Historic Houses & Beautiful Gardens in Norfolk

Itinerary

Day 1, Travelling to Norwich via The Sandringham Estate

Departing at 08.30 from Shrewsbury we travel to Norfolk, stopping en-route at The Sandringham Estate. Nestled in the heart of The Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sandringham has been the much-loved private country retreat of the royal family since 1862.

Sandringham House, House Tour and access to the Gardens and Museum

Perhaps the most famous stately home in Norfolk the house is at the heart of the 8,000 hectare Sandringham Estate. With its Jacobean style exterior it was built by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and houses a collection of treasures ranging from the Victorian-era to present day.

We will visit the house as a group, however the tour is free flow with a multi-media audio guide providing commentary on each room. The main eight ground floor rooms, regularly used by the Royal Family, will be open. The décor and contents remain very much as they were in Edwardian times. The house is surrounded by glorious gardens landscaped by Geoffrey Jellicoe and developed by subsequent monarchs.

Opened by King George V in 1930 you can also visit The Museum, which contains very interesting photographs, and a variety of memorabilia.

After the house tour take some time to stroll in the gardens. The North Garden, West Terrace and especially the Lake are a delight and there are seats scattered about where you can rest and take in the variety of vistas, as well as Queen Alexandra’s summer house, the “Nest”, overlooking the lake.

St Mary Magdalene Church

The parish church of St Mary Magdalene has held memorials to many members and relations of the Royal Family from Queen Victoria onwards. It is used regularly as a place of worship by the Royal Family and Estate staff. The sumptuously decorated chancel with its carved angels frames the silver altar and reredos were presented to Queen Alexandra by the American Rodman Wanamaker as a tribute to King Edward VII.

Refreshments

We will be arriving at lunch time and as Sandringham has a lovely café on the estate you can eat there or bring your own picnic to enjoy in the grounds. The Sandringham Shop offers an extensive collection of artisan Norfolk products, from beautiful home and garden ware to country attire.

Departing Sandringham at 16.00 we aim to be at Dunston Hall for 18.00, traffic permitting. To make sure we are well and truly settled in you are invited to meet up for pre-dinner drinks.

Day 2, Private visit to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden & seafront stroll

East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden

With a leisurely start to the day we will leave the hotel at 10.00 for the 30-minute drive to the beautiful East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden by the North Norfolk coast.

We have arranged a private visit to the gardens which will be closed to the public. Morning coffee will be served on arrival and one of the owners – Graham or Alan – will join us to talk about how they have transformed the original 2-acres of three feet high tufted grass into a 32-acre exotic garden. They will be pleased to answer your questions.

This beautiful, modern garden contains many garden rooms with herbaceous borders, gravel gardens, sub-tropical gardens, a box parterre, sunken rose garden, Mediterranean garden, Desert Wash and a large woodland garden. This garden is unique and once the talk has finished you are free to wander off and discover this beautiful place at your own pace. Expect to bump into each other as you make your way around the garden rooms and enjoy sharing your delightful discoveries.

A light lunch is included in today’s visit and will be served in the café.

Seafront Stroll

Departing at 15.00 we will head for the seafront where we will stop for a stroll and even a paddle for those feeling brave enough. We aim to be back at the hotel around 17.00 and dinner will be served at 19.30.

Day 3, Private Cruise on the Norfolk Broads and visiting a small private garden

Private cruise with morning coffee, lunch, and commentary for part of the trip

Everyone should see the Norfolk Broads and the best way to appreciate the Broads is from the water. This morning we depart our hotel at 09.30 for a short drive to the Cordon Rouge boat where we will enjoy a 3-hour private Broads cruise.

Enjoy tea and coffee once we are all on board then sit back and relax while our skipper provides a commentary for part of the trip. Learn about the Broads’ fascinating history and heritage from its remarkable origins such as medieval peat diggings to its history of trading wherries, thatching and the Victorian tourism boom that has left Wroxham with the stunning riverside houses you will see during our cruise.

A light lunch will be served before we disembark at 13.00.

Private Garden Visit

After lunch we will make our way to a lovely private garden that has been developed by its owners over a number of years. More details will be provided as soon as the owners confirm our booking. Who doesn’t love a cup of tea and a slice of home-made cake while admiring a beautiful garden? So, as you’d expect, tea and cake will be served during our visit.

We aim to be back at the hotel by 17.30 leaving you time to relax before dinner.

Day 4, Holkham Hall and Wells-next-the-Sea coastal town

Holkham Hall, Gardens and Holkham Stories Experience

Departing at 09.30 enjoy the journey to this glorious Hall where we will spend most of the day. We are near the coast so on our way back we will stop at the lovely coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea.

The last two days have included organised activities and refreshments so today, at Holkam Hall, it is a day to do your own thing. Nestled within 25,000 acres of rolling parkland, Holkham Hall is an 18th-century Palladian style house, based on designs by William Kent and built by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester.

Holkam Hall

The Marble Hall is truly breath-taking with its impressive 50ft dome ceiling and elegant walls of English alabaster – not marble as the name suggests! A grand staircase leads to a myriad of state rooms, from the Saloon with its rich, red velvet-lined walls to many sumptuous bedchambers where royalty once lay; state dining rooms adorned with exquisite porcelain; galleries of statuary and art by the Old Masters; libraries bursting with books and manuscripts; and of course, the Old Kitchen with its rows of polished copper pots, pans and moulds.

The Gardens

Step through the Venetian gates and explore the tranquil and enchanting Walled Garden dating back to the late 1700s. Holkham is currently rejuvenating the six acres of walled garden originally laid out by Samuel Wyatt. Discover the spectacular Georgian and Victorian greenhouses and vineries, a formal ornamental garden, an established vineyard, a working kitchen garden, the exotic garden with its large lawn, and lastly, the cutting garden with its beautiful array of blooms.

Learn how the estate is turning to nature to tackle pests and diseases rather than chemicals and cover crops to help improve the quality of the soils. You will notice the wildflowers in and around the Walled Garden planted to encourage and support pollinators.

Holkham Stories Experience

Visit the interactive museum where many stories of Holkham’s rich, 400-year heritage and innovative future, are celebrated. Learn how some of the foremost landscape designers of their day helped shape Holkham’s setting over the years. Discover how the bricks used to build the Hall were made on the estate, and Coke family’s role in prosecuting the Gunpowder Plotters through to playing a major part in the agricultural revolution. The present-day ‘Great Farm Project’ sets out the vision for sustainable food production, and how the estate is powered by its own renewable energy.

Holkham National Nature Reserve and Beach

If you are up for a walk this is the place to see some of the most unspoilt, natural, and beautiful stretches of sand in the country, along with the many fascinating habitats and rare species of flora and fauna that make up the Holkham National Nature Reserve. With conservation and sustainability at the heart of everything they do, the estate recognises the importance of protecting the natural environments for future generations.

On leaving Holkham we will head to the small seaside town of Wells-next-the-sea, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wells-Next-the-Sea

The award-winning beach at Wells is vast, unspoilt and beautiful, famous for its pine trees, sand dunes and colourful beach huts. Wading birds can be seen on the foreshore, including terns, oystercatchers, and avocets, and if you’re lucky you can spot common and grey seals basking in the sun.

At the very heart of Wells lies the Quay – the town’s centre of gravity and focus of activity. Stroll around the busy harbour and see the large granary building with its distinctive overhanging gantry. Until recent times Wells was a manufacturing town, once supplying huge quantities of malt to Dutch and then London breweries. Located on the harbour and in full view of the quay, is the 3-metre high sculpture of The Lifeboat Horse. Fully visible at low tide, and partly submerged at high tide, it appears to swim through the waves. Made from steel bars and whisky barrels and created by artist Rachael Long, it is a tribute to the horses that once pulled the town’s lifeboat more than two miles from the quay to Holkham Gap.

We will arrive back at the hotel about 17.30 giving you plenty of time to relax before dinner.

Day 5, Norwich City with Blue Badge Guide, and travel back to Shrewsbury

Departing the hotel at 09.30 we will make our way to the beautiful city of Norwich aiming to at 10.00 and staying until 14.00 allowing plenty of time to enjoy this ‘City of Stories’.

Norwich is made for walking with pedestrianised streets, alleys and pathways, and a walk along the river Wensum that flows through the city. Claiming to be the most complete medieval city in the UK it is a charming place to stroll through with its cobbled streets, ancient buildings, half-timbered houses, and many medieval lanes.

To ensure that you can make the most of your time in this lovely city a local Blue Badge Guide will meet us from the coach and provide a brief orientation. For those that enjoy a walking tour the guide will take us on a leisurely stroll through the city’s main sights, sharing historical stories as we go. The tour will end at the Cathedral, one of the great Norman buildings of England. Entry into the Cathedral is free. However a voluntary contribution is suggested as you enter.

There are lots of lovely places to stop for a coffee and a good lunch – so you don’t have to cook when you get home. As well as major high street retailers there are also dozens of independent shops if you want to fit in a bit of shopping and are looking for something different.

At 14.00 we depart from Norwich for Shrewsbury where we aim to arrive at 19.00, traffic permitting.

Booking your place

Two people sharing a twin or double room is £1220 per person. A supplement for sole occupancy of a double room is £140.

£100 non-refundable deposit is payable on booking. Full payment is due 10 weeks before departure.

Travel arrangements

Departing Shrewsbury 08.30 on Monday morning and arriving back in Shrewsbury at 19.00 on Friday. All timings are provisional and will be confirmed 7-days before travel.

You are strongly advised to take out your own travel insurance to cover you for any emergency or cancellation or loss of luggage etc.

And finally…

Please look at the Mobility & Accessibility section further down this page where we have put notes and links to information on venues.

Dunston Hall Hotel, Norwich

Dunston Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Norwich

Dunston Hall is an ideal base for our Norfolk adventure with easy access to the coast and a number of fabulous destinations. The hall, built in 1859, has seen many incarnations over the years but many period features remain in this impressive Manor House.

Whether you want to enjoy a drink on the lovely terrace while taking in the view, take a stroll in the woodlands or maybe have a refreshing dip in the indoor pool, this is a wonderful location in which to relax after visiting delightful Norfolk destinations. Please note that spa treatments are available to book directly with the hotel and are not included in this holiday.

Arrangements for dinner

Dinner is usually served at 19.30. On the first evening we will meet for a pre-dinner drink to provide an opportunity to chat, relax and meet fellow travellers. Dinner is always a sociable time with tables being arranged to seat 2, 4 or 6 leaving you free to join dinner companions of your choice.

For information on accessibility at the hotel please click here.

Accessibility & Mobility Information for Venues

We appreciate travel can sometimes be difficult if you have particular mobility requirements.

For information on accessibility and mobility arrangements at all destinations please follow the links below. Pages often include information on the type of terrain at the venue, wheelchair access, lifts and equipment available for hire. We kindly ask you to make any hire arrangements directly with the venues.

Day 1, Sandringham Estate

Day 2, Scroll down the page to the ‘Facilities & Accessibility’ section, East Rushton Old Vicarage Gardens

Day 3, Norfolk Broads Cruise provides a lot of information about arrival and on board assistance. Private garden TBC

Day 4, Download the access guide for Holkham Hall.

Historic Houses & Beautiful Gardens in Norfolk

Tour Information

UPDATE: We have one twin / double room available for this tour. To join the waiting list please call or email.

Included in this tour

Sandringham Estate with entry into the House and self-guided tour audio guide

East Ruston Vicarage Garden on a closed day, with coffee on arrival, lunch and a talk from one of the garden owners followed by a trip to the coast to see the sea, have a stroll and a even a paddle for those that dare

Private hire cruise on the Norfolk Broads with commentary, coffee on arrival and lunch on board

Visiting a very special private garden which of course includes tea and cake – awaiting confirmation

Holkham Hall, Gardens, Grounds & Museum followed by a visit to the lovely coastal town, Wells-next-the-Sea

Norwich City with Blue Badge Guide and walking tour

4 night’s Dinner B&B at the Dunston Hall Hotel & Spa with pre-dinner drinks on the first night

Tour accompanied by Jacky & Sue, Wisteria Tours

Coach travel throughout the tour with award winning Lakeside Coaches of Ellesmere.

Includes Norfolk Broads Cruise & visit to Norwich