Per week
from 895.00 to 2295.00 GBP
.Home to possibly Britain’s first luxury and carbon neutral cottages, Home Farm Cranmer is a beautiful cluster of eight homely but stylishly converted barns and luxury eco-cottages set on 170 acres of sweeping farmland and gardens just a few minutes’ drive from many of the best beaches and sophisticated market towns of the North Norfolk coast.
Along with fabulous eco-credentials, cosy wood burners and luxurious touches, these 1- 6 bedroom cottages also benefit from shared use of a striking indoor heated pool, a toddlers play house, useful baby gear and pre-bookable services such as babysitting, meal delivery and massage/beauty therapy, that combine to provide a level of relaxation that can prove elusive on a holiday with toddlers.
Garden House is one of three new (Aug 2009) architect-designed eco cottages, which are said to be Britain's first carbon-neutral luxury holiday accommodation. Each has been designed with equal emphasis on style, luxury, comfort and sustainability. From their elegantly furnished sun terraces, guests can watch both the stunning sunsets and the small wind turbine generating their electricity. Meanwhile, the luxurious tiled floors inside the cottages benefit from geothermal (earth-warmed) heating, whilst solar panels provide their hot water. Although small amounts of gas and heating oil are used, they are offset by surplus electricity from the turbine which is sold to the National Grid - bringing the net carbon emissions for the three cottages down to zero.
Like all the converted cottages at Cranmer, Avocet combines modern architectural design with the best of the original features, the high vaulted ceilings and beautifully lit timber trusses are complemented by stylish contemporary colour schemes, modern kitchens and stylish, yet practical furnishings - testament to the Johnsons' backgrounds both in design and parenting! The cottage is set on one level making it ideal for both less mobile adults, including wheelchair users, or toddlers, although it may be worth noting that the tiled floors can be slippery when wearing just socks.
Garden House sleeps six in 3 bedrooms but can interconnect with Avocet Cottage, to create a large, 6-bedroom cottage with spacious communal lounge and dining table for 12.
Kids love the local steam railways, wildlife centres, dinosaur park, aquarium and seal spotting boat trips. Lynne can arrange cycle hire with tag-alongs and baby seats. A number of nearby National Trust houses have family friendly restaurants, play areas and playgrounds. Other family-friendly dining options include lunches at The Victoria, Holkham and The White Horse at Brancaster, or excellent fish and chips on Wells Quay. Nearby Walsingham Farm Barns sell a fantastic range of speciality foods direct from small suppliers, along with some excellent fresh-made ready meals. Alternatively, use pre-bookable baby-sitting and sample the excellent Galton Blackiston's Michelin starred Morston Hall.
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Check-in time: 16:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Reservation Deposit: 35%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
Check-in time: 16:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Reservation Deposit: 35%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
Check-in time: 16:00
Check-out time: 10:00
Reservation Deposit: 35%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
click to view full-size image
John and I moved
from cosmopolitan Islington to this wonderful peaceful backwater in 1998. John had family ties with North Norfolk along with many happy memories of childhood holidays here and we wanted to bring up our
daughter in a greener and more relaxed environment.
Over the past 11
years we have lovingly restored what was a dilapidated
farmhouse with a pile of ramshackle barns into award-winning luxury eco-cottages, preserving many of the
historic features and recycling original materials along the way. With the recent acquisition
of the surrounding 168 acres of farmland and Natural England’s Higher Level
Stewardship scheme we are revitalising the landscape too.
We had very little
experience of the tourism business when we first opened: I trained at the Royal
college of
Art as a fashion designer
and John is a specialist lighting consultant lighting art galleries around the
world. Our backgrounds have bought a unique edge to our business and certainly
John’s engineering skills have been essential in developing our unique
combination of renewable energy technologies at Home
Farm.
We never seek to impose
ourselves on our visitors but we are available to offer first hand experience of
discovering the best places to visit and experience. We deliver discreet and
friendly service and someone is usually on hand to deal with life’s little
emergencies. We constantly look for ways to surpass expectations whether it is in
supplying baby friendly extras or locally produced food delivered to your door. We focus on high quality with a
strong green ethos as part of our sustainable lifestyle strategy. We aim to
deliver a memorable Norfolk holiday experience for all who visit
and offer somewhere great to stay.
Lynne Johnson
We have a passion for boating so Norfolk really comes alive for us from April once the sailing season begins. However we also love the wide open sandy beaches and sultry marshland walks in the winter months. We were not birdwatchers before we settled here but with all of our hedgerow and tree planting we are continuing to notice a myriad of new visitors to the fields and gardens. Other favourite things include the wonderful autumnal tree walks held at Blicking Hall and Sherringham Park. A picnic on Holkham beach is pretty hard to beat but the excitement of horse racing at Fakenham has also provided a number of memorable days out with friends. Pensthorpe and Sculthorpe Moor are also favourite haunt - I could go on and on, best to come and see for yourself.
What’s not to love; miles of golden sand, empty beaches, steam railways in the image of the Thomas books, Boggle and friends and Bewilderwood, Bug trails and pond dipping at Pensthorpe, bike riding through Holkham deer park and Blickling Hall gardens. Our daughter Emily is now rather too grown up for these things and far too cool, however she will admit to enjoying a visit to Pensthorpe and of course a beach picnic with friends on Scolt head island which is such a hip place to hang out in the summer months. Crab racing down the slip way at Burnham Overy makes hauling out sailing boats at the end of the tide a perilous affair, but local families have enjoyed the pastime over many generations. A recent 4 year old niece’s birthday party in a beach hut at Wells was great fun, even if it did rain briefly. Ferry trips and seal spotting is a fantastic way to see the coast on a good day but a walk with bucket and spade and a picnic from one of the delis in Burnham Market or Wells is pretty unbeatable too.
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2 King sized bedrooms, 1 x twin room + 2 infant. Every adult, child or infant must have an allocated bed or travel cot. |
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 | Many glorious beaches within a short drive |
 | The pool at Cranmer is beautiful with huge windows offering lovely rural views. The water temperature and that of the changing rooms is kept comfortable for babies and toddlers. It should be noted that babies under 12 months are unfortunately not permitted to use the pool. |
 | Babysitting by a police-checked and approved sitter can be pre-booked. |
 | Baby equipment provided includes cots, high chairs, baby baths, night lights, baby monitors and children's utensils. |
 | There are DVDs, toys and bedtime story books available for in-cottage loan |
 | Gourmet hampers and delcious freshly pre-pared ready meals can be pre-booked on request. |
 | There's a new timber outdoor play area at Cranmer and a wendy house for younger children. |
 | Massage and beauty therapy treatments via a visiting local therapist can be pre-booked. |
 | Cranmer Cottages are primarily self-catering but meal delivery and private chef services are available on request. |
 | Stairgates where necessary |
 | There are 2 all-weather tennis courts onsite |
 | Several cots and highchairs are available on request |
Please click the text to scroll through reviews.
A wonderful location, ideal for exploring beach areas or Norwich. A really well appointed property overlooking a field/play area where we saw wildlife each day. The swimming pool was a bonus. We had a fabulous family week.Review dated 04/05/2014
Our toddler had a fantastic time between the wendy house and swings and the immaculately kept swimming pool. The Garden House accommodation was lovely - well appointed, modern yet warm and cosy and great in the late afternoon as the sun streamed into the living room. The proprietors are friendly, let us get on with things but were there if we needed them.Review dated 06/04/2011
We haved stayed at Cranmer on a couple of previous occasions and loved it. Avocet is a significant step up in quality from the existing accomodation and is very well equipped and stylishly designed. Our kids (4 and 2) love going to Cranmer, particularly the beautiful pool. We would highly recommend it.Review dated 03/11/2009
We haved stayed at Cranmer on a couple of previous occasions and loved it. Avocet is a significant step up in quality from the existing accomodation and is very well equipped and stylishly designed. Our kids (4 and 2) love going to Cranmer, particularly the beautiful pool. We would highly recommend it.Review dated 03/11/2009
Overall ExperienceChild-FriendlinessLocationHospitality / WelcomeInteriors*Ratings by verified BFB guests who stayed here with young children.
Rated by 3 guests.
