Vogue.com | A Guide to Norfolk, Will and Kate’s Idyllic Hometown
With its rolling countrysides, epic beaches, and charming small towns, England’s eastern coastal county of Norfolk is quickly becoming a popular summertime escape for trendy Brits and travelers, thanks in part to its famous royal residents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka, Prince William and Kate Middleton). This mostly rural, agricultural county boasts all the peace and privacy of a pastoral idyll, and with its easy access from London via train (under two hours from London King Cross station to King’s Lynn), it’s no wonder so many Londoners have made it their weekend getaway of choice.
The jewelry designer Monica Vinader, whose fanbase includes Middleton, moved to the region 15 years ago with her husband and family. “I fell in love with the lifestyle and beautiful surroundings,” she says. “It has certainly gotten busier since we moved there. The food scene has captured a lot of attention with more hot restaurants opening up,” she adds. Indeed, between the local market produce, thriving specialty food shops, and booming restaurant scene, Norfolk is a bona fide gastronome’s haven.
And there’s more: transporting beaches, astounding art, and gorgeously landscaped gardens, all—as the saying goes—fit for a king. Or in this case, a future one.
Amber’s Bell Tent Camping
What started out four years ago as a two-tent operation has since grown into a posh collection of 16 fully furnished bell tents settled on two north Norfolk estates: Mannington Hall in Norwich, and Wiveton Hall in Holt. And thanks to owner Amber Wykes—who supplies each one with double beds and lighting, wood-burning stoves, outdoor fire pits, access to toilets/showers, and all the necessary items for cooking up a proper meal—the term “roughing it” doesn’t apply here. While guests glamping it up at Wiveton Hall can look forward to the property’s popular, award-winning café and farm shop and summer berry-picking, Mannington Hall is home to the Greedy Goose, a charming tea room that delivers picnic baskets of decadent treats and cooked-to-order meals straight to one’s tent. Other amenities, such as bicycle rentals, in-tent massage therapy, and saunas, rival those of any conventional hotel, but the fresh air and open, star-filled skies can’t be beat.
Cinematic Beaches
Norfolk’s sprawl of unspoiled beaches are some of England’s best and most picturesque—even Hollywood-caliber in the case of Holkham Beach, where the closing scenes of Shakespeare in Love were filmed. Nearby, Brancaster Beach stretches on for miles, making it a plum spot for extended strolls and uncrowded picnicking. To feel even more transported out of time and place, look out during low tide, when points of the S.S. Vina, a shipwrecked World War II vessel, actually become visible.
The Gunton Arms
“This is a great place to go relax in beautiful surroundings, eat locally sourced food, and get a great night’s sleep. It also holds a particular significance for me, as it’s where my husband and I stayed the night of our wedding,” says Vinader. Located on a 1,000-acre deer park (which, yes, supplies the venison on the locavore-inspired menu), the Gunton Arms is primarily a pub but with 12 bedrooms for anyone who wants to make a night or two of their visit. Its owner, the renowned art dealer Ivor Braka, purchased the building in 2009 and reopened it two years later with guest rooms renovated by designer Robert Kime, and contemporary artworks by artists such as Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Lucian Freud, and Paula Rego scattered throughout the pub’s cozy but polished, quintessentially British-feeling common areas. Chef Stuart Tattersall’s award-winning menu showcasing seasonal ingredients has a similar feel: impeccably rendered, upscale takes on pub classics.
Burnham Market
The commercial heart of this quaint English village, where Middleton has been known to shop, is perfect for a morning or afternoon of exploring on foot—all the better for working up an appetite as there’s no shortage of food options. Some standouts well worth a visit include nouveau-British cuisine at the Hoste, a popular eatery situated inside a petite boutique hotel; Burnham Market Stores, an emporium of specialty foods; and Gurneys Fish Shop, a favorite of Vinader’s for its selection of freshly caught seafood, smoked fish, and prepared items like seafood chowder and roast salmon pâté.
MOST SHARED
1
Tennis Superstar Ana Ivanovic’s French Open Photo Diary
2
Jessica Chastain Marries in Italy
3
On Set with Vogue - Hugh Jackman, Josh Groban, Ben Platt, Idina Menzel, and More on Their Most Embarrassing Musical Auditions
LIVING > TRAVEL
A Guide to Norfolk, Will and Kate’s Idyllic Hometown
JUNE 7, 2017 2:41 PM
by LAURA NEILSON
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge walking with their children in Norfolk, England.
Photo: Getty Images
With its rolling countrysides, epic beaches, and charming small towns, England’s eastern coastal county of Norfolk is quickly becoming a popular summertime escape for trendy Brits and travelers, thanks in part to its famous royal residents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka, Prince William and Kate Middleton). This mostly rural, agricultural county boasts all the peace and privacy of a pastoral idyll, and with its easy access from London via train (under two hours from London King Cross station to King’s Lynn), it’s no wonder so many Londoners have made it their weekend getaway of choice.
The jewelry designer Monica Vinader, whose fanbase includes Middleton, moved to the region 15 years ago with her husband and family. “I fell in love with the lifestyle and beautiful surroundings,” she says. “It has certainly gotten busier since we moved there. The food scene has captured a lot of attention with more hot restaurants opening up,” she adds. Indeed, between the local market produce, thriving specialty food shops, and booming restaurant scene, Norfolk is a bona fide gastronome’s haven.
And there’s more: transporting beaches, astounding art, and gorgeously landscaped gardens, all—as the saying goes—fit for a king. Or in this case, a future one.
Amber’s Bell Tent Camping
What started out four years ago as a two-tent operation has since grown into a posh collection of 16 fully furnished bell tents settled on two north Norfolk estates: Mannington Hall in Norwich, and Wiveton Hall in Holt. And thanks to owner Amber Wykes—who supplies each one with double beds and lighting, wood-burning stoves, outdoor fire pits, access to toilets/showers, and all the necessary items for cooking up a proper meal—the term “roughing it” doesn’t apply here. While guests glamping it up at Wiveton Hall can look forward to the property’s popular, award-winning café and farm shop and summer berry-picking, Mannington Hall is home to the Greedy Goose, a charming tea room that delivers picnic baskets of decadent treats and cooked-to-order meals straight to one’s tent. Other amenities, such as bicycle rentals, in-tent massage therapy, and saunas, rival those of any conventional hotel, but the fresh air and open, star-filled skies can’t be beat.
Cinematic Beaches
Norfolk’s sprawl of unspoiled beaches are some of England’s best and most picturesque—even Hollywood-caliber in the case of Holkham Beach, where the closing scenes of Shakespeare in Love were filmed. Nearby, Brancaster Beach stretches on for miles, making it a plum spot for extended strolls and uncrowded picnicking. To feel even more transported out of time and place, look out during low tide, when points of the S.S. Vina, a shipwrecked World War II vessel, actually become visible.
The Gunton Arms
“This is a great place to go relax in beautiful surroundings, eat locally sourced food, and get a great night’s sleep. It also holds a particular significance for me, as it’s where my husband and I stayed the night of our wedding,” says Vinader. Located on a 1,000-acre deer park (which, yes, supplies the venison on the locavore-inspired menu), the Gunton Arms is primarily a pub but with 12 bedrooms for anyone who wants to make a night or two of their visit. Its owner, the renowned art dealer Ivor Braka, purchased the building in 2009 and reopened it two years later with guest rooms renovated by designer Robert Kime, and contemporary artworks by artists such as Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Lucian Freud, and Paula Rego scattered throughout the pub’s cozy but polished, quintessentially British-feeling common areas. Chef Stuart Tattersall’s award-winning menu showcasing seasonal ingredients has a similar feel: impeccably rendered, upscale takes on pub classics.
Burnham Market
The commercial heart of this quaint English village, where Middleton has been known to shop, is perfect for a morning or afternoon of exploring on foot—all the better for working up an appetite as there’s no shortage of food options. Some standouts well worth a visit include nouveau-British cuisine at the Hoste, a popular eatery situated inside a petite boutique hotel; Burnham Market Stores, an emporium of specialty foods; and Gurneys Fish Shop, a favorite of Vinader’s for its selection of freshly caught seafood, smoked fish, and prepared items like seafood chowder and roast salmon pâté.
Congham Hall
This centuries-old Georgian manor has been operating as a hotel in some form since the 1980s, but there’s nothing old-fashioned feeling about Congham Hall’s current iteration, where you’ll find one of Norfolk’s most sleek and luxurious spas. Taking inspiration from the estate’s magnificent flower and herb gardens—which, in addition to a vegetable garden supply the hotel’s kitchen and guest rooms with fresh-picked ingredients—the aptly named Secret Garden Spa incorporates soothing botanicals into its roster of treatments, including a signature Rosemary Melt massage. Factor in the rainforest showers, an outdoor hot tub, saunas, a steam room, and a 12-meter swimming pool overlooking the property, and you may never want to leave the building, but then there are also all those luscious, fragrant gardens to lose oneself in, too.
Old Town Hall House and Supper Club
Solo travelers may especially enjoy the charms of this Cley Next The Sea guesthouse. Since 2014, ex-Londoners Jennie Walker and her husband, chef James Walker, an alum of several Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and London, have operated their stylish four-bedroom bed-and-breakfast, noted for its communal dining experiences. While non-guests are just as welcome to dine at Old Town Hall House’s on-site restaurant, Walker’s eight-seat Friday night supper club—for which guests receive priority booking—is the hot ticket in town. The evening starts in the sitting room, with drinks and nibbles such as spicy Gordal olives stuffed with orange and oregano and paprika-dusted nuts. Afterward, diners reconvene at a single table for a seasonal, three-course meal that changes on the regular.
Houghton Hall
The staggering, 18th-century manor, originally home to Great Britain’s first prime minister, is reason alone to visit this estate, now the residence of David George Philip Cholmondeley (the seventh Marquess of Cholmondeley) and his wife, Rose Hanbury (the Marchioness of Cholmondeley), but Houghton Hall’s growing contemporary art and sculpture collection makes it one of the area’s biggest draws. For a proper mix of art and architecture, works by 21st-century artists such as James Turrell, Anya Gallaccio, and Stephen Cox are scattered throughout the 4,000-acre property and gardens. And currently ongoing through October, the Turner Prize–winning sculptor and conceptual land artist Richard Long has staged his largest show since his 2009 Tate retrospective, featuring seven site-specific pieces.
Morston Hall hotel and restaurant
Morston Hall oozes with all the charm and appeal of a traditional English country house, but one that’s enhanced by the accommodations of a modern-day luxury boutique hotel. The 17th-century Jacobean building features an extended conservatory, great for a sunny breakfast or lunch indoors. And should you want a little extra privacy, there are six additional suites located across the garden. At the hotel’s namesake restaurant, the only Michelin-starred eatery in the region, chef Galton Blackiston has elevated the menu far beyond the humble dumplings that traditional Norfolk cuisine was typically known for. Diners flock from far and wide to eat here, so it’s best to make reservations well in advance.
