Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads
Seal Cottage .... nr beaches, seals and Norfolk broads.
Great coastal location ‘in the wilds of Norfolk’ with wonderful walks straight from the cottage to Horsey Mere, on the Norfolk Broads, and Horsey's spectacular seal colony. Great for couples, families and wildlife enthusiasts, Seal Cottage, Horsey, is an idyllic coastal escape.
The cottage is in a wonderful location close to one of Norfolk's largest and most accessible seal colonies. As well as being just a few minutes away from Horsey's beautiful sandy beach, with car park, Horsey Mere on the Norfolk Broads is also close by with its iconic National Trust wind pump. Horsey is known worldwide for its diverse wildlife and nature conservation.
This cosy semi-detached house is the perfect place to come on holiday, relax, explore all the local beaches and enjoy this special unspoilt part of Norfolk. Nearby, from Horsey Staithe, there is a wonderful 'wildlife' boat trip taking you out onto Horsey Mere (April - October). Day boats can also be hired locally.
The cottage has an open-plan kitchen and dining area with a warm yet modern feel. The kitchen is well set up for cooking. Do venture out to pick up some seafood/catch of the day from Hirst’s Farm-shop/ Fishmongers in nearby Ormesby. The cottage has a spacious yet cosy sitting room with a woodburner, plenty of logs and shelves with games, DVDs and books. In both the sitting room and kitchen/breakfast room there is a freeview TV with a built in DVD player. Downstairs there is also a shower room with w/c. Upstairs there are 2 double bedrooms with king size beds, both with good quality mattresses and built in cupboards. The twin bedroom with matching single beds has a chest of drawers. There is also a bathroom with overhead shower attachment.
As well as having a woodburner stove, the cottage is central heated and double glazed throughout so very cosy all year round. It has a large fully enclosed garden. There is also a spacious 'walk in' open covered area ideal for bicycles. At the front there is ample off-street parking for 2 cars.
Horsey coastline is a designated 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. The area is renowned world wide for its diverse wildlife, conservation and rare birds. This is where the European Crane first settled after 400 years of absence in the UK. As well as being popular for bird watchers, remarkably Horsey also has one of the largest and most accessible seal colonies. Last winter there was a record number of seals (over 3,000 seal pups) born on or close to Horsey Gap beach.
From the peaceful cottage garden there are wonderful views of the surrounding countryside and the cranes are often heard or seen flying over, as are a number of other rare birds.
Also from the cottage, there are various footpaths perfect for dog walking. If you walk along the coast you are likely to have a wonderful close view of the seals. Please note that during the seal breeding season (end October - February) viewing is from the sand dunes so as not to disturb the seals or their pups during this important time. Dogs can come too but must please be kept on leads. Dogs are welcome on Horsey beach apart from during this time.
There is a great longer circular walk (1hr45) (right next to the cottage) taking you past the infamous Brograve Mill, Horsey Mere, the iconic National Trust Horsey Windpump and then back along the stunning sandy beach/dunes of Horsey beach.
Horsey has its own pub, The Nelson Head known for its great fish and chips - (and featured as a top 10 in Norfolk in both the Norfolk Magazine - 4th best cosy pub and in The Eastern Daily Press for being one of the most dog friendly). There is also a popular café, Poppylands, a short walk from the cottage. Winterton-on-Sea, with a it’s long sandy beach and Seal view café, is another great coastal destination being just a short drive away. In the other direction is Sea Palling which is normally busier but well worth a family trip.
Great for a beach holiday, for keen wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, birdwatchers, cyclists and walkers. So many wonderful walks and good places to stop off for a bite to eat en-route.
TRAVEL DISTANCES : Norwich Airport 24 miles away Norwich station 24 miles Acle station 12 miles Great Yarmouth 13 miles
Winterton-on sea 5 miles Sea Palling 3 miles Cromer 25 miles Norfolk Broads - Horsey Mere - very close by. Hickling Broad 7.5 miles.
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.
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Pets allowed: dogs less than 55 lbs per pet (limit 2 pets total)
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a deadbolt lock
About the neighborhood
Great Yarmouth
Located in Great Yarmouth, this cottage is in a rural area and on a lake. Horsey Windpump and Happisburgh Lighthouse are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Norfolk Broads and Norfolk Coast. Traveling with kids? Consider Oasis Amusements, or check out an event or a game at Yarmouth Stadium. Discover the area's water adventures with motor boating, sailing, and fishing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling.
University of East Anglia - 57 min drive - 58.7 km
Earlham Park - 58 min drive - 62.1 km
Getting around
Buckenham Station - 22 min drive
Norwich (NWI-Norwich Intl.) - 50 min drive
Restaurants
Fishermans Return - 6 min drive
The Pleasure Boat Inn - 10 min drive
The King's Arms - 8 min drive
The Harnser - 9 min drive
Nelson Head - 15 min walk
Frequently asked questions
Is Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 55 lbs per pet.
How much does it cost to stay at Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads?
As of May 8, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads on Jun 19, 2026 start from $215, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking?
Onsite parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads?
Check-out is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Seal Cottage, Horsey. Minutes to Horsey Gap seal colony & Norfolk Broads located?
This family-friendly Great Yarmouth cottage is located by the sea, within 1 mi (2 km) of Norfolk Broads and Horsey Windpump. Oasis Amusements and Norfolk Coast are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
A lovely cottage in a quiet but fabulous location. Our dogs loved the local beaches and the footpath next to the cottage which goes down to Waxham Mill. We saw hundreds of seals down on Horsey beach. And we also saw a couple of marsh harriers, red deer and a crane around the reed beds. Communication with the owner was excellent.
Seal Cottage was everything we hoped for! Thank you to Suzanna for making sure our stay was easy going. The house was clean and had everything we needed. It is in an idyllic location, perfect for beach, broads and city visits!
Excellent base - clean, comfortable and great location!
An excellent base for exploring the area - an easy walk to the beach and to join a boat trip on the Broads. Clean and comfortable, the property had everything we could have asked for. A lovely enclosed garden for the dog too!
Beautiful, peaceful location with a lovely enclosed garden for the Dog! Very comfortable main bed and like home from home facilities. Great cottage to use as a base to explore Norfolk.
We had a wonderful stay at Seal Cottage. Enjoyed the walks, saw lots of seals on the beach. Poppylands is a great spot for a cream tea (does get busy though!) Thank you :)
Well equipped 3 bedroom property in a quiet corner of Norfolk. Large lawned enclosed garden ideal for young children and dogs to play Helpful host Good communication. We enjoyed our time at Seal Cottage.
We had a lovely week long break at seal cottage. The cottage is well kitted out and really easy to stay in. There was 2 of us and our dog but 4 would have been fine.Great access to surrounding area and local pubs. Plenty of local Circular walks . Don’t forget Seal beach which is a short walk from the cottage.Would recommend Dunes cafe which is a short drive away and is dog friendly. Poppy cafe can be reached from the cafe by walking and is also dog friendly.Enjoy
We wanted peace and quiet, plus seal and wildlife. We got all we asked for. The roads were quiet and we found parking when required. An added bonus, there were lots of fetes and other local entertainment. The down-side Norfolk seems to want to loose its visitors because often the route boards on round-abouts were missing. Norwich was a night-mare navigation on foot.
Walking distance to the Horsey Gap beach, with its large seal population. Situated on walking paths into the village (medieval church, nice Nelson’s Head pub, windmill and Broads boat tours), this house is lovely and properly furnished and fitted out. It has a fenced in grassy garden and patio (perfect for dogs). The house is in fields. Very comfortable beds!
Beautiful cottage in spectacular surroundings. The owner has provided exceptional accommodation, full of charm and comfort. We visited the seals on Horsey Beach, ate at The Nelson’s Head pub and made full use of the wood burner on our return. Perfect! Would highly recommend.
Siobhan L.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 3, 2020
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are so glad you enjoyed your time at Seal Cottage, seeing the seals on Horsey Beach and enjoying the wood burner. We thank you too for mentioning that we provided exceptional accommodation. Just thrilled you had a good holiday. Thank you!
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Patricia O.
May 18, 2019
“Seal of Approval”
Seal Cottage is perfect for a break away, fully equipped with everything you may need and in a perfect location. Just spent a week here exploring the area, lovely walks from the cottage meant we were able to leave the cars. The beaches are in walking distance where we could watch hundreds of seals basking in the sun. Would recommend Ross’s wildlife boat trips at Horsey and if you want a special meal the Ingham Swan is superb. Good pub food at the Nelson Head too.
Patricia O.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 3, 2020
What a fantastic 'Title' - and review! I wish I could think of a suitable response! We are just thrilled you had a great holiday and enjoyed Ross's wildlife boat trip from Horsey Staithe, and being so close to Horsey Gap beach and its seals. We are so lucky to have a good choice of pubs and cafés too. You are very welcome to come again!
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Wendy T.
Oct 1, 2018
Delightful relaxing holiday at Seal Cottage.
Seal Cottage is comfortable, clean, cosy and very well appointed. The enclosed garden at the rear of the cottage was great for our two dogs. There are also some lovely walks straight from the cottage and the beaches along this coastline are amazing, you can walk for miles. Lots of places to visit in the area.
We thoroughly enjoyed out stay, and will definitely stay at Seal Cottage again. Thank you Suzanne for making our stay so enjoyable.
Wendy and Nigel, Buckinghamshire
Wendy T.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2018
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 3, 2020
Thank you for your wonderful review. We are thrilled you had such a good time and enjoyed the wonderful coastal walks straight from the cottage. Please do come again!
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Sue R.
May 6, 2019
Super Cottage in a delightful location. Sue and Ray
We have just returned from a week at what we think is our best holiday in this country.
As soon as we arrived we felt so at home and comfy in the cottage, it is well equipped with everything you may need and has far reaching views over the country from the back garden.
There are numerous walks straight from the cottage, one which takes you to the Windpump then you can also get a boat trip up Horsey Mere where there are many different birds in the reeds and above. Then another walk takes you to the dunes and beach where the seals are in abundance.
We came away not having seen everything ...so truly hope to go back.
Sue R.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 3, 2020
What a wonderful review! Thank you. We're so pleased you both enjoyed your holiday so much and hopefully might want to return. We have been so lucky that the cottage seems to be as popular as it is, for one or two couples, wanting to discover this special part of Norfolk. We're so glad that you found the cottage homely and comfy - and enjoyed the great views and walks. Ross's wildlife boat trip is a wonderful way of seeing some rare birds and the beauty of Horsey Mere. Thank you both again and for taking such good care of the cottage. We do hope you come again!
Lovely property. Nice bright and airy. Lovely furnishings. Nice big garden for sitting in the sun and the dogs too run around in listening to the birds. Surrounded by fields with wildlife like red deer, muntjack deer, hares and marsh harriers. 15 minutes walk to beach for normal speed walkers. 30 mins for elderly slow walkers. Nature reserve in sand dunes lovely too. Short walk to poppy lands 1940s cafe. Circular route to horsey Windpump. Beach at horsey gap lovely with seals bobbing along. Further along at Winterton-on-Sea beach fab with no breakers to keep climbing over. Would recommend as a peaceful relaxing retreat.
lisa p.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Peter C.
Jul 1, 2018
Very clean and tidy cottage which was very well equipped. Nicely decorated throughout.
The cottage was very clean and tidy which was very well equipped. Nicely decorated throughout with ample wardrobes, comfortable beds with good views. Large enclosed garden which is mainly lawn, great for kids. Large front garden with parking for three cars.
Nice location, very rural with views of open fields and small wood.
Ideal for visiting lovely beaches and picturesque broads. Sea Palling is worth a visit and Salhouse Broad is worth finding.
Nice short evening walk to derelict Brograve wind pump, very atmospheric at dawn or dusk (look up it's history and story of it's owner) great fun for kids. Look out for deer in the fields if walk there, we saw a small herd of 3 stags, 5 hinds plus fawns. There's a barn owl that regularly fly's the fields not forgetting the bats.
Nearest Pub, Nelson Head is a short drive or long walk, great beer, cider and food. Has a good open garden for children to run around in. From the pub there is a mile long track that runs down to the beach where seals can be seen.
Horsey Wind pump and tearoom and broad is worth a couple of hours exploring.
Near by Poppyfield tearoom has a 1940's style theme, very good local produce food.
All in all a great cottage in a great location.
Peter C.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2018
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 3, 2020
Thank you for your lovely review. We're so pleased you had a good time at Seal Cottage and saw some of Horsey's great wildlife as well as visiting the various nearby beaches and broads. Do please come again!
Seal Cottage was a perfect location for exploring north Norfolk. It is a lovely cottage, well equipped and very comfortable. It's a 10 min walk to the beach to see the seals. There is plenty to do in the area. We enjoyed walks along the coast, pub lunches, a boat trip and a visit to one of the many stately homes in the area. All in all we had a wonderful time.
Well kept spacious property in a great location. Close to the beach and brilliant place to see the seals. Ideal spot for fantastic walks in the area and for visiting the nearby beaches.
Seal cottage is so lovely and so close to gorgeous beaches and amazing surroundings. Cannot fault the cottage so quiet and has everything you need.Suzanna the owner is lovely and helpful would certainly recommend going there
Very well equipped. Beds and bedding very good quality. Two bathrooms . Feels like home from home . Enclosed good size garden for adults/children and dogs.parking excellent. Great walks right on doorstep to beach or across country.
Seal Cottage is such a lovely property. Beautiful views and comfortable beds. There’s plenty of room in the cottage and a large back garden. It was wonderful to be able to walk on a footpath through the fields to The Nelson, Poppylands Cafe and the beach to watch the seals. Such a beautiful part of the UK. We hope to return sometime soon.
Jayne K.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021
About the host
Hosted by Suzanna
Having lived locally in Norfolk for over 20 years I am able to offer invaluable advice and local knowledge to all guests. Please feel free to ask any questions or seek suggestions for activities or destinations to visit during your stay.
Why they chose this property
Cosy, peaceful and relaxed yet only a short walk from the beach, 'Poppylands' Café and Brograve Mill. Also a few minutes away from Horsey's highly rated pub, The Nelson's Head.
Fantastic country walks straight from the cottage.
What makes this property unique
Beautifully renovated and furnished - a great holiday home for couples or families.
Great wildlife from your doorstep. Also the amazing spectacle of the Seals on Horsey beach, particularly during the breeding season (end October to February)
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests