We LOVE hearing about you, our fabulous and wonderful guests, but we thought we would share some stories about our wonderful owners! Read on to find out the stories about why our owners chose their cottages and why they love them soooooo much!
Ollands Farm Barn
Whilst I’m working on Mary Ann and Kim to give me some words about themselves and their cottage (they are shy!), I can tell you how absolutely amazing they are
This is Kim at Crufts, with her wonderful deerhounds. Here is Kim with Matilda who got Best Puppy in Breed. Oberon got Reserve Best Dog (that’s the male), Cora got 1st in Junior & Desi got 3rd in a huge class of 15!
Eden Hall
Chris told me ”We chose this beautiful old cottage, because it was in such an unloved state and we knew that with the right kind of renovations, we could make the perfect seaside getaway for our families. We loved that we could walk to the beach, have a good secure and enclosed garden and really find out about all the history of the place.
We were fascinated to learn how it used to belong to the old school for children with learning disabilities, how it was used and changed over time, but with our own stamp on it, it now has a new lease of life and again a place to celebrate togetherness whether it’s families or friends. We wanted to release lots of character, so we vaulted ceilings and moved walls to optimise the space.
Bertie is our dog and he’s often accompanied by the other family dog Tilly. They’re Wire-haired Fox Terriers and abundantly cheeky. Bertie, was the original mascot and model for the family brand Plum and Ashby, but he’s since retired from his active corporate duties, choosing mostly to sleep or chase squirrels (to no avail) in his retirement.
Vicky is the founder of Plum and Ashby, and the real designer behind everything in the house and I (hubby Chris, shh don’t tell her I’ve written this….) think she’s done such a fab job we’ve been in multiple magazines and used as the location for many big brands’ photoshoots. Whilst that’s all very nice, it’s foremost a place for our families to get together and enjoy a lovely holiday together having fun and exploring all the wonderful things North Norfolk has to offer.”
Herring House
Sharon, our lovely owner said ”We chose Herring because we loved Winterton had been holidaying there for a few years with our 3 greyhounds. Still have 3 be it that 2 our new ones. Dobbie Charlie and Molly.
Loved the stone walls of Herring and the beautiful living room.
Well you know we are pub owners, I think the fact that we holiday at Herring nearly every month goes to show how much we love it and can also pick up on any issues that may come about.
We have 3 children, 3 grandkids who also love Winterton.”
Saretta
Laura said ”We bought Saretta in 2013 when the kids were both under 5. At the time we had Bryan the bulldog and basil the pug (peek my WhatsApp photo).
Bryan wouldn’t walk far and the distance to the beach was ideal. He would only have a swim (float) with a life jacket, a roll In the sand then go home, rather than a coastal walk!
I also have mobility issues so Saretta was ideal.
Sadly Bryan passed and the kids and teens now. We weren’t sure about renting the place out but it wasn’t being used and hoped other dog friendly families would enjoy it like we did. Plus we’re not bothered about being fully booked, just want the place loved.
Now we have dobby the italian greyhound who isn’t as fond of the beach and basil is a elderly pug.
As a family we are all in education (SEN) an advocate for therapy pets and encourage the teens to train them up.
Apparently, the story behind Saretta is that 2 sisters lived together but fell out. So one built the property at the bottom and they split the land. We also went for Saretta because the 1953 flood didn’t quite reach, it just about made it to “almost” , the property across the road.
But…all that could just be Village folk talk.”
Granby Cottage
Lovely Nicola told me ”Our cottage was a lockdown ‘moment of madness’ but 3 years on it has surpassed by expectations and I’m thrilled with the journey I’ve been on meeting fabulous guests and lots of other people in our crazy little ‘hospitality community’. Originally living in Manchester, now Nottingham I have a network of people in both cities so had always spent lots of time in the Peak District. We knew we wanted to spend more time in this beautiful area and I also knew I wanted a characterful cottage within easy reach of a pub. If you’ve ever been to Granby you will know we have both ‘in abundance’.
We are the proud owners of 2 ‘rejected’ Guide dogs. The process to become a guide dog is very rigorous and doesn’t work out for all of our canine friends. One of our dogs is a bit too ‘skittish’ and the other simply didn’t want to work! We love them though with all their quirks. We are also about to adopt a Cockapoo pup from the RSPCA so will soon be a 3 dog family! Enjoy working with all types of dogs and welcoming them into our cottage – we hope our facilities are comfortable for them and we try to give everyone local hints specific to their needs.
I’m Nicky Tansley. As well as a cottage owner I work for an AI company heading up ‘customer success’ for them. I’m passionate about experience and making sure that people get a stay that is great for them and that they leave the weekend feeling glad they picked our cottage. I also love to holiday – to try new places although my adventures are more local than they would have been in my youth (most dramatic travel experience is getting hit by a volcano – in Guatemala – obviously not the Peak District)!”
Mimi
Some gorgeous photos from Lindsay who owns Mimi of her beautiful dogs!
