Win a blissful break for

Barnham Broom | Romantic R&R

THIS MONTH FEAST NORFOLK HAS TEAMED UP WITH BARNHAM BROOM TO OFFER ONE READER THE CHANCE TO WIN A WINTER SPA BREAK FOR TWO! www.barnham-broom.co.uk

WITH LUXURY SPA TREATMENTS, outstanding scenery, beautiful bedrooms and delicious afternoon teas - Barnham Broom offers the perfect escape this winter.

Barnham Broom offers a warm welcome to all guests with its exceptional four-star experience and first class facilities and amenities. Boasting a stylish setting in the heart of the Norfolk countryside, it is perfectly located just west of the historic city of Norwich and within easy reach of all the county’s main attractions.

The resort overlooks 300 acres of beautiful Norfolk countryside and has 46 contemporary bedrooms offering luxurious accommodation.

Barnham Broom is best known for its two contrasting 18-hole golf courses, The Valley course and The Hill course, surrounding the picturesque River Yare Valley.

Dine at one of Norfolk’s finest restaurants, the Brasserie, which offers a stunning menu using local-sourced produce, designed by Head Chef, Mark Elvin. The Brasserie also serves a delicious roast lunch every Sunday.

Or settle down for an indulgent afternoon tea in the Valley Bar and comfortable lounge - upgrade the experience with Champagne, cocktails, a G&T or another favourite tipple.

Meanwhile, The Spa at Barnham Broom is a wonderful place to relax and unwind, offering a complete range of professional treatments using high-quality ESPA products. Pop in for a manicure or stay for the day with one of their Spa Day packages.

The Edge Health & Fitness Club, with indoor heated swimming pool, integrated relaxation pool, sauna, steam room, state-of-the-art gym, squash and tennis courts, table tennis and fitness classes, is the perfect place to improve your health and well-being. TO ENQUIREabout your break, call 01603 759393 or email enquiry@barnham-broom.co.uk

How To Enter:

Simply visit www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk and follow the competition instructions. Good luck! TERMS & CONDITIONS Please include your name and an email address. The winner will be selected at random when the competition closes on February 29, 2020. Normal Feast competition rules apply and the editor’s decision is final. The prize is based on two people sharing a room and includes a three course dinner in the Brasserie with a bottle of house wine; luxurious spa treatment (which can be swapped to a round of golf, if preferred); and use of The Edge Health & Fitness Club throughout the stay. The prize is available to take Sunday to Friday, until March 31, 2020. No cash alternative given. Subject to availability.

As we settled in, we toyed between which of the two bedrooms to choose - one with a huge king size bed and plenty of room for all our belongings, or the smaller double, with its original beams, and pitched roof with skylight. There was also a second little window so, when lying in bed, you can gaze out over open fields - we watched a hare racing along, and a starling murmuration displaying stunning swooping designs across the wide open Norfolk sky, both of which had us hooked.

There is so much to see and do in North Norfolk and we always love to visit, so it was a great treat to be living, for a few days at least, so close to so many wonderful places. Our first foray was to Holt, always a favourite haunt for a wander, and it was lovely to see it looking at its best with lots of new shops and eateries to visit - in particular we enjoyed supper at Eric’s Fish & Chips, where the food was excellent - there was the additional option of gluten free, and the service was super-friendly and efficient.

The following day we headed off in the rain and took a trip along the coast road, arriving at Burnham Market in time for lunch - great planning! After wandering around the independent boutiques and galleries, we followed the lure of a blazing fire and headed into NoTWENTY9 - what a great find - such friendly staff, comfortable surroundings and welcome selection of food and drink to ponder over.

After a bracing amount of Norfolk air from a good long walk, we returned to the welcoming embrace of the cottage to relax on the super-comfy sofas with a good book in front of the wood-burner.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what the weather throws at you - whether it is walks along the coast or around the local countryside, or chilling out in front of the fire, all we needed was a luxurious little home from home.

We can’t wait to return to this wonderful part of our county - whether it’s with our wellies or our sun hats, North Norfolk has everything to offer and we have found a great base to enjoy it from. APPLETREE COTTAGE is a dog-free property.

TWO GO ON AN ADVENTURE

The Isle of Purbeck in Dorset is home to the Famous Five books of derringdo. Sarah Hardy enjoys the timeless appeal of this coastal region

www.visit-dorset.com

It’s so evocative, especially when floodlit at night, and it’s worth a scramble, Famous Five style, around the remaining ruins''

HO GREW UP READING ENID BLYTON? Now, of course, her novels are considered a bit politically incorrect but I loved them. Being an outdoorsy child, always on my bike with the family dog at heel, I revelled in the Famous Five and their adventures and wasn’t sophisticated enough to see any potential problems!

In the 1940s and 50s, Enid was a regular visitor to the Isle of Purbeck, a watery peninsula near Poole in Dorset. It’s famous for Corfe Castle, the Victorian resort of Swanage and the simply awesome coastline which takes in iconic landmarks including Durdle Door and Old Harry Rocks, as well as dramatic stretches of coastline like Studland and beautiful bays such as Lulworth Cove.

Enid used much of the local scenery in her books, with her protagonists clambering over Kirrin Castle (Corfe Castle) and sailing around Whispering Island (Brownsea Island) as they solved mysteries and righted wrongs.

It’s a good five hour drive from us here in Norfolk but offers such a different landscape. All those hills for a start which are a challenge to walkers like me who do okay in this part of the world but have to dig deep when confronted with a sharp ascent!

My husband and I based ourselves in a little stone cottage in Corfe Castle, all sloping ceilings and an open fire. The whole village oozes heritage, and, fortunately, pubs and tearooms. There must be 10, easily, so you don’t have to work too hard to enjoy yourself. I loved the tiny 16th century Fox Inn, and the newish Pink Goat was the place for brunch, complete with decent coffee.

It’s dominated by the castle, which dates back to the 11th century and was built on a hill by William the Conqueror. It’s so evocative, especially when floodlit at night, and it’s worth a scramble, Famous Five style, around the remaining ruins - followed by a cream tea in the nearby National Trust tearoom, of course.

Another must see is Swanage, and you can catch a vintage train from Corfe Castle to the seaside resort. The line was threatened with closure in the 1970s but is now a popular tourist attraction, with special dining carriages offering great lunches, Valentine's specials and more. W SWANAGE BAY

Swanage has a great town beach and plenty of quirky shops - look out for Salt Pig Too, with its impressive meat counter and café, the Purbeck Deli and the Swanage Bay Fish company. Chilled Red is the town’s trendy eaterie, and we had a very good Sunday lunch at The Pines hotel, where the restaurant looks right out to sea, with the Isle of Wight visible on a clear day. There’s a fish festival in June which sounds worthwhile, and I can report the local fish and chips are great, too!

But it’s the coastline that does it for me. Stretching for 90-odd miles from Devon through to Dorset, the Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site, famous for its geology and perfect for fossil hunting. This stretch of the South West Coast Path, which runs all the way from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset, offers endless walking options - with many circular routes taking you to some fabulous inland pubs for some much needed refreshments.

HERE ARE JUST SOME OF OUR STOCKISTS FROM ACROSS THE REGION

The Deli, Jarrold, Norwich Bakers and Larners, Holt Marks and Spencer, Norwich and King’s Lynn Waitrose, Swaffham Adnams Stores across the region Archer's Butchers, Norwich Coxfords Butchers, Aylsham Bread Source, Norwich and Aylsham Drove Orchard Farm Shop, Thornham Tuscan Farm Shop, Burnham Market The Hoste Arms, Burnham Market Walsingham Farms Shop, Little Walsingham Goodies’ Farm Shop, Pulham Green Pastures, Bergh Apton Highway Nursery, Framingham Pigot Bawdeswell Garden Centre, Bawdeswell White House Farm, Norwich Hen House, Cavick Farm, Wymondham Thetford Garden Centre, Thetford The Green Grocers, Norwich Hunstanton Tourist Information Centre Norwich Tourist Information Centre Cromer Tourist Information Centre Giddeon and Thompson, Bungay Earsham Street Deli, Bungay Old Hall Farm, Woodton, Bungay Yare Valley Oils, Surlingham, Norwich Deepdale Information Centre, Burnham Deepdale La Hogue, Chippenham, Newmarket Norwich Camping, Blofield Park Farm, Hethersett Creake Abbey, North Creake See our website for more... www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk.

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I enjoyed walking around Lulworth, which is as pretty a spot as you could wish for. Take in the amazing Portland stone arch that is Durdle Door, and eat a crab sarnie at The Boat Shed at Lulworth Cove which overlooks the golden sands.

We also walked around Kimmeridge, where the bay offers great rock pooling. The 19th century Tuscan-style Clavell Tower stands proud on the top of a hill and Clavell’s restaurant, in the centre of the village, is a popular stop - I tucked into a very good Ploughman’s which included a somewhat incongruous big fat sausage from the local farm shop!

Worth Maltravers is another little coastal village which has several good walking routes - many taking in the wonderful village pub, the Square and Compass. It’s a bit like stepping back in time, with a tiny serving hatch and a couple of little rooms where you can enjoy local beers and a choice of either meat or cheese pie. It’s the polar opposite of a gastro pub and all the better for that. I loved it! I went for a meat pasty, followed by a huge slice of apple cake served with Purbeck ice cream, and this combination, with a half of their own cider, set me up for our afternoon of walking.

Finally, Studland, a remote stretch of sandy bays and nature reserves which are rammed with sun seekers in the summer but gloriously empty at this time of year, is the place for quiet contemplation. There are numerous footpaths, dogs are welcome all year round and you’ll also find one of the area’s best hotels, The Pig on the Beach with its superlative Kitchen Garden Restaurant. Sound like paradise found? Quite possibly.

THE PIG ON THE BEACH, STUDLAND BAY