Places to visit and things to do

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Stable Cottage and Laundry Cottage are conveniently located for day trips out to a wide range of inland and coastal attractions. Here are just a few suggestions, with links to relevant websites and the drive time from Heydon shown in brackets:

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Nearby towns, villages and city

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• Reepham - a beautiful market town with 18th century houses and market place (10 minutes)

• Aylsham - an attractive market town situated beside the upper reaches of the River Bure (15 minutes)

• ​Holt - a lovely Georgian town with plenty of unusual shops and surrounded by well-wooded parks (25 minutes)

• Norwich - a fantastic city of heritage, culture and shopping with a centre that's easy to walk around (35 minutes)

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Stately homes and gardens

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• Blickling Hall  - mansion house, gardens, parkland, woodland and cafes (15 minutes)

• Mannington Gardens - gardens, tea rooms and woodland walks (15 minutes)

• Felbrigg Hall - country house, walled garden, parkland, woodland and tea room (30 minutes)

• East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens - private gardens, plant sales and tea room (40 minutes)

• Holkham Hall - Palladian hall, walled garden, deer park, woodland play area and cafes (50 minutes)

• Oxburgh Hall - moated country house, formal gardens, woodland trail and tea room (60 minutes)

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Boats and sailing

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• Norfolk Broads - rent a motor boat, sail boat, rowing boat or canoe or join a paddle steamer river cruise (30 minutes)

• Canoe Man - kayak, canoe and cycle hire plus guided tours and bushcraft courses (30 minutes)

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Wildlife and birdwatching

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• Foxley Wood - Norfolk’s largest remaining ancient woodland (20 minutes)

• Pensthorpe Natural Park - 700 acres of wildlife, gardens, adventure and indoor play (30 minutes)

• Cley Marshes - Norfolk Wildlife Trust's oldest and best known nature reserve (30 minutes)

• Beans Boat Trips – day trips to see the seals and birds at Blakeney Point (35 minutes)

• Temple Seal Trips – day trips to see the seals and birds at Blakeney Point (35 minutes)

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Beaches, coastal towns and villages

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• Blakeney - quayside town with fabulous views across the estuary and salt marshes (30 minutes)

• Sheringham – a quintessential north Norfolk flinty seaside town (30 minutes)

• Cromer - famous for its tasty crabs, wide open beaches and traditional pier (35 minutes)

• Wells-Next-The-Sea - fishing quay, sandy beach, sand dunes, pine trees, and colourful beach huts (40 minutes)

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Walking and cycling trails

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• Marriott’s Way – a 26 mile off-road trail following the route of two disused railway lines (15 minutes) 

• Bure Valley Path - walk alongside the Bure Valley Railway line one way and take the train back (15 minutes)

• Health, heritage and biodiversity - circular walks that take in the local countryside and villages (15 minutes)

• Weaver's Way - a 61 mile route with scenery ranging from woodland and mixed farmland to grazing marshes and tidal mud flats (15 minutes)

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Heritage railways

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• Bure Valley Railway - steam train rides on Norfolk’s longest narrow gauge railway (15 minutes)

• Whitwell & Reepham Railway - train rides, bike hire, cafe and museum (15 minutes)

• North Norfolk Railway - steam train rides, historic stations, museum and souvenir shops (25 minutes)

• Wells & Walsingham Light Railway - the longest 10¼" narrow gauge steam railway in the world (40 minutes)   

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Family adventure

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• Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure - life-size dinosaur trail, animal enclosures, adventure playground and deer park (20 minutes)

• BeWILDerwood - outdoor adventure with treehouses, zip wires, jungle bridges, storytelling, boat trips and marsh walks (30 minutes)