Our gorgeous and wonderful guests have written about their holidays at various cottages recently, and we have gained their kind permission to share their experiences with you. Have a read through of what they got up to, and how they enjoyed their Pack Holiday
Saretta in Sea Palling (October 2024)
Hello, all holiday-loving dogs!
My name is Geordie. I’m a greyhound, aged eight, ex-racer and now enjoying retirement.
Let me tell you about the amazing time my humans and I had at Saretta in Norfolk. If you can get your humans to let you take them, you all have a treat in store!
Best parts about our holiday:
The gardens at Saretta are amazing! You can explore all over the place and there are fences that keep you safe and secure both to the front and back. There is lots of grass to run around on, lots of fantastic smells, and lovely areas for humans to sit as well.
The people who own Saretta really understand what a dog needs to have a great time. You are allowed on the sofas!! They even provide lovely soft throws for you to use. And dog beds if you want to be on the floor. And dog bowls on a stand. And, if you are a bit unsteady on your legs on hard floors, Gail even brings runners for you. Not that the floors are very slippery anyway – it’s mainly carpets and tiles.
They provide a super welcome pack with amazing cookies for the humans (none of which they shared with me – typical!) and posh treats for me (don’t worry – I didn’t share them either)
The beach! O wow! It is 5 minutes’ walk away and it is huge and sandy. What’s more, the week that we were there was very quiet, so I had it nearly all to myself! There are wonderful sunsets.
The other beaches! As if Sea Palling Beach were not enough, there are lots of other amazing beaches up and down the coast to explore – all easily accessible both for me and my not-so-young-as-they-once-were humans.
The places to eat. There are some lovely cafés, pubs and beach hangouts – many of which are very dog-friendly and welcoming. For example, try the Dunes Cafe at Waxham Barn, just a 5 minute drive in the car (you can even walk there, depending how lazy you feel) and very near to another lovely stretch of beach. Or The Greyhound at Hickling (another great place – lives up to its name!)
Ice-cream! I thoroughly approve of the increasing number of places where you can get dog ice-cream. In one of the attached pictures you will see me sampling some at Horsey Mill, which, incidentally, is another very pretty and dog-friendly place to visit, and very close to Saretta. My only issue with dog ice-cream is that it is always the same flavour (strawberry and banana). I am thinking of writing to Heston Blumenthal and ask if he can invent a liver flavoured one.
So these were some of my favourite bits, but I’m sure that you will discover your own best holiday moments. Whatever you do, have a wonderful time, and give Saretta a woof and a wag from me (I don’t do licks – so undignified)
Geordie xx
Heath Cottage (October 2024)
This is the second time I’ve used Pack Holidays, cannot recommend them highly enough. Excellent communication and great properties.
This time we stayed at Heath cottage, excellent accommodation that was very comfortable with all the home comforts.
We had a fabulous few days and hired a boat on the Broads which was excellent fun.
The beaches nearby are superb and were lucky to experience the seals on the beach.
Fabulous break. Thank you
Crumble Cottage in Wales (September 2024)
What a fantastic find Crumble Cottage has turned out to be. Cosy, clean and very well equipped.
The dogs loved the large, secure garden and the dog washing room, complete with bath and towels ,is the absolute icing on the cake after a day’s walking in muddy woods, or sandy beaches. Plenty of both close by! Our favourite walk was Ynyslas.
Collen and Griz are superb hosts for whom nothing is too much trouble, and even though they live on site, our privacy was never compromised.
Siobhán and David, with Kevin, Norman, Audrey & Colin ( the four collies) say thank you to Colleen and Griz.
We will be back in Spring 2025
Neaps in Hickling (September 2024)
Neaps Cottage in Hickling was the perfect escape for us all. The cottage was instantly a hit with little Boogie, who could finally relax on his holiday safe in the knowledge that he could snooze on the sofa, sleep on the bed and run around the garden without any restrictions. The woodturner was perfect for cosy days in, and the dog blankets, towels and bowls provided made him part of the gang, rather than an ‘extra’ with strict rules and regulations as to where and what he couldn’t do.
This meant that we could all fully relax and enjoy our time away. We explored the nearby beaches (Cart Gap being a favourite), played ball in the secure garden – but honestly think Boogie would have been happy sitting and watching the squirrels in the garden all day. We loved our first Pack Holiday, and couldn’t recommend it more highly, from our initial booking right to the last day of our stay.
Gail was on hand to answer all our queries, and the welcome pack with recommendations of secure dog fields, dog friendly beaches and their reactivity paw rating system just makes you feel super supported and understood as a dog family.
Thanks once again, we loved it!
Oak Cottage in Happisburgh (September 2024)
We have been visiting Norfolk with our dogs and children for around ten years. When our children were younger we tended to go for New Year which is a really lovely time to be in Norfolk. In more recent years, now that our four dogs are elderly and our children are young adults, we have been visiting in the summer rather than jetting off abroad and putting the dogs in kennels.
This year was our third visit to Oak Cottage in Happisburgh. We booked for early September, just after the schools had gone back. We were accompanied by my eldest’s boyfriend too so that meant we were five adults and four dogs. The set up at Oak Cottage is perfect for us. My husband and I use the downstairs bedroom and the dogs who usually sleep in our room or on the landing at home, tend to sleep in the living room. We leave our bedroom door open so that they still feel that they are with us and we can keep an eye on them. This year, the owners have added movement sensing night lights throughout the house and these worked brilliantly for us as we could tell if the oldies (dogs that is) were moving about and may want to be let out for a wee in the night. We also love the dining room/sun room which is a lovely sunny spot for the dogs to relax.
This left the whole of the upstairs for my daughters and the boyfriend. This year we found the soft stair gate at the bottom of the wooden stairs was no longer there, so we improvised by using the fire guard. Dogs are, of course, allowed upstairs but I didn’t want my oldies trying the stairs. It also meant I didn’t have to worry about what they ‘kids’ might have left lying around in their rooms.
On previous visits we have tended to chill out at the house, using the lovely garden for the dogs to run around in (or mooch) and visit the local beaches, cafes, and of course Bacton Woods. Our favourite beaches near Oak Cottage on previous visits have been Happisburgh and Cart Gap, which are the closest, and also the gorgeous Waxham beach. Waxham beach is allegedly a local secret but judging by the amount of cars that squeeze in to park on the little road round the back of Waxham barn on a sunny day, not so secret now days.
Our dogs are now getting older though and this year we chose to actually do less with the dogs and more as a family (albeit not necessarily all of us at the same time). Of course we still HAD to visit our favourite beaches and Bacton Woods, we also added in some activities and places that were new to us along with some additions that we have done before and wanted to repeat.
We arrived on the Friday afternoon and after unpacking it was time to get fish and chips for tea. We went to Kingfisher Fish Bar at Walcott on this occasion, especially as we could pre order online and then collect. It also made for a quick trip to Walcott beach for those that went to collect the food. Be aware that takeaways in Norfolk tend to close quite early in the evenings so don’t leave it too late!
So, first off, on the Saturday morning, some of our party travelled to Sheringham to be Parkrun tourists and run off a bit of the previous night’s huge chippy tea. If you are new to Parkrun, please check out their website, read up on the whys and wherefores and get yourself a bar code before attending. They are free timed 5k runs (or walks) that start at 9am on a Saturday in lots of locations. Local to Happisburgh, there is also Blickling Hall Parkrun that my husband did last year.
Something we did repeat was a trip to Mundesley. Must dos there are the beach (only partly dog friendly), Adventure Island Crazy Golf (opening subject to weather conditions and they do tend to close up quite early) and the ice cream parlour (yum).
We have always said we ought to go up Happisburgh Lighthouse. Friends of Happisburgh Lighthouse open it for tours on Sundays throughout the summer (please check their website for details). This year we were lucky to find they had extended this into early September so I booked onto a tour before we had even set off to Norfolk. Please be aware, this is not for anyone that has any issue with heights or, or course has vertigo, balance issues or mobility issues. One of our party took one look at the stairs and said nope, I made it to the first window, made the mistake of looking down and had to give up. Three of the party did make it to the top though and went up the tiny narrow steps to the light and saw the view from the top. I am told it is even worse on the way down so although I was disappointed not to see the view from the top, I think I made the right decision. There’s also a lovely playpark at Happisburgh Beach car park and a visit to the ice cream van was obligatory.
Last year we visited East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, which does not allow dogs. We loved it but decided not to go again. Coincidentally, it was featured on Gardener’s World on our first night in the cottage so I felt we had sort of seen it again anyway!
Here’s some of the other things we did and would recommend:
A first time for us, was Horsey Windpump (sadly could not go up it due to high winds the day we visited). Check their website (National Trust) for opening and the days they do tours. It was a lovely place for a walk and a quick cafe visit. Fascinating to see the wind pump too. We then went to Horsey Beach and saw SO many seals basking on the beach. It was early evening so not sure whether that helped. After that we then called in to Waxham beach where we had the whole beach to ourselves (and some of us decided to go in the sea).
Bacton Woods was our next trip out. We like to basically follow the blue route and after years of doing this we can just about do this without taking a wrong turn. Please be aware, if you have reactive dogs, it is possible (but not easy) to avoid other people and dogs but the car park can be a bit crazy on a nice day. It is possible to park on the road in places and go in from a different point but it helps if you know your way around.
The North Norfolk Railway can be seen from Sheringham Parkrun and my husband fancied a trip on this. Sadly, he was out voted so this is one for next year. Instead, we organised a trip on the Bure Valley Railway from Aylsham to Wroxham. This can be done as a return trip but to allow more time to explore Wroxham (which we usually drive through without stopping) I drove everyone to Aylsham where they got the little steam train to Wroxham where I picked them up later after they had explored Roys’ empire (if you have been to Wroxham you will know what I mean) and had a nice lunch in the King’s Head. I am told it was a nice trip but not particularly scenic. I think the walking and cycling routes along the line would be worth exploring though. I think Pack Holidays Gail knows a circular walk.
Another repeat trip was a walk to The Star Inn at Lessingham. In fact, we went a few times. Check their Facebook page for opening days and hours as they do change depending on the season. Last year we had a lovely meal there but this year we stuck to drinks in the garden. The garden is very dog friendly with plenty of space between the tables and most people tend to be visitors. The inside is quite tight and the bar area is dog friendly but there were groups of dogs with locals and not a lot of space so something to be aware of. You can eat with dogs in the bar area but not the small restaurant area.
My eldest daughter and her boyfriend drove into Norwich for an evening out. They found parking to be straightforward in the city although park and ride is also an option. They had a lovely meal out at a restaurant called Prime and enjoyed cocktails (and mocktails) there too.
Last but not least was a return trip to Stalham to The Museum of the Broads where we have booked onto one of their 50 minute boat trips which explore the broad and river there. Highly recommended with friendly driver and guide who give you a little talk about the history and the wildlife of the broads. We even saw a kingfisher!
On our last evening, we made one more trip to Cart Gap beach where there was only one other person and dog there. When we left we let the dogs have a run before saying goodbye to Norfolk (for now). I had made a list of things I wanted to do that we hadn’t done before but we still didn’t manage them all so it’s a good job we’ve booked for next year!
Heron Cottage (Sept 2024)
We are just back from a lovely 11 days stay at Heron Cottage at Ingram.
The cottage is very well positioned for visiting various places.
It was our 5th visit to Norfolk and our 4th stay in a Pack Holidays cottage, they are always so welcome and Gail is always at the end of the phone our an email if you have any problems.
If it is your first visit to Norfolk I would advise bringing an old fashioned map as there are lots off small lanes your sat nav will try to send you down when it is probably best to stick to the main roads.
Norfolk is very dog friendly and they are welcome in lots of places. As we have 3 large dogs we tend to walk them first and then leave them in the car so we can walk around easily. We have an estate car and it is something they have always been use to, we have a device called a vent lock which fits in the rear door and the lock which mean we can leave the back partway open(they are behind a fixed tailgate guard) as well as the windows partly down so they stay cool.
Another great advantage off Norfolk is its pretty flat which is a help as my husband has breathing difficulties.
Over our visits we have found some lovely walks, Bacton woods and Pretty woods(although this one has a hill) are good as well Pixie woods.
The Weavers way is excellent with some sections much quite than others, we recommend Fremington Station lovely walk both ways as is the same for East Ruston, also Honing Station walking towards Honing lock is another lovely section, if you walk down the water from the lock the path then goes into fields and this is a nice place for the dogs to get into the water, you can also carry on that way and do a circular walk but it us quite long.
Our dogs all love the water do the beach is a great place to walk. Twice I set off from Bacton car park and walked along the beach to Mundesley and met my husband there as he drove, the walk takes about an hour.
We have also been on the beach at Cromer, Wells next to the Sea with its lovely beach huts on stilts(although the sea does go out a really long way there so you may not see it) Sea Pauling and Hemsby although the last two can be very busy at weekends and during the school holidays. It is such a shame to see the amount of coastal erosion that has happened over the last 4 years at Hemsby.
Cromer is a lovely place to walk round I can recommend parking at the back of the Co op which you can for 2 hours and you can often find a shady spot there. You can watch the peregrine who nest on the church in the centre of the town and I can highly recommend the Dudley Bakery which is on the road that runs along the back of the church, it is a traditional bakery who make a variety of fresh rolls while you wait as well as selling homemade pies and cakes and you should really try the Norfolk shortbread.
On the prom there is a fish stall makes king prawn lingerie which I’m told is good. There is also someone who sells crab from the front of his cottage(by the arcades) plus another fish mongers and a sweet shop full of jars of everything you could possibly want.
Sheringham is also lovely, we park right in the middle again behind Sainsbury’s. The butchers does bags of bones for your dogs free in a bucket outside his shop but we were unlucky when we went as they had already gone. The theatre has a nice cafe attached which is good value.
We ate out a few times, we tend to go for cafes rather than pubs, we had a nice breakfast at Sea Palling, lunch at North Walsham Garden centre and the Hirst farm shop, we have also eaten at Potters Higham and Smallsticks before but did not make it there this time. We stopped off at Dunns cafe at Acle as we got up earlier than we thought and had a nice walk along the river and coffee and cake before we went to the cottage.
Had the best coffee all holiday at Watsons at Bacton and a nice lunch. Good fish and chips from Caister, but to be honest it’s good anyway. The lifeboat museum there is worth a visit too.
Herring House (August 2024) by gorgeous Cooper!
I had the best time on my first holiday. I have only been with my new and first family for six months and they brought me and my new fur brother Charlie to a new house. I was very worried at first, new smells, new sounds. But mum found a yummy pack of treats for us to try and that helped a lot. I was also allowed to sit next them on the couch on our own special blankets too.
Mum and Dad took us for a walk across these big hills she called dunes, then we saw a giant dog that someone was riding on. Mum said the dog was called a horse! I have never seen one before but my brother barked hello at them. Over the big hills was the biggest swimming pool I had ever seen! The ground was very squishy under my paws. The pool kept chasing me up the squishy squashy floor. Mum and Dad, Brother , Sister and fur brother all started running! I couldn’t contain my excitement! This was fun! Wind in my ears, jumping and digging in the squishy floor and rolling around with my brother. I didn’t feel so worried anymore. We brought our own house along so fur brother and I could rest in the shade. Hooman Mum, brother and sister disappeared for a while…I was worried but then they came back licking big milk on waffle treats. Mum says she has bought me an ‘ice cream’ too…she opened a tub of the same milk treat and ooohhh yum, lick lick lick…it was super tasty and cool.
The next day we went to a big windmill called Horsey(yes like they giant dog) windpump. We stopped in a cafe and hooman family had yummy ice coffee and cake and me and fur brother got to catch some snoozes in the shade. Mum brought some of those yummy treats for us too.
Our last day we visited a cafe called Poppyland. It had all old things in it from the war and we got more tasty ice cream while hoomans had milkshakes and scones. We also visited a spooky old church ruin which has a witches leg in it! I decided to have a tinkle on the leg just to make sure no witches came out to scare me 🤭
In the evening we all went to another house for some yummy dinner. I’ve never been somewhere else for dinner. Mum brought more of those yummy treats and a special towel for us to sit on while they ate delicious smelling dinner. They shared bits with us too!
When we came home our new house has these things in boxes called ‘games ‘ our hoomans moved the pieces around and laughed while we watched from our special blankets.
I have loved my first holiday and thank you for all the extra nice things to help me feel comfortable. I hope hoomans bring me back soon.. Cooper x
Fenside in Sea Palling
Arrived at Fenside with my 4 gundogs. Beautiful spot. So quiet. Opened the door and wow. Everything was just so perfect. So relaxed with the dogs as everything provided for them, beds, throws, treats (which they aren’t usually allowed). So didnt have to worry. Cottage is so well equipped. Lovely sunsets. Beaches in all directions accepting dogs. Boat trip in Wroxham. All in all a perfect holiday for four adults and four dogs. Thank you from the pack
01/08/2024
Nautilus in Eccles
Nautilus, in Eccles-on-sea was the perfect getaway for us. As a new doggy family, this was our first summer break with our furry friend. Nautilus has everything we could possibly have needed including a secure garden. The local beach (no more than a few minutes walk away) is dog friendly and super quiet, even at the end of July!
As well as the beach, we enjoyed an adventure on the broads with a self drive boat for the morning (courtesy of the very helpful Sutton Staithe Boat yard). Taking in some stunning scenery, our trip proved very relaxing for dog and humans alike.
Another highlight of our holiday was a ramble from Horsey windpump to the beach. We were able to watch the seals swimming from the shoreline. What a treat!
Thank you Pack Holidays!
01/08/2024
Treetops in Honing
We have enjoyed a wonderful week at Treetops! It is a beautifully furnished cottage, well equipped with all you need and in a fabulously quiet location. The owner has provided an excellent info folder, and the lovely welcome basket really was appreciated.
Together with some nice family games the bookcase offered the ‘must read’ Dog Listener books from Jan Fennell – perfect! All you need to know to live a peaceful and harmonious life with your dogs.
The garden was quiet, secluded and the weather was fabulous!
The area offered much to do, walks along the Weaver’s Way, visits to the nearby beaches,
very nice pubs with good food. A week was not long enough and we will return for more adventures in this little known area that offers so much.
Thank you so much for all that you do to ensure we always have the best holidays.
Neaps in Hickling
We had an amazing holiday staying at Neaps cottage! It was our first weeks holiday away without our 18 month old border collie, and we couldn’t have asked for a better week! Neaps was fantastic and had everything we needed, the layout was great for us and our dog. We all enjoyed the welcome pack very much too! The garden was lots of fun for our dog who enjoyed running around and exploring all the lovely smells! Whilst staying we visited the beaches everyday, did coastal walks and a walk along the weavers way and broads too. It was our first time also using Pack Holidays and we were very impressed with everything right from the start, with the enquiries about Neaps and how secure the garden was etc to the online brochure about the property and area. We couldn’t fault our stay, and we really hope to be back again one day!
Cara & Alex, & Woody 
Saretta in Sea Palling
We really enjoyed our break at Saretta in Sea Palling, the bungalow was very clean and well equipped.
A very short walk to the beach which the dogs really loved, one advantage of going out of season is that they can have the whole run of the beach and there are not many other people or dogs around especially if you are prepared to walk further along the beach (ideal for reactive dogs).
The seal pupping season was just beginning and a visit to Horsey Gap to see the babies is recommended, the volunteers are very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions.
We also discovered Bacton Woods near North Walsham it’s about a 20 minute drive but worth the trip, parking is free and the woods are quite extensive, we wandered around for a good couple of hours.
The fish and chips from The Beach Rock Fish and Chip Shop were very nice but opening times seem to be a bit hit and miss although we noticed that Reefs Bar and Sandy Hills Snack Bar were open for most of the time, unfortunately we did not visit either establishment as although they are dog friendly we thought four dogs would probably be a bit much.
Church View Cottage in Honing
Sadly, we only had three nights in this lovely, spotlessly clean cottage. Very pleased with the number of dog throws and towels left out for us more than enough for us. I have been to dog friendly accommodation before and been presented with one small hand towel for a Labrador Retriever whose mission in life is too get wet and dirty!
The purpose of our stay was to get Jake our yellow Labrador Retriever out of the city for bonfire night as he is terrified of them. This worked a treat, a few small back garden fireworks on Friday just a fizzing sound as they went off none of the ear splitting bangs we would have at home and Sunday Bonfire night not a sound.
All eateries welcome dogs, we visited, the Star Inn at Lessingham, fabulous Sunday Lunch , The Greyhound at Hickling, Doggy Dinner Diner in Cromer where Jake was treated as VIP, Small Sticks Café at Cart Gap where we sat outside in one of their doggie cabins and The Dunes Waxham. We have been to this area before and sampled several full breakfasts it was our first time at Small Sticks café and definitely the best!!
On Friday we arrived early and took Jake for a run around Bacton Woods before going to the cottage they are lovely and we always try to visit there. Saturday we went to Cromer for a look around weather awful though so that was cut short.
Sunday Jake donned his life jacket for the highlight of his trip Cart Gap and the sea. He is allowed in the sea but only on a long line as he won’t come back out of the water. Sadly the weather was very cold and windy and the sea very rough so he was wasn’t allowed too far in or for too long much to his disappointment.
That brings us to Monday and a short walk on the Weavers Way before going home. I had seen signs for Weavers Way on previous visits, wish we had used Weavers Way before. Locals we met on the walk were very friendly and helpful. Jake got his own back on that walk we set off with a yellow Labrador and returned with a black one
Crincle Cottage in Horsey
We’re home now and have really enjoyed our stay at Crincle Cottage, what a fabulous location. We walked down to Horsey beach most evenings to see the seals, the Nelson Head pub was so handy just 2mins walk in the other direction – we’ve never seen fish n chips so huge! The fact there was practically zero passing traffic past the cottage was absolute heaven.
The seals on Horsey beach really didn’t disappoint, so, so magical and they’re so curious, following you along in the water as you walk along the sand.
We tried to do different things this time so did venture up to Cromer for a day, we visited the Horsey Pump and walked the circular route around there, had to go and see the Time and Tide bell at Happisburgh of course, and explored Pigneys Wood for the first time too.
The Sunday roasts at The Greyhound in Hickling got our seal of approval for both veggies and carnivores (delicious!). We did the circular walk around Hickling Broads but took the longer one by accident and almost missed our roast 
.
We walked all the way from Horsey Beach to Winterton on Sea one day, and back via the dunes – 8 miles in all – trying to compensate for the fabulous pub lunches and local ales 
.
When we checked out this morning we stopped at another favourite beach of ours before heading home, Sea Palling.
All in all another wonderful experience with Pack Holidays, our 4th now, thank you! We’re already looking forward to our stay at Poppyland next September.
Poppyland in Winterton on Sea
Fabulous location and great cottage with everything you could possibly need. Five Spanish Water Dogs (one of which is blind) so we loved that everything was on ground floor and the large garden was very secure so she could amble about safely without our interference. The steps down to the dunes were too steep for us (1 x OAP and 1 x arthritic knees) so we simply loaded the dogs in the car and popped to the beach car park in the village to get our dogs in the sea. Beautiful sandy beaches and great waves for the dogs to swim in. The Grill wasn’t open but the cafe was so we had lovely hot quiche, hot chocolate and the dogs had doggie ice cream. We got fab takeaway delivered via Just Eat app and cooked breakfast every day in the fully equipped kitchen. Welcome pack was fab too. We managed to visit the Fisherman’s Return pub too for supper one night which is truly dog friendly. Nice food and ales to try. Truly picturesque place to stay and we enjoyed the view at nightfall as much as daytime with very little light pollution- bliss.
Neaps in Hickling
What a great week at Neaps, the most fabulous cottage for two plus our dog with a lovely garden.
We have enjoyed the beaches at Happisburgh, Cart Gap, Winterton and Sea Palling which was our favourite.
Great country walks at Thurne and Felbrigg Hall.
Lovely meals out at The Greyhound and The Lighthouse Inn, best coffee and cake at Smallsticks.
This was our second Pack Holiday just as brilliant as the first, totally stress free and relaxing, thank you.
Poppyland in Winterton on Sea
We had a wonderful family stay at Poppyland with 5 dogs all together. The house is spacious and has everything you need to have a lovely time with your dogs. The owners have literally thought of everything; bowls, holiday dog tags, throws for furniture and dog towels. The garden is a nice size and the view over the dunes and out to sea is just gorgeous.
Direct access to the dunes is a huge bonus. We have a couple of reactive rescue dogs between us so being able to get to the beach without crossing paths with anyone was brilliant for them. The house is in a nice and quiet area, perfect for a relaxing break. The location was perfect with so many beaches and towns/villages close by. We really enjoyed walking into Hemsby across the dunes. There is little to no light pollution in the area so star gazing in the garden at night is a must. We will definitely be back again, never have we stayed in such a dog friendly place!
Ha’Penny Cottage in Trunch
My Mummy took me to Norfolk again, this time with my big sister Alexa. We stayed at Ha’Penny cottage in Trunch, near Mundesley. It was fab, a beautiful cottage, with everything you could ask for, I really felt at home. There was a special window seat especially for me to keep watch and I also had a cheeky sunbathe on one of the sunbeds when Mum wasn’t looking
We had lovely weather and our trips included the beach at Mundesley where we got fish and chips from the catch at the ship, yummy!! and we went to Cromer where we had lunch at Hatters Tea rooms.
We also had hired a boat from Wroxham and I was very brave.
On our last day we had lunch at the Gunton Arms, it was very nice but I wasn’t allowed to play with the deer and I had to stay on my lead!!!
I am looking forward to coming again soon. Love from Sonny xx
Poets Corner in Mundesley
Accommodation was excellent and Orton had everything a dog could possibly need. He loved the garden and went off to sniff around the trails. Great way to unwind after many hours in traffic in the car.
Saturday was wet but that didn’t stop Orton dragging Nana and Aunty to the beach to play. (See first photos).
Orton was lucky enough to be able to go to the beach almost every day at some point, but the down side was having to be rinsed off in the garden before going inside. (Pic included)
While in Norfolk Orton took us to Norwich to shop, Great Yarmouth to see the arcades, Cromer for an ice cream by the sea, and also an afternoon spent pulling Aunty around Sandringham park. This was the first time we explored Sandringham and there were lots of new smells and trees to sniff.
We all had a fab time and look forward to next year when we come again.
Oak Cottage, Happisburgh
I went on my holidays to the Norfolk! It took a looong time to get there, but I was a good boy in the car and did a lot of snoozing. The cottage we stayed in had a big garden and I could run round with my ball and shout at the pigeons. I got to go on a big walk every night and there was lots to sniff and I didn’t see any other doggies! I don’t like other doggies, they make me very frightened and I shout at them to go away. I did see some deer though so I shouted at them instead. I even got to go to the beach where I ran round with my ball and I got to take my muzzle off because there was no-one else there. My humans made me get up very early to do that though…but it wasn’t a problem because I just went back to bed when I got home! There were lots of places for good snoozes at the cottage, sofas, doggies beds and my favourite armchair. I loved my holiday and would recommend Oak Cottage as a good place to stay if you don’t like other doggies like me.
Crincle Cottage in Horsey
We had a fantastic time,so many memories have been made. The weather was amazing,so managed to experience lots of different things whilst we were there.
We visited redwings horse sanctuary which was amazing,ended up adopting 2 horses and a mule for a year,which the children chose.
Ross’s boat trip along the broads was amazing and very informative.
Horsey mill was lovely to visit,the walk was lovely too and dog friendly.
Sea palling beach was lovely,the kids had an amazing time going in the sea and all of the locals were very friendly. There’s a lovely little arcade and gift shop. The fish and chips were amazing too.
Horsey gap is a lovely quiet beach and dog friendly,the kids were swimming with the dog and the seals came quite close,but not too close and the kids loved this experience.
We visited the RAF war museum,this was very educational and definitely worth a visit!
Soo many more things were done and enjoyed. We can’t wait to visit again soon.
Saretta in Sea Palling
Well when our humans told us that we were off to Norfolk again, we were very excited.
We arrived at Saretta late Friday afternoon and were keen to investigate the bungalow. We chose which bedroom we would be relaxing in and were not impressed when mum told us that there was no option for us in the bedrooms. Very nice beds had been provided for us by the nice owners of Saretta so reluctantly we agreed.
Mum is very impressed with the kitchen and the cooking equipment already supplied, apparently far better than anything else we normally stay in. To be honest we don’t understand this as we have one bowl and a fork to mix our meals up with – must be a human thing.
The garden is perfect for us two big dogs and it is really quiet for us just to chill after lovely morning and evening walks on Sea Palling beach.
We sat out in the garden on Saturday night and our humans kept saying what a beautiful night sky it was. The stars were bright and so clear they said, no light pollution and just stillness. Have no idea what they were talking about and we just sat beside them to indulge them.
We went to Horsey Gap yesterday for a swim and believe me there were some strange goings on there. Me and my sister were jumping into the sea to retrieve tennis balls and rocks and these strange creatures kept bobbing their heads up in the distance behind us. Mum and Dad assured us that they were nothing to worry about as they were seals. We were more worried that they were going to try and take our tennis ball.
Well we are off to spend the afternoon at the beach today at Sea Palling, apparently humans have bought us a pop up tent to sit in. Ha ha we shall see how that works out, humans they have these great ideas and us dogs just look at them and say naaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!
Bye for now
Tilly & Indie
Fenside in Sea Palling
My name is Kezzie and Mum and Dad say me and one of my Sisters are Collie Cross, but we are not cross, we are very happy girls, especially when we are on our dog holidays at a lovely place called Fenside.
Mum says we are reactive but really we are super alert and need to tell Mum and Dad about things we might need to chase. The cottage is in a very quiet place, down a little lane, so really don’t need to bark much. Sometimes a nice lady who lives nearby stops to make a fuss of us and have a chat and we don’t bark at her because she has rescue dogs too. Fenside has 5 star reviews and we think they must be for the 5 star K9 owners, Reuben, Merlot and Kira, who have tested everything here and tasted all the lovely treats they leave for us, and advise their owners, Jane and Annette who understand everything that is needed for a lovely K9 holiday.
Every morning we take Mum and Dad a short walk to the beach to play and of course we run in 3
different directions, off lead, just because we can, and drive Mum mad, but Dad hides in the rocks and we play “search and rescue” to get rewarded with some of the treats in the welcome pack. We dry off a bit on the walk back to Fenside, where we might relax on the decking, or in the pretty garden, whilst Mum and Dad plan our outings. There is even a dog cupboard with lots of dog dishes and towels and Pippas favourite, tennis balls!
We might go in the car to one of the many dog friendly cafes and pubs where they also let well
behaved humans in. Our favourites are Small Sticks Café at Cart Gap, Poppies at Horsey or Dunes Café at Waxham Barn or Acle. At Acle we can watch the boats or we can go on one of the many dog friendly walks in the woods, jump over logs and search for those pesky squirrels, walk along pathways or on the cliffs by Happisburgh Lighthouse and look for seals in the sea. There are lots more beaches along the coast and some bigger places with shops, but Dad says we don’t need to go there, we have shops at home.
We have been on wildlife boat trips from Wroxham and Dilham (Mum thought the big paddleboat at Wroxham might be too much for 3 of us as we might turn into the wildlife) and we have hired a Day Boat. Myself and Sister Pippa helped Dad navigate and let him know if the swans got in the way, but they didn’t have any dog lifejackets in our size, so Mum had to buy us some smart ones for our next trip. She made us practice rescuing her incase she fell overboard as Mum is scared of water and the sail boats. We think we should keep her on a lead to keep her safe, like she does for us. Of course at the end of every day, we climb into the dogmobile and head back to Fenside where we can snuggle into the noodle mats on the sofas and have a nap, as Jane and Annette understand that we need to sleep comfortably and dream of our next adventures. Mum says that they have thought of everything and that Fenside and Norfolk are the perfect places to help our nervous Sister Grace gain confidence……it is our perfect doggie paradise and Mum and Dad like it too!
3 Staithe Cottages
We had a wonderful time and are more than happy to #pack!! Poppy lived her best life the whole week we were away, sleeping on comfy dog beds and sofas, digging in beautiful clean (everywhere was oh so clean) beaches and swimming in the most beautiful sea on our last morning. We saw seals, otters, bittern and a kingfisher the day we hired a boat from Simpsons (two min walk from the cottage).
She went to Norwich Cathedral, ate outside Zizzis and generally we all had the best time.
Gail and the whole team were so helpful and as you can see from the pics the information drawer helped with the planning!!
The biccies went down a treat with both people and dog!!
With 4adults and a teen, we were a little mindful the cottage might feel small but we were very wrong. It was just right!!
Thankyou all, we will be back with #packholidays and it’s been a delight to be able to recommend a business that truly deserves it. Keep up the superb work Gail
Fenside in Sea Palling
Hi, we are Amber and Duffy, two Silken Windhounds. We live in Germany but we had to travel with our humans all the long way to England-just for holiday, imagine that.
We stayed there one week at a place called Fenside and it was fabulous. There was a garden and very comfy sofas with things called noodle mats to lie on. To be honest, the armchair could have been bigger… The neighbourhood was exciting, lots of dogs and cats and some very annoying pigeons. But the best thing was the beach ( unfortunately we don’t have that back home) and here you could ruuuun… And when you got too hot from running you just run in the surf!
Sea Palling beach was fine, Winterton-on-Sea beach was even better, at Horsey beach we discovered a dead seal pup in the sand but our humans weren’t amused when we tried to dig it out. The best beach was Wells-next-to-Sea, there was so much space to run!!
On the hot days we went to Bacton Woods and Felbrigg Hall and had great walks in the woods. One day we had a look at the water channels in the Broads, at a place called How Hill there was a huge grass site behind the parking area- great for a run.
Sometimes we had to go with our humans to the pub. They like to do that but we think it’s boring, we have to lie under the table and play “well behaved dogs” though there are so many delicious smells to explore. At a place called “The Greyhound” they had a nice carpet and there even was a greyhound.
We think our humans had a great holiday too. When we are happy they usually are as well.
Ha’Penny Cottage in Trunch
My husband and I have not been able to take a holiday for many years due to one thing and another. I was trying to find a location 2-3 hours drive from home that could take our four dogs.
It’s always been difficult to find suitable locations accepting multi dogs as part of the booking.
Imagine my delight when i came across Pack Holidays offering a range of holiday locations exactly where I envisioned us going.
Gail could not have been more helpful and the booking was a breeze. Every aspect explained and kept informed so when we arrived at the cottage it was pleasantly straight forward.
We chose Ha’Penny Cottage as it primarily had a wonderful, safe enclosed garden. One of our dogs is a notorious Houdini. We wanted to be able to relax and at Ha’Penny Cottage we could do just that.
The cottage is completely dog orientated. Everything thought of to make the hoomans life easier.
The cottage is immaculate, plenty big enough for us and has every amenity we could hope for.
Local walks and dining out really just made the holiday exactly as we hoped.
Love to go back again. We’ve come home recharged and relaxed.
Heron Cottage by Magnus the Magnificent!
I’d been singing the song of the people all the way to Watford, which is nearly, but
not quite, the length of a large Yak chew, when I heard hoo moaning that it was
going to be a long day.
Later, when we stopped off, there was a small kerfuffle because hoo lost the car in
the car park with me in it. She said it was because she was relying on my singing to
find me, but I woz having a vocal rest.
Sing. Don’t sing. That’s the problem with hoos. They is always so totally picky.
Anyways, thank paws she found me cos a few yaks later we was at Heron Cottage.
And oh, my paws!
Heron Cottage was so exciting it made my eyeballs go funny. But hoo said that my
wobbly eyeballs wasn’t cos of the cottage at all, it was the donut bed which she
prised off me and hid in the shed. ‘Norfolk,’ she said, ‘Was not the place for a public
spectacle in the garden.’ That’s the trouble with hoo, she is always so totally bossy.
Anyhow, the garden at Heron was pawfect. And every day I’d lie in the sunshine and
relax. Apart from when I needed a poo. Then, I made sure I did a bit in each corner
of the garden and sat on the front of the big comfy kennel, which hoo calls the
garden room, and watched as she got all panty and purply dashing about trying to
pick up every crumb.
In da daytimes, we did exciting fings like trying out a pawsome dog field and taking a
long drive to Overstrand Beach where everypawdy was very kind to me. Hoo even
gave me a bit of a break and did some exploring of Horsey Mere and met Gail for
coffee and cheesy scones at Poppyland Café where she said they guffawed a lot.
In da evenings, we sat in da garden kennel, and I stretched out on the sofa to at
least three times my normal length. This made hoo tut into her wine cos she was all
squashed up and cosy in the corner.
When it was time to go home, I dragged the leaving out as long as possible, by
unpacking my bag a lot, hiding in the garden, and digging me bottom into the grass.
But hoo promised we’d be back soon and gave me a Pack Holidays bandana to
prove it.
Heron Cottage
Hello,
We are Honey and Baby, we’re German Shepherd X Belgian Malinois from Suffolk, and we wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our Pack holiday at Heron Cottage.
The garden was beautiful, and we spent lots of time in it throughout the week. On one of our first days at the cottage we even had afternoon tea in the garden! We don’t really drink tea, but we did enjoy an egg sandwich!
We did lots of walking and exploring the countryside. Each day we would leave the cottage in a different direction, sometimes in the car and sometimes on foot (well ‘on paw’ really). We found lots of new places to explore and walks to enjoy. The countryside here is really beautiful. On one of the days, we went for a picnic at the beach and had a little paddle, although we couldn’t paddle for too long because the tide was coming in!
After a day of adventures, it was lovely to come back to Heron Cottage for an afternoon snooze. The donut bed was so comfortable, and we loved it so much that when we got home from our holiday, our owners bought us our own 😊
Thank you for the dog treats, they were delicious! We can’t wait for our next pack holiday.
From
Honey and Baby
P. S. Here are some pictures of our holiday!
Greenwood Barn
We’ve had a great week at Greenwood Barn – our first day we simply settled in, then on the Sunday we decided a good walk would stretch everyone’s legs so we put on our walking shoes and headed along the road to the path across the fields . Unfortunately the path, once through the jitty between the two houses is rather overgrown at the moment so it was slow going as no one wanted to turn an ankle ( and Millie kept disappearing- she’s not too tall )
We made it through eventually and actually had a very enjoyable walk . We headed for the beach at Walcott and walked back along the path to the Poachers Pocket for lunch . I always enjoy this pub – not too posh and good food
Monday saw us at K9 Unleashed- well that was a treat ! Topsy and Tank who are never allowed off lead when out due to selective deafness ( come back is not a known command ) were overjoyed to have so much space to just run free
Photos were taken on the “podium” but the whippet regarded this whole thing with suspicion- so no pics of her – and Tank simply wriggled out my grasp and disappeared
Fortunately I booked an hour , because the time simply flew
So , Tuesday we vegged and barbecued at the cottage
Wednesday was a walk along the beach at Walcott – dog friendly side , Thursday we visited the Fisherman’s Return at Winterton – their patio is always great to sit out and enjoy the sun
Then Friday we decided to visit Cromer – it was such a beautiful day – and we found the Doggy Diner ! Our three dogs thought it was marvellous to be fed bits of chicken and sausage and the hoomans enjoyed the paninis
We did need to get a move on , because we had booked a session at K9 Unleashed (again)
Well – three exhausted dogs was the result, which certainly helped as they slept all the way home on Saturday
Can’t wait to return
Herring House
A wonderful walk from our recent guests there! Do take a read of their lovely walk!
This was a lovely days walk with stops for a cuppa and also a pub lunch. We started at Winterton and walked via the byway to Somerton. It was mostly off road or on very quiet roads and included going past the ruined church with a tree growing through the middle! Once at Somerton we continued through the village to the edge of the broads and took the path on the right of the canal which goes towards Horsey windpump. While walking along the canal we went past the reed beds and stopped for a while to watch a man cutting the reeds and stacking them in piles. The reeds they cut are still used for thatched roofs, the church in Somerton is thatched using local reeds. We walked on past the remains of another windpump and continued towards Horsey.
Horsey windpump is managed by the National Trust and has a tea room – we had a break here for hot chocolate as the day was quite cold with a stiff breeze and a bit of misty rain. After exploring Horsey mere for a bit we took the footpath the other side of the road which goes across fields to the village of Horsey. Here we stopped at the Nelson Head, which is very dog friendly, for a drink and some lunch. From the pub we continued along the lane which turns into a track across fields towards the dunes. Horsey has a large grey seal colony and during the winter/spring they are breeding and relaxing on the beach. You can walk up to the top of the dunes to look at them. We stopped for quite a while to watch them, we were amazed how many there were. We had to keep our dog Bailey on the lead at this point to stop him getting too close. We stayed up on the dunes and walked along towards Winterton keeping the sea on our left and admiring the seals and then went back down the dunes to continue along the heathland. Bailey loved the freedom to run around exploring and before long the church in Winterton came into view. There is a wide expanse of dunes/heathland to walk along which brings you back to Winterton not far from the byway you started on. A lovely day out.
Herring House
I had a lovely stay at Herring House in Winterton. We decorated our cottage for the Kings coronation and then we had afternoon tea.
On Sunday we had a lovely cliff walk from Overstrand to Cromer, me and my buddy Barley had lots of fun. When we got to Cromer we saw a goat! And then we had lunch at Hatters tea room and me and Barley got biscuits, Yum!
On Monday we drove all the way to Blakeney where we went on a boat to try to find seals.
On Tuesday we stayed locally and had lunch at the Fishermans Return, then we had a beach walk to Hemsby and a walk back along the dunes.
Another longish drive on Wednesday to Holt and the North Norfolk Railway where we had a ride on a steam train. We had a nice time walking on the beach in the sunshine and then I met some nice station masters at Sheringham before the ride back to Holt.
Our last day was Thursday we drove to Wroxham where we hired a boat for a trip on the Norfolk Broads. My mum said I was very brave. Me and Barley saw some swans with their babies.
It was raining when we got off the boat so we drove to a nice pub called the Dog at Ludham where we had a very nice lunch, super dog friendly so we all had a nice time.
We left Herring House just before 10’clock on Friday, but before our drive home we had breakfast at Poppylands tea room, which is a lovely 1940’s style tea room and restaurant, mum didn’t take any photos, but probably because it was raining.
Love Sonny xx
Granby Cottage, Peak District
We had a lovely 4 nights at Granby cottage with our 5 spaniels. The trips we did whilst in the Peak District were accessible friendly walks as we were visiting with a baby in a buggy, so
suitable for wheelchair users or older dogs and family members. Tideswell is a small pretty village with a stunning cathedral at the hub and a few shops in the centre, the house is conveniently positioned about 6 steps from the pub! The house was perfect for us, plenty of space and fantastic location within the village, great walking distance for the chip shop, local shop and two seconds from the cathedral for an evening stroll with the dogs before bedtime.
We had to visit Chatsworth on our first day, what a beautiful and impressive house! As said in The Lion King, “Everything the light touches is our kingdom” is definitely true for Chatsworth, it goes on for miles and miles! There is a nice circular walk following the paths around the estate and along the River Derwent, which obviously our cocker spaniel had to take a dip in!
Next up was the Monsal Trail, perfect flat walking spot which is 8.5 miles long. We started at Millers Dale (5 minute drive from house) where there are toilets and refreshments and headed towards Blackwell Mill. Great walk along the old train line, through the old tunnels and across the viaducts, meandering round the dales and the river wye below. There is an alternative walk along the river for some ‘off roading’, if you wanted to. We stopped at Blackwell Mill for a drink and snack and then headed back, 4 miles total. Dogs well and truly worn out! You can hire bikes from Blackwell Mill and its worth a stop to see the four pretty cottages right on the edge of the river here and a stop for the water loving pooches!
Our last full day we took on the Ladybower Reservoir, just a 20 minute drive, with some lovely views on route. We parked in Heatherdene car park and headed towards the dam. Wow! The view is incredible and again, this was a lovely accessible walk for the buggy brigade! Some lovely waterfalls on the other side of the dam and a great view of the two plugholes too, just a shame the water level wasn’t quite the level to see it in action but they are very imposing and what a engineering achievement! Dogs had a paddle in the waterfalls and questioned why we hadn’t decided to let them off in the big swimming pool!
We had a great few days and will definitely be returning for another visit to the Peak District!
West Cottage
We have just got home from our holiday stay at West Cottage in Norfolk. We have 4 dogs between us and struggle to find truly dog friendly locations but we hit the jackpot here! On arrival we were greeted with a selection of treats for ourselves and the dogs, the house smelt amazing and the garden was huge! The dogs absolutely loved it and we’re instantly relaxed and enjoying their holiday.
We took the 5 minute walk to the beach and found that the tide was so high we had to wait until later on the day to go back, so we went exploring. After a walk in the woods and lunch at one of the many dog friendly pubs we returned back and let the dogs have a rest before heading to the beach again. As evening came we decided to take the walk to the beach again and it was deserted. It was so nice and peaceful, we even saw some seals.
Our dogs were exhausted from all the different places we took them, beaches, woodlands and the broads and everywhere was so dog friendly we didn’t have to worry at all
Overall we all had a brilliant time, we couldn’t have asked for anything more from the house it was better than the pictures!
Thank you again for a wonderful stay.
The Beach Hut
Hello it’s me Barnaby I’ve been on my holipaws to the Beach Hut in Cromer
I was so happy to arrive in photo one
We got an amazing hamper and I got treats naturally I wolfed them down – treats yeah for me how good is that!
We went to the beach and I was digging in the sand
The hoomans were saying it was cold but I loved it
I took the hoomans to the doggy diner. The small one had something from the kids menu
The two old ones had them frothy coffee things
And me well I had my own menu and naturally had chicken and sausages
5 paw rating from me
We went to Sheringham Park yesterday – lots of wabbit ears everywhere but I couldn’t chase any. Then I noticed the little hooman she had wabbit ears too and after a huge walk she got a chocolate egg, I didn’t 🐾 I had biscuits 😬
The last photo is me on my last walk this morning with the pier in the background!
I didn’t want to come home
I wanted to go digging on beach but the hoomans said nooooooo!
Can’t wait to come and play again
🐾 Barnaby xx
Crincle Cottage
Recently back from an amazing 10 day holiday at Crincle Cottage. Another amazing Pack Holidays property. Every property we have stayed in has been beyond perfect and Crincle did not disappoint! A beautiful cottage with everything you could need for a home from home stay. The afternoon tea box was so delicious and well worth ordering! Plenty of room for the hounds, an exciting very secure garden with lots of wonderful smells and amazing views to the dunes and a very peaceful location. So cosy especially when I lit the log burner. An excellent base for plenty of exploring! The wildlife on the doorstep was so beautiful and we even had a little Muntjac visit and watch us over the fence most days.
The walk from the front door to the dunes is awesome. We avoided the beach because of the seals, but walked both directions along the Norfolk Coastal path and the dunes paths to Winterton and beyond and to Waxham in the other direction. The pack absolutely loved it, mummy found it a bit hard going keeping up in the dunes, but for us a serious bonus was that the GPS trackers worked perfectly.
We visited a number of places, all extremely dog friendly, for the first time. We went to BACTON WOODS – amazing and so much to explore, the pack even managed a bit of bog snorkelling!! There were a number of cars, but we didn’t see anyone for the couple of hours we played there.
BACTON BEACH was incredible. No one for miles and even though the sky was spectacularly stormy, the sun shone on the beach! The hounds ran & swam themselves silly.
CAISTER BEACH was brilliant. A little busier with fellow dogs, but still amazing. We stopped at SCRATBY GARDEN CENTRE on the way back – the most amazing selection of natural dog treats, lovely helpful staff, a handy convenience store and a seriously good bacon baguette & cup of tea!!
TRIMINGHAM BEACH was amazing and we were the only ones there. I believe it’s easier to park up at Mundesley, but busier.
We went over to BANNINGHAM to HIGH OAKS which is a 7 acre enclosed & secure meadow that you book online. It was ideal for us on the Sunday when everywhere was busier particularly on the path to the dunes at the cottage and meant the whole pack could be offlead safely. (Waitrose at North Walsham was 5 minutes from High Oaks).
We visited CART GAP and WEAVERS WAY as we always do and will never tire of them.
Unfortunately we did need an emergency visit to the vets, and went to CAISTER VETS (20 mins away). They were excellent and the service & care we received was absolutely superb.
Finally, as we left to go home, we stopped at Thetford Forrest – what a beautiful place. After a couple of hours exploring, it meant I had 6 sleeping bassets for the long haul home!
Thank you Gail and your dedicated team, yet again, and to the wonderful owners who allowed us to stay in their beautiful cottage. Now to decide where to book next!!
Wilfreds Farm
We have holidayed in this part of Norfolk for 6 years, however 2023 was our first stay with Pack Holidays. We booked specifically so we could come to Wilfred’s Farm. It was also a little different
this year for other reasons. Our Norfolk holidays revolve around our three family dogs;
Pepper – a 12 year old terrier cross belonging to my Mum
Max – my 8 year old reactive Romanian rescue and
Nellie – my 9 year old Sprocker spaniel whom my husband and I rescued from a puppy farm
when she was 5 years old. Nellie had broken her right elbow 2 weeks previous to this visit
and was still in the early stages of recovering from major surgery. Just 15 months ago, Nellie
had broken her other elbow (she was born with a bone abnormality leading to weak elbow
joints) so she was feeling very sorry for herself.
Meeting Max’s needs is always a challenge. Gail could not have been more helpful from our first
point of contact a year ago when we started to plan our 2023 holiday. Instead of treating Max like a problem she worked with us to find him a good fit. Jane, who owns Wilfred’s Farm and lives in a neighbouring property, also went above and beyond on Max’s behalf. Now, normally we choose to come to Norfolk out of season specifically so all the dogs – including Max – can enjoy the freedom of the quiet and spacious beaches. This year, Nellie wasn’t allowed any exercise. She had to be crated or confined to her dog buggy in order to allow her leg to heal. Although we could have pushed her buggy on the beach I felt it was unfair on Nellie to watch the other dogs enjoying running about in her favourite places while she had to sit still. So, by necessity, we ended up exploring (wheel friendly) inland walks and we have discovered some treasures we might not otherwise have seen.
Having Weavers Way on the doorstep has been a god-send, we have also enjoyed Bacton Woods, the Norfolk coast path and we took our first trip to K9 Unleashed – an off lead facility where Max could run about to his hearts content, in a secure field, without having to wait for me slowly pushing a buggy behind him! Of course we did take one trip to our favourite beach at Waxham where Nellie waited in the car with Mum while Pepper and Max felt the sand beneath their paws. Nor could we miss out on a trip to Horsey where the dogs all joined us on the track before we left them snoozing in the car while Mum and I went back for our annual seal watch. The magic of this never gets old.
Because Nellie hasn’t been able to walk far we have tried to spoil her in other ways. She has enjoyed visiting The Swan pub at Stalham (a new one for us and highly recommended) and The Greyhound at Hickling which we always enjoy. Nellie was made welcome both evenings. She has also stopped off at Smallsticks and The Dunes cafés, Poppylands and Hirsts Farm shop. All of these are genuinely dog friendly, especially The Dunes café where she had her choice of tables out of the cold.
The Farmhouse has been a welcome base to come home to. Gail kindly provided a crate for Nellie and she has been able to enjoy still feeling a part of things from her central vantage point where she could watch us all until she was taken into the living room in the evenings to cuddle up on the sofa.
Max has been delighted, one night he returned from a sniffy walk straight from the doorstep and did 5 minutes of crazy zoomies – pure joy!! There has been little to disturb his peace and I know he has been able to truly relax here. Pepper has had plenty of opportunity to find places to snooze in the warmth and charm of this lovely building. Mum and I have found everything we could need and have especially enjoyed the character of the cottage and the visiting wildlife.
It is fair to say that I arrived here exhausted and strung out from juggling everything at home and when Nellie was injured we nearly cancelled our trip thinking it would all be too much. How wrong we were. It was just what we needed and we will return next year so that Nellie can hopefully enjoy the full experience of our new found favourites.
Thank you Pack Holidays from all of us
Greenwood Barn
We visited Greenwood Barn in February and had the most memorable relaxing week my husband, me and our 3 pooches could have hoped for. The property itself is a gorgeous, large open space, wonderfully warm property and the very large garden is perfect for the dogs and surrounded by lovely farmyard friends and noises. We loved hearing / seeing the neighbouring pigs / horses / donkeys / roosters. Even with those noises it is such an amazingly tranquil place to stay. Greenwood Barn is perfectly located less than 10 minutes drive from both Bacton Woods and Bacton Beach as well as the local convenience stores/fish n chips (which were delicious) and cafes (most of which were dog friendly as well). The 30 minute drive to Horsey Beach to see the seals was the incredible highlight of our week – a must-see if you are able to.
We are sharing the attached pictures and video clips from our incredible vacation so you can see just how amazing this stay was. We can’t recommend it enough!
Claire, Rich, Gertie, Eve & Obe xxx
Neaps
We had the most wonderful stay at Neaps Cottage, and managed to squeeze lots in to our few days. 😊
We arrived early on Friday so checked where the cottage was located before heading off for a stroll along the beach at Hemsby.
Saturday morning we had a nice walk along the public footpaths up by the nature reserve, then back to Neaps for breakfast. It was my birthday 🥳 and we had booked a table at Stubby’s Pizza 🍕 in Sheringham for tea – dog friendly obviously and highly recommended. We stopped off at Cromer to take the pooches 🐶🐶 to the Doggie Diner for their own treat!
Sunday we visited Horsey Gap where we were lucky enough to see the seals! Then off to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. We’d booked a vegan roast at the Stanford Arms but unfortunately the (outside) chef was poorly so it was cancelled… we did get a free drink for our trouble though 😆
The cottage is absolutely lovely, we didn’t want to leave 🙁 The welcome hamper was gratefully received (many thanks for accommodating our dietary requirements 🌱). Mrs Chappell’s damson jam was super scrummy and the puppas loved their treats too 🥰.
Cosy Corner
We had a brilliant time at the cottage. Couldn’t fault anything, even the weather was on our side! Originally we were only going to bring our ‘big 2’ dogs as walking 4 can be a pain. However, when Spencer showed me how close to the beach it was, we decided to take all of our pack. It was lovely letting them all run, Lola, my setter can be a bit of a madam on recall, but she loved it and was on her best behaviour all week!
We walked along the dunes at Horsey to see the seals. Absolutely fantastic. Lovely and relaxing. We just wanted to chill and walk our dogs, and that’s exactly what this holiday gave us. I’m afraid we don’t do Instagram, twitter, etc, but I’m happy for you to post our comments/photos.
Already looking at booking next year.
The Dairy
Marley here, I’ve had a fab time away at The Dairy with my humans, it was a bit chilly for an older boy like me so I had to have my coat on, but there were lots of fab places to explore, my nose barely left the ground!
We have been to Felbrigg Hall, a wonderful wood to explore, lots of snowdrops coming through at the moment.
We went to Cromer, the tide was in so I couldn’t go on the beach, but did look at the sea….it was too cold for a paddle according to Dad !
A new place to explore was Sherringham Park, lots of new smells here, and we spotted a few Rhododendrons in flower which surprised us this early, must look great when they are all in bloom.
And of course no trip is complete without some fish & chips 
Fenside
As our long break is nearing an end we thought we would send you a couple of pics and videos of our adventures. We have enjoyed many beach walks with plenty of stops for refreshments at some wonderful cafes/pubs and a nice trip to Bacton Woods. We have had a fabulous time at Fenside and cannot praise your company enough. You are truly a dog friendly holiday company. We will definitely be using you again. Keith (our fur baby) thinks the Norfolk seagulls need to be kept in order
Crincle Cottage
My stay at Crincle Cottage was my first experience of Pack Holidays. From booking to leaving, my dogs and I have all been looked after with care and consideration that I haven’t experienced before.
The cottage is wonderfully situated, in a secluded, peaceful spot in walking distance of the nearby dunes and beach in one direction and the lovely café and walk around Horsey Mere in the other. Wildlife abounds in all directions, remember your binoculars!
We had a lovely welcome pack including yummy human biscuits and little biscuits for the dogs – they loved them!
The garden is absolutely perfect for relaxation.
We didn’t have time to explore all that this area offers on this visit but enjoyed trips to Winterton for the wonderful beach walking, and East Ruston for a fabulous inland circular walk.
Can’t wait for our next visit. Thank you Pack Holidays!
Cosy Corner
My friend and I had a fabulous week, our first time with you at Cosy Corner, Sea Palling, Mid February. The cottage met more than our expectations.
The first few days we did not drive anywhere and made the most of the quiet, magnificent stretches of beach in both directions just over the Dunes, visiting the dog friendly Tea shops nearby to the beaches at Waxham and Cart Gap.
Highlight of the week was the Seals at Horsey a short drive away. We had definitely picked a good time of year to see them and lunch at Poppylands 1940 tearoom.
Another drive to Cromer to hunt down the Banksy artwork on the sea wall.
I found every local we started up a conversation with along the way very friendly and laid back, a joy to hear their stories.
The dogs could be so free, even if my Collie did decide he would like to go home with anyone that would play ball with him
We had a quick midnight venture up the boardwalk next to the cottage over the dune to star gaze, watch and listen to the high tide sea the night before leaving to come home.
Swan Cottage
I arrived at Swan Cottage with my 2 faithful Border Collies the night before Xmas eve after a longer than expected journey due to Christmas traffic. I was met by Lesley the owner and the cottage looked amazing. Lesley had put all the lights on,the heating on and had the log burner roaring away. There was also a lovely welcome pack of treats for both me and the dogs. What a welcome!!
We quickly explored this beautiful cottage; I wondered if the dogs would manage the spiral staircase but they were up and down like yo-yos! It wasn’t long before we went to bed; there were throws available so the dogs could snuggle up with you if they wanted to. In the morning I was in awe of the lovely view and one of my dogs, Chase, especially loves just looking out of windows so he was glued to the spot on the bed taking in the view.
While we were staying at the cottage for 4 nights, we had many adventures in the local area, mostly at the beautiful beaches. We explored Happisburgh, Sea Palling, Bacton and Winterton beaches along with Bacton Woods. We did bump into a few seals at Sea Palling and I rapidly put the dogs on the lead just in case as they had never come across seals before. At Winterton the beach was cordoned off due to the vast amount of seals as it was breeding season and the Wardens were there to make sure visitors didn’t get too close. The two I spoke to were very informative and the dogs still had a great run on the acres of dunes.
This was the first time I had gone away for Christmas, just me and my dogs and we had an amazing time. Pack holidays make sure you have everything you need for doggy adventures right down to holiday dog tags. We will definitely do this again!!
Norton House
I booked Norton House for the New Year weekend to escape from the noise of all the fireworks with my Romanian Rescue Dog, Daisy. We were joined by my friend and her dog as well for the duration.
Norton house is in a fantastic location, rural yet only 10 minutes from local towns for all your supplies, and its surroundings are just beautiful. Even in winter the sunrises and sunsets were stunning.
The cottage itself is very spacious and a good layout for both humans and dogs. The wrap around garden has amazing views and is fully secure and thanks to its size, is great for those all important zoomies!!
Bedrooms were all of a good size and the beds were very comfy. It was great to have two bathrooms upstairs.
Fantastic walks are just from the door… no really… from the door!! Left or right, you can walk for miles along the river and through the countryside. We certainly got our walks in and came back to snoozes on the sofa.
There are very few houses around, so this really is the place for a bit of peace and exploring.
I am also happy to report we didn’t hear a single firework – so if you are worried about bonfire night or New Year for 2023, I recommend this for a bit of an escape.
Wilfreds Farm
Day 1: Arrive in the dark with two parties. Boys first then the ladies. Unpack and dump stuff, find the food and store in the fridge. Reheat the chilli con carne that was made at home and brought with us. Set up the ‘bar’ and open the first wine bottles. Choose bedrooms and sort the dogs ‘bedrooms; out too. Go to bed.
Day 2: Cuppa tea in bed, then warm up the croissants for breakfast whilst drawing up a shopping list. One boy and one lady go off to Sainsburys in North Walsham whilst one lady and one boy went for a couple of miles walk to Weavers Way and found a derelict lock on the North Walsham and Dilham canal. It then twigged we’d been here before when staying at a Pack Holidays place in North Walsham 4 years ago!
Day 3: Wet! Went to collect our pre-booked turkey from Mortons Turkey Farm about 6 miles away. Very efficient and a free sample of turkey bacon on brie, very nice. Returned to Wilfreds Farm for a coffee before a 15 min drive to Happisburgh for lunch at The Hill House Inn. We lunched here 4 years ago after a muddy walk along the crumbling cliffs. The landlord said that when they took over the place, it was stated that the sea erosiion was 250 years away but had now been updated to 25 yeras. So can’t get insurance to sell – Back to the house for a snooze and Paddington 2 on TV. Not too hungry this evening. Nibbles and finished the 646 piece jigsaw.
Day 4: Lovely sunny day. Revisited our walk of 4 years ago but in the opposite direction. Uses Weavers Way just a few hundred metres from Wilfreds Farm and then alongside the North Walsham and Dilham Canal. It was muddy 4 years ago and after yesterdays rain seemed even muddier. Afternoon snoozes and the Nine Lessons and and Carols from Kings on the radio using the TV in the lounge.
Day 5: Christmas Day. Cloudy but thinned out for some weak sunshine. First action was to get Trevor the turkey out to warm up warm up to room temperature. Breakfast was the usual tradition of smoked salmon in scrambled eggs with Buck’s Fizz. The opening of presents. All were happy with theirs. As the chef and sous-chef got on with the lunch, the spare couple took a walk to see the unearthed (literally) Honing Station on the old Cromer to Great Yarmouth Railway which is part of the Weavers Way walk. Returning after the 3 miles, it was all hands to get the lunch sorted, just 10 mins late on the planned time. Then TV to see our first Christmas Kings address to the nation. Two of us might have heard a Kings address but we were only 2 and it doesn’t stick in our memories.
Day 6: A fairly quiet day. The birder left early for a day birding before breakfast. The remaining humans and dogs had their breakfast. Trevor the turkey was stripped to the bone for lunchtime turkey and cranberry sandwiches. We’ve brought a small bread maker with us, one loaf lasts one day. The rest of Trevor will go home to to be made into a curry (a family tradition).
An initial house clean was done but the floor will need washing before we go on Day 8. Two walks were undertaken, busier today taking the dogs in two groups. Again Weavers Way and local quiet roads make good walking.
Day 7: The birder had a lie in and three humans and 3 dogs had the morning on the Bure Valley Railway for the Mincepie Run from Aylsham to Wroxham. With just 15 mins at Wroxham we took some photos, inspected the turntable and got back on for the trip back. Pretty scenery even in winter. We met up with the birder at The Cross Keys in Dilham for lunch. We’d invited Gail for a drink, but at short notice wasn’t able to make it. Back at Wilfreds Farm after our afternoon snooze, initial packing was undertaken before a light tea.
Day 8: A busy hour or so packing and cleaning before leaving in heavy rain just 5 mins before our due leaving time. Two humans had taken all the dogs in their van whilst remaining two tidied and cleaned. Being so muddy everywhere the dining room floor had become a bit dirty but the old fashioned mop and elbow grease got it looking as good as new. So two humans and dogs to Ely and two more humans and dog back to Derby after an enjoyable and restful week
Snowdrop Cottage
So we finally arrived at our favourite place, Norfolk. We didn’t really like the long ride in the car but it was so worth it for all the sniffs and fun we had…. the minute we arrived we trained our humans to take us straight to the dunes. OMG it was sooooo much fun… we even nearly forgot about the fireworks. We then cosied down in front of the fire and got given some lovely treats which had been left in the cottage for us…. oh my days…. it was like Christmas. We then went out the next day to a local pub whilst our mummies had a sunday roast and they even gave us some roast beef… yum. Then to top it off we visited our other favourite place Bacton Woods. So many things to sniff…. we then collapsed back at the cottage for a rest. Best weekend ever!!! We can’t wait to come back. Thank you #packholidays. Lots of licks, Charlie and Shade
Herring House
We’ve absolutely adored our holiday at Herring House! The house itself is beautiful & very well equipped – it had everything we needed & it’s super cosy in the evenings. It’s perfectly located for those who want a break from driving, as it’s a 5 minute walk to the local convenience store, chip shop, & cafe, and only another 2 minutes walk to the dunes & beach. The cafe/food trucks at the beach car park serve the most amazing restaurant-quality food! For exploring, it’s basically a straight road down the east coast for super quick & easy access to Great Yarmouth and beyond. For us, the dogs are our most important consideration when holidaying, and Herring House was perfect. Although the yard is small, the dogs enjoyed sunning themselves out there after a long day of exploring the dunes and beaches. Highly, highly recommend, we will definitely be booking for next year & can’t wait to return!
Swan Cottage
Happisburgh is my favourite beach in Norfolk because my dogs love it so much so discovering Swan Cottage has been incredible. It’s beautifully designed inside and out and so luxurious. It’s open plan and the floor is dog friendly, non-slip easy to clean. We were provided with bowls, beautiful Dog beds and a crate and a lovely welcome basket.
From the upstairs floor to ceiling window you could see farmland and the lighthouse looking back at you. It really is a beautiful view. You can also see the whole Of The garden which is secure and perfect for dogs of all ages. There is an outdoor dog shower too which ran warm water!! My dog was very impressed.
Walk out the cottage to your left and You can walk your dogs to the beach in a matter of minutes. For reactive dogs there are rural paths surrounding the beach cliff top and lighthouse and we didn’t see anything other than rabbits…
The cottage is within walking distance of a lovely cafe, the RNLI gift shop and a local pub. The cafe and pub are dog friendly so we walked our dogs there and had a lovely snack.
I often travel alone with my dogs and this will most definitely be top of my list for my next trip to Norfolk. Thank you to the owners for being so hospitable and for creating such a beautiful space.
Poets Corner
Just coming to the end of a fabulous week at Poets Corner with our 2 children, parents and 5 dogs and hope the following conveys just how special a place it is.
We’d been so excited about coming after looking at the photos on the website but, WOW, did it exceed expectations. After arriving and looking around we all did a little excited dance and it took some time to pick our jaws up off the floor! Such a spacious, clean and comfortable bungalow, it was positively luxurious. It had everything we could possibly need (Barr an outside washing line but that’s literally it).
The location is fabulous, so quiet but also so close to the beach and shops.
And the garden!! At home we regularly hire an enclosed field which isn’t much bigger so the dogs were in heaven. It was just perfect in the hot weather with so many shady trees and our two elderly dogs who can’t walk far were more than happy to potter around instead. They also loved the two big beds that were provided and there were so many throws and bowls for us to use. Just perfect!
We couldn’t have done this without you Gail, thank you. This is our third pack holiday. Never ever did we think we could find anywhere that would allow us to take all our dogs and also be of such high quality. You are an absolute gem in every sense!
Crincle Cottage
Day 1 and just wow!! What a beautiful Cottage and the surrounding are is just a dream. We settled in and then took a stroll to the beach, the path to beach is great and Tilly and kids looked out for butterflies and dragon flies! Do wear a hat if the sun is out as no shade on path. Arrived at the beach and Tilly was off for a cool down while we watched the seals from the shore and wow there are plenty to see. Then we walked back to The Nelson Pub for a cool down and food x x
Day 2 and we are off to explore the area! Lunch at Poppyland was amazing and the also do dog ice-creams so Tilly cooled off nicely then it was back to the cottage for family bbq and garden games! Crincle Cottage garden is big and great for dogs and kids to play, also great to just sit and watch the wildlife! We had a great time watching dragonflies, butterflies and even got to see a family of Marsh harriers and buzzards! We were also very lucky to watch a plane do acrobatics over the cottage
Day 3 and it’d a day at Horsey wind pump! Another great dog friendly day out, we explored the wind pump and had a walk around the broads. Lots of birds and wildlife to spot, Russ’s boat trip is dog friendly and a must! Our driver Phil was very informative and great guide to have
Day 4 and its a day at Horsey Gap! Sooo many seals to see, we got up and out early and were treated to a morning of seal watching. Such a beautiful untouched part of the country and a very nice and quiet beach. No cafe of shop so take all you need with you but definitely a great place to set up for the day. We stopped at Poppylands again for lunch and another pup ice cream then back to the cottage before an evening at Great Yarmouth but before we left we were treated to a helicopter take off outside the cottage. Horsey really is the ideal base as nice and quiet and can travel to the busier areas if you want to
Day 5 and its exploring time! Kids were ready for some exploring so we decided to look for Geocache in the area and plenty to find! Took a nice walk from the cottage to Horsey pump and found a few geocache on the way!! Horsey pump has a lovely cafe with amazing cakes and ice cream, you can also get snacks and sandwiches/toasties and all dog friendly as outside seating. Plenty of geocache to find in and around Horsey and also follow the local walks. We headed back for the night and enjoyed the garden for a few hours before settling for the night with a Chinese
took us about 40min to get to but no traffic issues. Felbrigg Hall is national trust and is jist beautiful, definitely worth the day out. Lots of dog friendly walks and allowed most areas on lead. The house is no dogs so took it in turns going around no dog areas (v for victory walk takes same time as walking around the house so 2 in house and 2 on walk for us). The hall doesn’t open till 12 so plan your day around that. After a day of fun we headed to Sea Palling for some more 
. Sea Palling is just beautiful and if you enjoy the quieter side of seaside life this is your place and was definitely ours. One arcade a couple shops, pub/restaurant, chip shop and cafe we stayed for a few hours had time in the arcade and had ice cream and doughnuts in the cafe huts. Free water for dogs at cafe, you do need to go in and ask for a token and can then get water from side of cafe. Another fun packed day in this beautiful side of the country.Day 7 and its our last day but today we’re off to Blickling Hall another beautiful national trust! Took us about 50min to get to and again no traffic. We arrived early and did the mausoleum walk and geocahe hunting (We forgot to check yesterday)! followed by picnic in the courtyard. Beautiful place to sit and take in the house and impressive courtyard, again dog friendly on lead and not allowed in the house so we took it in turns again. We sat and enjoyed the sun on the grass while other half in the house. Great day out and again worth the drive. We headed back to the cottage and enjoyed the garden before heading to Sea Palling for take away fish and chips to end our day back at the cottage
Day 8 and home time. We have all loved Crincle Cottage and sad to leave. Kids and dog settled in straight away. Crincle Cottage is home from home and literally has everything you need from tea and coffee to toilet roll! I will start with the garden as first thing you will experience and what a great garden for kids and dogs! Plenty of room and has bbq chairs and eating area. Kids and dog enjoyed games and bbq. Onto the kitchen which has plenty of room and equipment for anything you want to russel up. Frontroom sat us all comfortably and plenty of games, dvd’s and books if you want to use. Both bathrooms great and had plenty of room as same with bedrooms. If you are a taller size then the front bedroom is better but all slept well. We really have had a great time at Horsey and Crincle Cottage and enjoyed every moment. We love off the beaten track and this is that and so so much more! The wildlife is just amazing from the Cottage and surrounding area definitely could come and just do nothing or do everything! Loved it and have some amazing memories thank to Crincle Cottage and thanks to Gail and The Pack
Stable Cottage
Saturday: at Stable Cottage….
A hot weather forecast, so the plans were to head for Bacton Woods, everyone seems to suggest a visit, but as child wanted the beach I aimed to hit the beach early, then head for the woods. Of course it never happened….
We got to Bacton, and I found I’d left my purse behind. Returned the car parking ticket with the attendant and drove back to the cottage. The back roads were lovely, slight warning to child which was unheeded- keep your arm in the car. You never know, by the time we leave she might have learnt that single track roads are pretty narrow.
Greeted as long lost friend by parking attendant who was still giggling, and hit the beach. Even in this heat folk were planning to stay all day, I thought we were mad venturing out, but it had to be done.
We walked up the dog friendly beach, child took the dogs into the water, separately, well it was such a long time since they had been they were a little nervous. Child got absolutely soaked, and another quick walk down the beach wasn’t going to dry her, yes, back to the cottage and we missed the woods. Ok, it is the 13th, although not a Friday.
After a quick change, we….. hit the pub, because that’s what you do at lunch time. So grateful we are with pack holidays and at stable cottage. The dogs were able to be left, and therefore I couldn’t blame them for spilling child’s drink in the pub. No, she did that on her own. The Bluebell, just round the corner served us well. I was a bit upset about the Eton Mess, meringue and strawberries in pouring cream?? wondered if it was the chef’s day off.
After a needed trip to Sainsburys, because you can’t carry everything in a mini, the washing machine was primed to be put to use, after child had a dip in the water at Happisburgh.
Happisburgh church looked beautiful in the sunset, and the lighthouse invites us for a visit as although it’s private it says it is open to the public.
While I’m writing this I’m thinking that for years I’ve missed a treat as I’ve loved going down to Cornwall. These beaches, I know only 2 so far as fantastic and look very child friendly. Definitely more visits required to this area. Yes, I still need to visit Bacton Woods.
Oh for more fun. Child woke early, but couldn’t get moving and after breakfast fell asleep until 12! I wish…..
The dogs were happy just chilling, and Nedd found a lovely cool spot in the garden where he could keep an eye on the door.
As it was forecast as hot, we head off for lunch, back to The Bluebell as the dogs were reclining at home in the cottage, which thankfully remained fairly cool. To be honest I don’t think I really needed the roast dinner, and was grateful of child for eating my potatoes and stuffing, I’d been chomping the lovely Norfolk biscuits we had been left and slurping a few cups of coffee as I was suffering from not having had my normal caffeine intake. There is a cafetière, and a filter coffee maker but I hadn’t brought my aero press, thinking of space, so had just brought instant coffee. Big mistake, thankfully these were here to help my caffeine addiction. (Must add the crisps had gone down nicely on Friday as we chilled, and the dogs are still enjoying their biscuits too. What a fab gesture, no one is left out- and the milk was a godsend as I’d forgot to restock the milk on Saturday- well, I don’t need it for my coffee ‘ha ha’ which I had managed to buy).
After all that the dogs finally got to Bacton Woods.
Bacton Woods: noisy group of men setting off for a bike ride gave me a little confidence as it was late in the afternoon, there would be people about if we got lost. And then a car drew up with a woman and children, I asked if they knew the area and how easy was a simple walk….. ‘just follow this path and it’ll bring you back here’. I won’t say she rushed to catch up with us, but they soon caught up with us. And walked all the way round with us. This wasn’t intrusive, it was lovely chatting to her, and her children – one of which had wanted to stroke the dogs. And as a result we are going to try Jade Garden, Chinese takeaway Monday night, sounds delicious. Bit of a shame really, one story we were told was that all the girls had beaten all the boys walking/ cycling in the woods, and so the boys paid for a Chinese meal as a penalty- the boys didn’t offer this to all even though we girls had got back to the car first. The cyclists were related to our wonderful guides.
Warning: even people who know this area can fall off their bikes!! And a lot of people allow their dogs off lead, with poor recall, which can cause quite a few dog fights we were told.
No, we hadn’t finished our fun of the day as we then headed to Bacton beach and child had another session in the water. The dogs didn’t join her in the water, but had a run in the sand. Sorry can’t post a pick of the virtually empty beach as they all have a pic of the child in.
Long day yesterday, and retired to bed to watch Peter Rabbit…… fell asleep. It was supposed to send child to nod land x
Well I think you’ll all be expecting the news, we never saw the seals at Blakeney Point. Really must do better checks. And it was Pigney’s Wood and Nature Reserve, not what I thought it was in the pouring rain, Picton indeed, thankfully I’m due for an optician appointment when school returns.
It was a beautiful drive, promisingly not raining until we neared our destination, but we got there 45 mins too late, the boat had left and due to the out going tides there wouldn’t be an other sailing until tomorrow, now meaning today. I can’t even blame the two lorries that were holding up the road coming out of Southrepps (I think it was). And it was around here I really noticed the fab stone work, I’m a bit of a dry stone waller freak, and the stones set into the walls has certainly grown on me. Even new builds are replicating this method- love it.
Ok, now what, I know, let’s walk to Blakeney and get something for lunch. But it started to drizzle as we were only 10 mins in, so we about turned and walked back to the car. It’s still a lovely place to park and walk about, but child and two damp dogs didn’t want to look in on art work, they were more taken with the turkeys as we drove in and out of the car park.
I also never drove into Blakeney, as I thought we would find other places on route- I was now heading for the Shire Horse, though the signage for Wiveton Hall Cafe looked inviting. But too many people had the same idea, so on we went, and if I hadn’t had my heart now set on the horses we would have had a walk about and waited for a table.
The George and Dragon at Cley next the Sea filled us up at lunch, child loved her burger, and ate most of it, leaving her chips which still filled the plate. ‘Fraid to say my fish and chips plate was empty. Even though it was dog friendly we did leave the dogs in the car, I think our two dogs could have caused havoc.
Yeah, with a further drive, we managed to see the Shire Horses, it was open- ok I checked when setting Doris. What I wasn’t prepared for was all the other in-mates; ponies, cows, goats, pigs, llamas, swans, mules, donkeys, rabbits, deer, hens. This was a free activity, but donations are welcome to provide all the care required. Even dogs were allowed on the property, on lead of course. I was a little concerned in the museums, thankfully Nedd didn’t want to cock his leg. Nedd and Gin were actually quite good with the real livestock, but we’re extremely cautious of the inanimate ones, I had a few sniggers, suspicious beasts they are. Child wanted to have another look around, but as they were closing at 5 and leading the horses to bigger pastures we said our goodbyes.
And drove back to aptly named Stable Cottage, to get child’s swimming costume as she wanted her daily swim. Unfortunately the sea at Bacton was far too rough for me to allow her in, but this didn’t deter her fun, writing in the sand and playing chase with the dogs. A
Lovely time spent on the virtually deserted beach. Then a trip to Sainsbury’s to get another jacket potato for her tea, which is now considered supper as it’s 9 before we sit to eat….
Felbrigg Hall looks a lovely place to have stopped at, and I would have loved to have spent time at Holt, my sisters married name, and where they visited non their honeymoon many years ago when they took a road trip of places in England. Most certain I’m coming back again.
Gosh, Tuesday already, the week will soon be over and now we have the forecasted rain to consider. However Sea Palling is on the agenda. The dogs and child packed into the car after breakfast and off we sped. It was later than I had hoped, but hey, there would be room in the car park, few prayers were said as Doris the Sat Nav guided us to our destination. It was a shame that it was raining as we drove by Picton Woods, well I think that’s what the signpost said, and again as we approached Ingram. The church looked amazing as the sun, well it was light- lit up the interior and you could see through the beautiful windows. I always remember my father saying I liked churches, and this brought that memory flooding back. While I’ve been driving around this area I have noticed many churches that I would have liked to have spent some time looking at, so maybe another holiday to plan. I’m jumping the gun here too, we saw some windmills, in differing stages of ‘repair’ from sail-less to one on the side of the road: photo to follow if I can get child to post it to me as I couldn’t stop at the time.
Anyway, I’d better return to arriving at Sea Palling. To start with I wasn’t sure I had chosen well, but the weather seemed to be on our side, so after parking child and I headed over the bank where I threatened Nedd not to pull me over as he was so keen, well it would have been not only very painful but totally embarrassing. And I’m still recovering from a leg injury from Gin’s exploits, the dog not the liquid, honestly. Whoops, back to today. We only headed down the dog permitted beach side a little way, when there was an expanse of beach to accommodate two off lead dogs and child. It was lovely, warm, safe and close enough to hobble back to the car should the heavens open. I’m glad to say we didn’t need the macs I packed for rain or sitting on. Lots of footfall, hoomans and dogs didn’t distract ours from having fun, what stopped the fun was hungry child….. who actually thought we were heading back to Costa in N Walsham. She perked up with sausage bap and milkshake sitting in a beach hut listening to the thunder rumbling while the dogs had a doggy ice cream.
Instead of heading straight back to the cottage, we drove down the coast, in the pouring rain, this is when we saw the windmill attraction, which seemed also closed, as was Poppylands tea rooms. Ha ha, thinking of dad again, who never went to work on Friday 13th, I might reconsider going on holiday if there is a 13th in it, or should I just be better at researching the area.
On we went towards Potter Heigham, where a friend had reported years ago she had visited, but thanks to the weather we didn’t get out to have a look about, though I did pick up a cheap pair of fake crocs for child who told me she needed a pair of shoes for the water!
There was a brown sign for a pottery which I couldn’t find, nor was google any help, and homeward bound to the cottage seemed the best option. Child thought she had been good by not sleeping today, so I avoided Vera’s garden centre on the outskirts of town and had coffee at home, while we waited for our evening trip to the sea for child to wet her toes- no, she left her crocs on the beach and complained of the stones?! I didn’t dare comment. But I was grateful it wasn’t too far to Bacton as poor child said she was rather cold, at least it wasn’t raining, though I was wearing my Mac at this stage.
All in all it was a lovely trip out, and so glad we went to Sea Palling, just hope the rain doesn’t try and ruin our last day, I would like to see some seals before we head home.
Think it was Monday today, the days are just merging…..
child had the audacity to remain in bed until about 8 am, have breakfast and then sleep until 12……. Teenagers. But she must have needed it, and as they say let sleeping (children) lay…..
Another lovely warm day, and I had a bit of a dilemma as I’d promised her a Chinese meal tonight. No chance of shooting off as I had hoped to do, the seals are calling. So we left the dogs in the cottage and headed on foot into town. Yes, we had been gone 2 minutes- you’d have thought we were on a car journey, ‘Are we there yet?’. I think there were a couple more time requests and we only had had to walk 13 minutes.
I headed straight for the Cat Pottery which I had noted as we drove in on Friday. I loved it, and a local woman was in again buying one as a present for a friend, think I’d be buying everyone cats from here too. Yes, we bought a couple, one of which was for child as she was missing her black cat. They weren’t making glass eyes or whatever they normally do, too hot. Ok, we are now having to return. Apparently children can have a go in the workshop, but this child wasn’t having anything to do with getting her hands dirty.
I had hoped to pop and look at the church, the collapsed tower makes the church really special, but they were holding a funeral today. Instead we hit Sam’s pet shop. Child much preferred this option, and I liked the 10% voucher we had. I know we hadn’t done much, but child decided she was hungry, well you would be after all that sleeping, so sausage bap in Costa with Strawberry Frappe too. No, mine was a black double strength coffee, with millionaires shortbread. Poor Costa staff had issues with equipment due to heat and dishwasher had broken down, at least they remained open. If I hadn’t had child with me there were a few interesting looking shops I would have liked to have looked in. Instead we hit one of the many charity shops, and headed home.
Then it was playtime. All into the car heading to Trimingham beach. Saw Picton woods which we might try for a dog walk during the week, but Trimington was fab. And you can drive down the single lane, almost to the beach. Apparently it’s only been closed for cliff slide and Covid. The beach stretched for what seemed like forever. Child loved the sea and the dogs loved racing in the sand. The stones on the beach were very pretty, but folk can’t remove them.
Again chatted to a local, this time as we left the beach, and she suggested Sea Palling as our next adventure- and to get there early as the car park gets pretty full quickly. Watch this space.
Before I forget, Jade Gardens, Chinese takeaway was a success. They do deliver, but as we were driving by it was just as easy to call in. Car parking round the back, after 5 was a bonus. And then child sent to bed earlier than normal, but even the dogs were flaked out after there run into the sea too.
Thursday, even though I’m writing this late Friday.
Due to not being organised I decided I really should get to see some seals before heading home, and thanks to everyone’s lovely suggestions, we headed off to Horsey, so we could try to get to Poppylands again. The dogs wondered what was happening, as did child, who was laughing and telling me to put my foot down….. the pedal didn’t go to the metal, but Poppylands was open, and it was as good as expected. Lunchtime All day Breakfast went down well for child, even without hash browns, so she’ll be wanting a ‘proper’ breakfast soon….. it was no point telling her she’d missed that one here. I had to try the corned beef hash, yes, she liked that too. I finished with cake and dandelion & burdock, fab. Of course the shop had our trade too, and I had had to laugh at the old tin bath on display. We used to use one for playing in when I was a child, shared yard and our first paddling pool so to speak. Child wanted to buy the shop out…. I had to take stock on the room available as we were taking two pot cats home already. I spoke to a lady who I had seen in N Walsham, and who had also stayed in Stable Cottage. Small world.
And on to Horsey, what can I say….. as soon as we saw the water we saw seals. Child hadn’t wanted to swim today, so wouldn’t wander down the beach, but she and Gin frolicked in the water which was washing up the steps and covering her as she at times even lay on the sand. I spoke to a couple who had walked from Sea Palling, but didn’t fancy the extra mile to partake at Poppylands. They said they also had come here for the seals, and it had been reported there were over 100 on the beach the previous night. It seems so important to chat to others….. I’d better start writing it all down to try and remember everything. Child started to get cold; well, going into the water fully dressed, and no change of clothes might be a giveaway! She didn’t even want me to stop at Sea Palling on route home as she was so desperate to get dry….. no donuts!! OK, I’d already had cake, but, hey, it wasn’t to be……. And no stopping at Ingham on the way home either, one day I might manage a church crawl, or a monument crawl, as over the week I’ve noticed a few. One thing I certainly won’t be doing is getting on my bike, there might be a few Sustran trails, and less hills than some places, but I’ll stick to the car, sorry. One thing I noticed as I drove out today was how close we were to boat hire, even for the day. Another time, we are heading home tomorrow- don’t want no more dramas. And the little madam searched online diet that night- ice lolly idea- made your own: strawberry, kiwi, blueberry and set in lemonade. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I managed to say thank you xx with only a smile on my face. We have some of the necessary lolly pop moulds at home, I’ll try one and see, wonder if she’ll like one too.
We’re we done for the day, no…. Child wanted another chance to try the Jade Garden. Yep, Chinese for tea. Shame I never had cash on me, they would have delivered. Don’t know where child got a burst of energy from, she was all for walking. Ha ha, I wasn’t, we drove. Thankfully as she wanted her last night on the beach, there was no way she would have managed both.
As we have spent a lot of time at Bacton, with it being so close to off we set, no, of course she’s not swimming….. when we got to the beach there was a man from Seal Rescue standing on the steps. He had been there 2 hours, watching a young pup on the beach. But as it was too close to the water there was nothing that could be done, and with the tide coming in, he had to call it a day.
Child found someone’s hole dug in the sand- surely safer digging to Oz rather than swimming to USA which she had fancied doing the other day, and had been quite happy on her own, until she met another young girl and they both spent ages running into the water….. it was 9, and they were freezing, now they want to holiday together next year. I see some serious planning is needed. It took another 1/2 hour to drag them apart.
Yes, second shower of the day….. no swimming indeed. What did she say? ‘My trousers were heavy’ !! Think she’s another convert of the area, will have to book soon.
Last day, and considering we had to be out of darling Stable Cottage for 10 am, I thought…… why not…..
It was lovely saying goodbye to Dawn, and checking out if it was she who child had seen in N Walsham, we had only seen Dawn briefly on Saturday morning. Arrrgh, child will still want more visits to Costa for milkshake, and I’ve just remembered we were supposed to head into town Thursday to check out the market. Well, hey, the seals and Poppylands had won, maybe next time.
Why not what? Why not try for Morston Quay….. It could be on route home. I didn’t fancy returning the same way we came, mega roadworks. Child even asked if she could return to Poppylands again for breakfast. Sorry wrong direction. We had a good drive up to Morston Quay, and in time for the last seal trip. Yeah…… we also had enough time for child to hit the loo, have a drink and something to eat. But the wasps were very active, and as she batted one away she believes it stung her. It didn’t, but she was sprayed with bite spray and drink was thrown away…… bless, she’s back on water: win win.
OMG, if you ever get chance to go on a seal trip, please take it and enjoy the experience. Even the dogs seemed to love it. I couldn’t help but smile at them, and memories of previous holidays and activities. Mind you, I had already got on the boat with Nedd, poor child was dragged back up the side was Gin backed off. She was helped over the side by a fellow passenger, and then had the audacity to sit on their child’s knee.
Sailing up the creek and viewing all the boats, was so relaxing, and the crew so informative about the area. I was amazed people were also talking about returning on a trip later in the year, late November to see more pups. Now that’s an idea..
On docking, we quickly got away, child was hungry and I wasn’t hitting the wasp station. I was grateful Doris kept the road clear as the traffic news was pretty busy with accidents and road works. The fenlands were amazing with the ditches at the side of the road, unfortunately my David Bailey was taking more than a 20 min power nap. Though I was happy she was still asleep around Chatteris, the roads were so lumpy, it normally makes her say her tummy is hungry- this was so rough I thought she’s be seasick.
Finally home, about 6, though we had stopped for lunch somewhere to, it was near a Morrisons where I filled up with fuel too. Boy I hate those self service pay machines, I honestly thought the person in front of me had not paid and I’d be stuck with his £99:00 bill. Photograph taken just to make sure. Have they done this on purpose??
Thank you for a wonderful week. We would love to return, but I’ll have a look and see where Pack Holidays have other cottages, and do more research into what is still to be done in the area, and when it’s open.
Thank you Gail for all your help with our holiday, so pleased I found Pack Holidays, we have had a fantastic stay at . The property is beautiful, very dog friendly with lots of secure outdoor space for our dog to run around. The outdoor dog shower was very useful after a day on the beach. Loved the welcome pack, especially the cookies and dog biscuits. First time holidaying with our dog but we all felt at home straight away, it has been very relaxing and we are sad to leave. Definitely will recommend and will use Pack Holidays again
East Cottage
Having 5 dogs including one aptly named the escapology Peke, finding cottages can be difficult!!
East Cottage is definitley one of the best ones, I jumped out of the van to inspect the fencing, sighed a massive sigh of relief – a week to relax, no way was anyone escaping this week! Although the Lurcher pup did try to go through the lounge window!!
During the UK’s first red warning for heat, the large secure garden, and flat walks on the door step were such a bonus!!
There are several trees in the garden and a nesting pigeon (Penelope).
The kitchen is well stocked and the welcome basket, fantastic.
The dog walk and beach route are well maintained and pleasant and the seals line up to watch the dogs run on the beach
Oak Cottage (a dog’s eye view!)
We had a lovely holiday, couldn’t believe our luck when we saw throws on the sofas, Woohooo!!! Everybody knows pointers don’t lie on floors. We loved the garden, our humans filled the bird food up and when we were home at the cottage we watched the birds, it’s like humans watching TV to us pointers.
We went to a beach a 5 minute drive away every morning and parked at the life boat station. The beach was our bestest place to go because we had it all to ourselves 😊.
We got to go to put for good with out humans. The Star Inn we got to sit outside with the goats and ponies. The Lighthouse Inn, we got loads of gravy bones from the staff who all love dogs. There was one day our humans were worried about us because we slept all evening, exhausting life exploring Norfolk… We were fine really just recharging the doggy batteries.
We went to a place called Sea Palling and we saw these strange creatures called seals in the water, our humans snapping away with the camera whilst we watched on in awe. Best bit though we got doggy ice-cream at the amusements.
We are sad to be going home but the humans have promised to book again next year. We can’t wait.
Haribo Chompy Wispa and Chewy xxx
