I have many happy childhood memories of family holidays on the North Norfolk Coast. I was therefore over the moon when holidaycottages.co.uk asked us to review a three night stay in Norfolk.
Holidaycottages.co.uk
We were spoilt with choice on the holidaycottages.co.uk website. With cottages ranging from one to ten guests there is something for everyone. The information on each cottage is clear and includes photographs, a features list and other guest reviews. After much deliberation we opted to stay at The Blue House in Cromer.
Booking the holiday was straightforward. Within a few minutes we received booking confirmation which included local directions to our holiday cottage, arrival details on how to enter the property and further information on what to do. This information included money off vouchers for days out as well as food and drink guides about the surrounding area. Due to work commitments Nana came with Adam and I on holiday and Daddy and Grandad joined us for our last night.
The Blue House, Cromer
The Blue House is situated along the main road in Cromer, a very short walk from the church. It was the perfect location for us. It was a short walk to the shops, a couple minute stroll to the beach and very close to an Indian restaurant. Despite the cottage being in a prime location it was peaceful too.
Although parking is strictly prohibited at the cottage, we were are able to load and unload in the courtyard. We never had an issue finding a parking space within Cromer but we did have to allow additional time to walk to the car whenever we went out.
The cottage is painted blue on the outside and has three floors. It comfortably sleeps four people with three bedrooms. On the ground floor there is an open plan lounge, dining and kitchen area with a small garden courtyard through double patio doors. The kitchen was well equipped with an electric oven and gas hob, washing machine, dishwasher, nespresso coffee machine and a fridge. There is also a separate toilet downstairs with space to hang coats.
The main bathroom is situated on the first floor with a shower over the bath and a toilet. There are two bedrooms on this floor – a single and a double room. On the third floor there is a single bed that can be made into a double along with additional seating area that could be used as an extra living room.
Take a tour of the house with us:
Our Cromer Holiday
We were extremely lucky with the weather. It was warm enough for shorts although there was a strong sea breeze towards the end of our stay. After unpacking and making ourselves at home we went straight to the beach. It literally takes a couple of minutes to get to the beach from the cottage. Adam stripped off and enjoyed his first full paddle of the year. We spent time jumping in the waves, building sandcastles and discovering crabs.
That evening we walked along the seafront, through Happy Valley and up the cliff to Cromer Lighthouse. Adam was in his element riding his motorbike whilst watching the sunset.
Day two we spent at Amazona Zoo which is only a four minute drive away. You can read about our adventures at Amazona Zoo here.
Later that afternoon we revisited Cromer beach, went on yet another long motorbike ride and discovered a small outdoor park where Adam managed to overcome his fear and climb the spider web climbing frame for the first time.
On day three we celebrated my birthday. What a wonderful opportunity to have a birthday whilst on holiday! We started off the day with tea and cake. A couple of minutes walk from the cottage is North Lodge Park. Situated next to the boating lake there is a community cafe called Crepes and Cakes which is run by volunteers. We enjoyed a cup of tea and cake whilst Adam explored the boating lake.
We then decided to take Adam up Cromer Church tower – a climb of 160 feet. We managed to walk up the steep, narrow, spiral stairway which has more than 150 stone steps. The views at the top were spectacular, especially the view of Cromer Pier and the sea. Adam loved trying to find where The Blue House was.
Later that afternoon Daddy and Grandad joined us for the rest of the holiday. By now the wind had picked up so we sheltered under blankets whilst watching Daddy create his latest sandcastle masterpiece.
That evening I realised that despite being in Cromer for several days I hadn’t gone for a walk along Cromer Pier. Adam had a great time driving his motorbike, seeing if anyone had caught any crabs and watching the sunset again. That evening as The Blue House is extremely close to an Indian restaurant we couldn’t resist celebrating my birthday with an Indian takeaway.
Day four was the last day of our holiday. We had to check out of the cottage by 10am and were very sad to leave our wonderful cottage. Whilst Nana and Grandad headed home we took Adam swimming at Splash Leisure and Fitness Centre in Sheringham, a 20 minute drive along the coast. The swimming pool was a great size with a large shallow end. Adam enjoyed the wave machine and is gaining confidence each time we go swimming.
Overall thoughts on our Cromer holiday
Our Cromer holiday came at a perfect time. It gave us an opportunity to spend time as a family, take stock of recent events in our life and celebrate my birthday. The Blue House ticked every box for us. Our cottage was in the perfect location for exploring Cromer, the beach and the surrounding area. As we live in the middle of the countryside it was a novel experience to be able to pop to the shops without a long drive.
The Blue House had everything we needed for a comfortable, relaxing and soothing break away. The cottage was clean throughout and beautifully decorated. We did end up moving the glass coffee table out of the living room to give us more space and to ensure that Adam didn’t crash into it. We all slept peacefully – even Adam which is a rare occurrence.
I loved the small enclosed courtyard. It meant I could sunbathe whilst watching Adam play indoors in the shade.
The house is well equipped for families. Although we never used them there was a TV in most of the rooms and a wide DVD collection. Towels are provided along with a high chair and even a UV tent for the beach.
We would highly recommend both holidaycottages.co.uk for the ease of booking and also a stay at The Blue House. I am so pleased that not only do I have fond childhood memories of holidays on the North Norfolk coast but now Adam does too.
Disclaimer: We were given a three night holiday with holidaycottages.co.uk to review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
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