Mr & Mrs Smith

You don’t need to stray further than Chaucer Barn’s own beautiful gardens, which are hard to beat as an alfresco eating area. Hillyfield is another beautiful grazing area only a 10-minute walk away, which overlooks the village and surrounding countryside.

The North Norfolk coast is celebrated for its abundance of fantastic beaches. Best for families include the long sweep of sand with picturesque beach huts at Wells-Next-the-Sea which is a mere 3 miles from Chaucer Barn. Or head to the powdery sand of West Runton and explore its rock pools or have a coffee in the café there. For proper drama, try the sprawling windswept beach at Holkham; or for more peace and quiet try Cley-next-the-sea.

There’s a fantastic footpathed walk about 2.5miles long if you leave from the barn and head to Beeston Regis beach. Or try the estates of Mannington and Blicking with well-routed National Trust signposts.

Chaucer Barn is near to the historic Georgian town of Holt which is ripe for many an afternoon out for folk of all ages. Browse cute gift shops and boutiques, then stop at one of the fantastic delis for some food shopping. We particularly recommend the pies at Byfords. Bakers of Larners is upmarket department store with a great food hall supplying excellent luxury and local produce. To make the most of time spent in that convivial kitchen back at the barn, visit the lovely cookware department. Best for organic food is Back to the Farm just outside Letheringsett on A149; it’s about a 20-minute drive, but well worth the visit.