Barnham Broom, Norfolk, England

Discover Norfolk

Set in 250 acres of some of Norfolk’s finest countryside, in the beautiful River Yare valley, Barnham Broom Golf and Country Club overlooks the fairways of two championship 18-hole golf courses. It offers self-contained lodge apartments and a wide range of leisure facilities, including tennis and squash courts, an indoor swimming pool, steam room, spa and restaurants.

Immortalised through the paintings of John Constable, neighbouring Suffolk has its own particular appeal. The wider East Anglia region boasts numerous fascinating historical sites, ranging from Colchester’s Bronze Age hill forts and incredible Roman remains to the half-timbered Elizabethan villages, cathedral and castle in Norwich.

Norfolk has so much to offer couples and families. If the 100 miles of coastline doesn’t tempt you, then maybe the nature reserves bursting with wildlife will. Of course, there’s also the famous Broads, historic towns and villages, incredible stately homes and pretty windmills, too. It’s a fantastic place to visit all year round.

Discover the varied coastline

Every beach and seaside resort in Norfolk is different from the last, so it’s worth visiting as many as you can. Holkham is known as the best beach in the region, thanks to its four-miles of golden sand. The kids will love running around and creating sandcastles here.

Cromer, on the other hand, puts on some amazing seaside shows, which take place in a pavilion on the end of the stunning Victorian pier. Not much can beat the famous ‘Golden Mile’ in Great Yarmouth, though, which boasts a wide range of attractions, arcades and rides.

We also recommend visiting Hunstanton in the late afternoon. You’ll want to see the beautiful striped cliffs in the daylight, and then stick around for the gorgeous sunsets in the evening.

Have fun outside with the family

Your little ones will never be bored in Norfolk, as there are so many outdoor attractions to keep them busy! BeWILDerwood is an award-winning adventure park where kids can take part in marsh walks and boat trips, explore treehouses and zoom down zip wires. Alternatively, High Lodge in Thetford Forest, is a wonderful place to go for a gentle stroll or cycle, as well as enjoy a barbeque or picnic.

If your little ones are fascinated by animals, Banham Zoo, which is set in 35 acres of landscaped gardens, has some 2,000 birds, reptiles, fish, bugs and mammals. There’s also Pensthorpe Natural Park – 700 acres of conservation areas, where British wildlife is in abundance.

Explore stunning stately homes

History-buffs will be happy to know there are plenty of stately homes in Norfolk. Sandringham is one of the most beautiful – its gardens alone are worth the visit. It may be a royal residence, but Sandringham feels somewhat informal and friendly. The museum houses a variety of interesting collections, from royal vehicles to old photographs.

Oxburgh Hall is another interesting home – this manor house has its own moat! If you have time, you should also visit Castle Acre, a complete Norman settlement, with a village, castle earthworks and Cluniac priory.

Boat down the Norfolk Broads

More than 200km of the Norfolk Broads (a succession of rivers and lakes) can be navigated by boat, so why not hire one? If you’re interested in enjoying a day out on the Broads, head to Horning, Potter Heigham or Wroxham to get yourself a boat. Prefer to stay on dry land? Then we recommend walking or cycling one of the many routes that run alongside them.

See Norwich’s medieval past

Norwich has more than 1,500 historic buildings, many of which are situated on the longest medieval street in Europe. You might not get a chance to see them all, but make sure you don’t miss the Cathedral – it has the second-tallest spire in the country! The Norman-built Norwich Castle should be visited too, which is now an art gallery and museum.

The city has some fantastic modern buildings as well, with The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts one of the most striking. All of the permanent collections are free to see.

Shops and restaurants

The Barnham Broom Hotel has a restaurant, ‘Brasserie at Barnham Broom’, with table d’hôte menus. Its lively Sports Bar screens all Sky Sports channels, and serves sandwiches, snacks and speciality-of-the-day meals in a more informal setting.

On-site amenities

The small clubhouse has a free DVD library and doubles as an information room. Holidaymakers staying in the lodges can enjoy golf on both of the 18-hole courses with no green fees*.

There are six acres of practice ground, plus practice holes. Golfing tuition is available for beginners, but only reasonably competent golfers are encouraged to use the championship courses.

Other free facilities include:

• a heated indoor swimming pool with spa bath and ‘jetstream’
• a Finnish pine sauna
• steam room
• three all-weather tennis courts
• squash courts
• a fully equipped gymnasium

The recently opened spa has been a huge hit with visitors, who enjoy a 15 per cent discount on production of their Barnham Broom membership card (which is issued on arrival).

Trout and coarse fishing, watersports, sailing, indoor and outdoor karting and horse riding are all available either locally or within reasonable driving distance.

*Holidaymakers in the 12 apartments in Carleton Lodge do not enjoy the concession of free golf but are able to use these facilities by paying a daily or weekly charge.

Please note: barbecues are not permitted on site

Thirty-nine lodge apartments in the heart of Norfolk, overlooking not one, but two Championship-standard golf courses. Heaven for lovers of “a good walk, spoiled”, for sure; but thanks to an abundance of on-site facilities, heaven for non-golfers too. A health and fitness centre, tennis courts, squash courts, a spa… if it’s health and fitness you’re after, you name it – and Barnham Broom’s got it.

But if you want to undo all that good work there’s plenty of opportunity to do so! The on-site Sports Bar is a great place for you and yours to rehash the day’s drives, chips and putts over a cold drink or two; while the Brasserie restaurant offers the full à-la-carte experience.

Never mind: you can work it all off again tomorrow!

Properties in Barnham Broom

Things to do in Norfolk

Barnham Broom Golf and Country Club is set in 250 acres on Norfolk’s finest countryside, in the River Yare valley.

The cathedral city of Norwich – the county’s capital – is roughly seven miles away; the coast (to north and east) is easily reached; and the Brecks (a naturalist’s paradise) are but a stone’s throw away.

The Norfolk Broads, too, have much to offer the bird watcher; plus plenty of opportunities to take to the water in three seasons out of four.

Norfolk is rich in places of historical and cultural interest, as well as markets, craft barns and fairs, beaches, wildlife reserves and pubs. Its countryside is a rich tapestry of towns and villages, almost all with something interesting or unusual to make a visit worthwhile.

Food lovers are increasingly being attracted to the county’s certified farmers’ markets, which offer delicious wholesome local produce and are all within easy reach of Barnham Broom.

Invitation to View offers visits to 49 houses and gardens throughout Norfolk and more widely in East Anglia. Its innovative approach helps single visitors to form groups to visit genuine family homes of historic or architectural interest by appointment.

Walks around Barnham Broom

Whilst Norfolk can never be regarded as a prime walking area to rival the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales, there are good countryside rambles to be found, using a generally well-maintained network of footpaths in association with quiet minor roads. This applies to the area around Barnham Broom and at least equally strongly to some of those parts of Norfolk likely to be visited by bondholders and others staying at the property.

This pack of fifteen walks is based on our usual practice of including routes which can reasonably be walked direct from the property, combined with others, more distant, which are situated in areas of visitor interest, a walk being a likely part of a day excursion. For this reason, coupled with the comparative lack of diversity in the landscape, none of the walks is likely to occupy more than a half day.

Two routes (nos 1 and 2) start and finish at HPB, Barnham Broom, others are at nearby towns and villages such as Wymondham, Mattishall, Ringland and Hingham. The Norfolk Broads National Park, with its unique landscape and riverside footpaths, is readily accessible, whilst along the north coast, Wells next the Sea, Blakeney and Cley next the Sea are just some of the attractive places which make the journey worthwhile. Appropriate walks are recommended.

As there are virtually no hills, the actual walking is generally easy, a few stiles and some mud being the only likely difficulties. Norfolk County Council appears to make considerable efforts to promote walking as a leisure activity, both with the provision of website information and with practical measures such as way marking of footpaths. As always, the choice of footwear is important. Whilst most of the walks in the pack can be achieved in good trainers or walking shoes, only walking boots are likely to guarantee comfort and dry feet in all weather conditions.

Whilst the route directions and sketch plans should be entirely adequate of avoid losing the way, the possession of Ordnance Survey maps, particularly the 1:25,000 Explorer series, undoubtedly adds to the understanding of the landscape.

The preamble of each walk gives a brief introduction to the area, the distance, ascent, refreshment opportunities and appropriate map.