“Delightful getaway”
We booked the Woodman's Barn after searching online for a dog friendly rental in Norfolk to spend a few days at, celebrating our 30th Wedding Anniversary and this property appeared to fit the bill, although with sub-zero temperatures and strong north winds forecast over the period we were due stay, we had some concern that we would be too cold. In the event this concern proved to be totally unfounded.
We phoned the owner to arrange for key collection, a couple of days before we were due to arrive and were pleasantly surprised to learn we could access the property any time after 12pm (the web-site specified 3pm earliest) the keys being available in a Key-Safe on the property, accessed by a code we were given. When we arrived around 12:30 the owner was in fact just finishing his check of the property, and greeted us, showing us around and explaining the heating system etc. and advising he had left us a bottle of milk in the fridge and a loverly bottle of Red Wine on the table, (an unexpected and nice touch). The Heating was controlled by a non-accessible automatic timer, set to run from 3:30 pm - 10:30 pm and from 6:30am to 10:30am. There was a set-able thermostat in the hall by the bedrooms, and all radiators had thermostatic regulators. Hot water being available on demand 24hrs. The kitchen area was equipped with a fridge and a small separate Freezer, although we found that the fridge was working in overdrive and the milk was close to freezing solid. The kitchen was also equipped with electric oven and ceramic, kettle, toaster, microwave, washing machine, and dishwasher, all of which were easy to operate and worked as they should. The main bedroom which had patio doors opening onto a small patio/ grassed area was of good size with ample storage and hangers in Wardrobe. The bed was a good size and relatively comfortable with bedside cabinet and reading lamp on either side. The 2nd bedroom looked cosy with bed, wardrobe and table with lamp, although this was at the foot of the bed and would not be practical for reading. The third bedroom was upstairs and situated in a quirky room between the eaves, and would necessitate having to step over and through the rafters to get to and from the bed, should you use this room ( kids would like love it although would need a torch at night to move around safely). The barn had a huge Bathroom with toilet, corner-shower unit, and lovely big and deep bath which we made use of several times.
The garden area around the property was fully fenced with latching gates and wire mesh across all areas which meant we could let our dog Molly out on her own knowing she would be safe and secure (a very thoughtful touch).
It was a little cool when we first arrived, but I put my Ray Mears bush-craft to good use, and soon got a blazing fire going in the log-burning stove with Using the starter-pack of kindling and logs provided. This soon took the chill off until the central heating came on, after which the place was warm and cosy for the rest of our stay. One note of caution however:- The logs provided for the stove, were so large they only just fitted in the the grate, and on one occasion, the log dislodged the burner back-plate, which resulted in the flue becoming blocked and black smoke billowing into the room! on another occasion, we had smoke blowing out of the stove top when the wind was blowing strongly in the wrong direction, so use with caution! The Settee in the living area was huge and the large assortment of cushions provided, made it very comfortable. There was ample lighting in the kitchen/dining area although the living-room would benefit from a downlighter next to the settee as it was a little dark to read. There was a table lamp next to the television, but this was not working and there were no spare bulbs.
Although located off the main road, the Barn was set back far enough as to not cause us any inconvenience from road noise, and its general location just outside Cromer, made it an ideal location for exploring the area and some of the neighbouring costal towns.
In summary the property exceeded our expectations, was good value for money, and we would definitely go back again, and recommend it to friends.
- V2336CZdavew, December 2017
