| Self-catering
near Thetford and Great Hockham, Thetford Forest, Breckland, Norfolk Great
Hockham is a small but charming village that lies to the north east of
Thetford Forest.
It's a five minute walk away from a section of the forest but about a
twenty minute drive to the High Lodge Visitor Centre and amenities in
the heart of the forest.
 The
village is built around the triangular green in the centre, where
there is a bench to rest and admire the lovely traditional cottages
surrounding it.
The
large stone on the village green was discovered in the 1880's and
dragged to the green by two horses. It now forms part of a stone
turning ceremony which is performed to celebrate special occasions
like the Millenium and the Queen's Jubilee. It takes six people with
levers and strategically placed blocks of wood to turn the
stone. This unusual ceremony was filmed by ITV in 1977 - an
example of a quaint Norfolk custom. A village fete with such events as
wheelbarrow races usually accompanies this event.
People
in the country have always had to generate their own entertainment and
typical village happenings take place. There is a parish
council with regular meetings, an annual flower show where gardeners
compete with the best and biggest vegetables, and the occasional quiz
night. The Eagle pub provides an opportunity for people to meet
over a pint of beer in the evenings. The Great Hockham news sheet is distributed to all
inhabitants and neighbours know each other well in such
villages.
Hollyhocks,
those traditional cottage garden flowers grow in abundance and adorn
many a front garden. It's worth paying a visit just to take a
look at the beautifully cared for cottage gardens with a profusion of
flowers.
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This
delightful thatched cottage with hollyhocks and buddlias, has
stood here for centuries. Neighbouring cottages are equally
divine. |
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| There
is a village shop which has unfortunately recently closed and
a post office, the Eagle pub and an old
church with some unusual medieval paintings. Funds of
about £25,000 need to be raised to provide toilets and
essential renovations to the church. |
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| A
small modern estate has been built opposite the shop and post
office but even that has been built in keeping with the style
of the village and blends successfully. |
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| Walks
around Great Hockham close to Thetford Forest |
| There
are several walks in and close to the village. |
|
- Village
Trail
- Farm
Trail
- Guided
Walk
- Peddars
Way - 1 mile
- Great
Eastern Pingo Trail - a circular 8 mile walk which starts
about a mile away and encompasses several different types
of habitat. The name comes from pingos which are
water filled craters left after the last ice
age. Shetland ponies can be found near part of
the trail which is also exceptionally rich in rare
wildlife.
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| Accommodation |
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| We
stayed at Manor Farm, a
four star bed and breakfast establishment at Vicarage
Road, in the village - the next road on the left after the
village shop.
The
accommodation on offer in this 450 year old refurbished
farmhouse is one double room with an en-suite bathroom, a
large family or triple room, and a single room, with shared
facilities. We arrived to be greeted with tea and home
made cakes and biscuits in the spacious and airy dining room
with a large central table and exposed beams. Going up
the stairs to the bedrooms, the air was pleasantly scented
with local dried lavender, and small floral sachets of this
are attached to each bed to encourage sleep. The decor
can best be described as Laura Ashley country style which
blends well with the wealth of exposed oak beams. Pleasure is
taken in the quality and detail. A choice of teas and
coffee was provided with quality English china and prettily
wrapped home-made biscuits in each bedroom. Fresh milk
is set aside in china jugs.
The
resident owners, Miriam and Trevor Thomas are welcoming,
informative and excellent cooks. Breakfast is selected
from a menu before retiring to bed, and served in the morning
in the dining room. Fresh local and home grown produce
and free range eggs are used. We enjoyed cereal and
fresh fruit salad with the locally pressed apple juice, followed by a traditional English cooked
breakfast, toast and a variety of wonderful Norfolk jams and honey, all served on fine
bone china.
Our
hosts also cook dinner on request, but this has to be booked
in advance. They host various gourmet dinners during the
year, like the Nut Crack Night which is held after harvesting
the local walnuts and at the end of the farming season, and a
Twelfth Night Dinner. Eighteen people in all can be
seated in the dining room and special occasions are catered
for.
We
had a thoroughly agreeable weekend in Norfolk and plan to
return to do a few more things, perhaps walk the Pingo Trail,
and to enjoy some more delicious home cooked meals at Manor
Farm. Telephone : 01953 498 204 if you wish to book and
have a pleasant place to stay whilst visiting this part of
Norfolk. Horses and pets are also
welcome.
Alternatively,
you may prefer to self-cater at 'The Old School Cottage' in the
village which is a charming and secluded cottage with a
private garden. The cottage is attached to the owners
house and is maintained in a pristine condition. The
local pub is just a few yards around the corner. Please
view details below and in the menu on the left under Norfolk. |
|
Self-catering
accommodation in and around Thetford Forest, Breckland, Norfolk
| Sleeps
4 near Thetford Forest, 1 double bedroom (5'
bed) , 1 twin |
 Old School Cottage
(4*) is an 18th century brick and flint cottage on the edge of
Great Hockham, a quiet conservation village bordering Thetford Forest, close to the Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambridgeshire borders.
It's about a 20 minute drive from the 'Go Ape' experience and
the visitor centre. Old School Cottage has been renovated to a very high standard and has a wealth of beams and other period features. The cottage has a pretty, south-facing and enclosed 'cottage' garden with patio, garden furniture and barbecue. There is off-road parking for 2 cars.
Old School Cottage offers plenty of home comforts including a washing machine, tumble
drier, electric cooker, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, colour TV, video recorder, CD player, payphone, cot high chair etc. There is also a vast range of tourist brochures, books, games and local videos. Linen (duvets), towels, electricity and oil fired central heating are included in the cost.
View details under Norfolk on left.
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Contact:
Email Colin,
for availability and bookings, Telephone: 01953 498277 |
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| Please
use the Feature Pages menu to find more self-catering cottages
in Norfolk , Thetford
Forest and East Anglia. |
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at any time.
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