静かな村にある美しい、独立した伝統的なノーフォークコテージ。

I grew up in a small village a couple of miles from Holt, so know the area pretty well. When we were looking for a holiday home we had a clear idea of where we wanted to be.

Not right on the coast. While it’s not a weekly occurrence, we do sometimes get sea fogs or drizzle even in high summer, so it can be cool & damp on the coast, yet T-shirt and shorts weather a few miles inland.

The larger towns can get quite busy in high summer, and many smaller villages don’t have a pub or restaurant, some not even a village store.

We think Briston has the balance just right. The coast is just 20 minutes away, the market towns are 10 minutes away, yet we have 2 pubs, great village shops, and being on the edge of the village, a rural feel.

We looked long and hard to find the perfect cottage.
It had to have the appeal of a traditional cottage, but without an impossibly steep staircase (if you've stayed somewhere with a 'Norfolk Winder' you'll know what I mean) or impractical room layouts.

We saw many with one bedroom accessed through another, or the bathroom off a bedroom. Some even had rooms opening side-on to the stairs (well my Auntie's house in Briston is the same, but it's a bit of a liability if renting it out!).

Oaktree cottage has that balance just right. The heart of the house dates to before 1820 (may be 17th c.), but the extension has allowed for a sensible layout.

And, of course, the location is everything. Peaceful, but not too far from anywhere. A good pub round the corner serving food was a bonus.