursford and Muckleburgh Collections, or one of the numerous other small, local museums all within a short drive.

After all of the activities on offer you will no doubt have worked up a healthy appetite! A huge selection of great, seasonal local produce from both land and sea can be found in the numerous local farm shops, independent fishmongers, butchers and green grocers to cook or barbecue back at the cottage. There are also some superb places to eat out nearby including three Michelin Starred restaurants, The Neptune, Morston Hall and Meadowsweet and countless fabulous gastro-pubs – booking in advance is reccomended.

There really is a great deal to love about this stunning property. Its peaceful rural location makes for lovely relaxing getaways yet it is just a short drive to the coast and other nearby attractions. It’s stylish, professionally designed interiors are both light and bright in summer and comfy and cosy in winter making this cottage the perfect choice for discerning guests seeking a relaxing hideaway, whatever the time of year.