Get to Know North Norfolk
Morston Barn is the ideal base to explore North Norfolk. You will find beaches, art galleries, fine food, great shopping, sailing, golf, seals, bird-watching, nature reserves, country houses, gardens, walks, museums and much more all within easy reach.
Scroll down the page for a video view of Morston Quay on an early autumn morning.
Food and Drink
North Norfolk is a foodie's paradise. The Michelin-starred restaurant of Morston Hall is close to the Barn for fine dining - booking essential. Seafood lovers can enjoy great local delicacies from Willie Weston's stall on Morston Quay (usually there when seal trips are sailing) or his shop in Blakeney - if there was a prize for whelks, Willie's would win. Local pubs offer excellent food and drink (beer drinkers should sample Woodforde's Wherry) and Morston's Anchor Inn features good fresh local ingredients. Further along the coast you will find The Red Lion at Stiffkey, The George at Cley, and at Blakeney, The White Horse and others. Many of our guests highly recommend the Wiveton Bell.
There are plenty of posh cafes within easy reach and a walk to the Wiveton Farm Cafe makes a good outing from the Barn.
Meanwhile, the farm shop and restaurant at Walsingham have made this something of a food pilgrimage destination as well as a religious shrine. For food shopping don't miss the Cley Smoke House and Picnic Fayre delicatessen in Cley. However, the foodie capital of North Norfolk is the town of Holt and pride of place goes to Larner's Food Hall - not to be missed.
Don't Forget to Take A Seal Trip
Boat trips to Blakeney Point to see Morston's very own seal colony are offered by a number of local companies. Boats operate daily in the summer (tides permitting) and frequently in winter. The hour-long trip usually includes plenty of seal spotting occasionally with an option to stretch your legs on Blakeney Point and visit the old life boat station, now a National Trust centre. Book with Temple's, Beans, Bishop's or Roy Moreton.
Museums
This part of the country has a number of museums which would qualify for recently published books celebrating the UK's quirkier attractions. While it would not be true to say that no holiday is complete without a trip to the Fakenham Museum of Gas & Local History you should still pay a visit - and be amazed. No less unusual is the Shell Museum at Glandford. The Muckleburgh Collection of military vehicles at Weybourne is slightly more conventional, while Cromer has an excellent town museum as well as the Henry Blogg Lifeboat Museum. Sheringham Museum, aka 'The Mo', has now re-opened after a £1.1m refurb.
Get The Picture
Art galleries abound along this stretch of coast and you'll find work of all styles and qualities - from 'enthusiastic' amateurs to hugely talented professionals. An excellent gallery opened in Wells in 2009: Gallery Plus (next to the award-winning Big Blue Sky) is run by Trevor Woods and his wife Jo. It features Trevor's distinctive and highly collectable work as well as other established and up and coming artists. Meanwhile, it is always worth a visit to Baron Art in Holt - there's often a deal to be done! While you're in town try The Bircham Gallery and the numerous other Holt galleries. You'll likely find fantastic work by wildlife artist Robert Gillmor, North Norfolk (and Shetland) specialist Nicholas Barnham, and local print maker HJ Jackson. Look out too for work by Max(ine) Angus, rapidly gaining a national following.
Visitors with an interest in wildlife should visit the Birdscapes Gallery in Glandford (on the way to Holt). Cley Spy next door (and at various other locations on the coast) offers a vast array of binoculars, telescopes and outdoor gear for the enthusiast.
For crafts, visit the award-winning Bringing The Outside In gallery at Holkham as well as the new Bluejacket Workshop (left). Beautiful pieces at sensible prices!
Images courtesy of
Shopping
Between the well-stocked Spar at Blakeney, the fantastic Stiffkey Stores and the Budgen's in Holt, all your immediate grocery needs are within a short drive. Holt has lots to offer the keen shopper, not least Bakers & Larner's department store. Along the main street and tucked away in side streets and courtyards, there's everything from high-end designer fashion to bargain stores, plenty of antiques and collectables and lots of good independent stores.
Burnham Market is worth a visit too if a touch pretentious. On your way there visit the Adnams Cellar & Kitchen Store at Holkham.
Don't discount a trip into Norwich either - a lovely city with great shops.
Houses
There are plenty of stately homes worth a visit within easy reach of Morston Barn, some in the National Trust, such as Felbrigg Hall (above) and Blickling Hall near Aylsham and others still in private hands, like Holkham Hall near Wells. The Sandringham Estate is only slightly further afield.
Beaches galore!
Last, but by no means least, there are beaches to suit all tastes along the North Norfolk coast. From miles of golden sands at Holkham to the rockpools of West Runton, this part of the coast has all the ingredients for the best of beach holidays, interspersed with traditional seaside towns like Cromer. Sheringham and Hunstanton.
Sail away
The whole of the North Norfolk coast is great for mucking about in boats, with particulalr centres at Blakeney, Morston, Wells and beyond. Among the options for sailing lessons and boat hires and charters try Norfolketc - highly recommended.
For a properly grand day out, charter Charlie Ward's magnificent sailing barge "Juno".
Morston at dawn
This highly atmospheric film - Morston Mud -was shot by videographer Paul Joy, in the early morning of an October day in 2008. It beautifully captures some of the special atmosphere of Morston Quay. For more information on how it was made, visit Paul's website here.
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All the major North Norfolk news and dramatic local events - as they happen!
What's on?
Find out in the online version of the area's community newspaper Local Lynx - plus lots more local information.
The community newspaper for 10 North Norfolk villages, including Morston, is now online here.
The best regional newspaper in Britain
Morston's
must visit
gallery
The Bluejacket Workshop opened in Morston in April 2010.
Described as "a collaboration of Norfolk artists, makers and antique dealers", the gallery promises handmade furniture, art, textiles made by, among others, three highly talented members of the Hamond family, Ned, Nick and Roberta.
If you have seen any of Ned's chandelier work in Morston church, you'll know the Bluejacket is worth a visit for this alone. Open weekends.
The bird is the word
Wildlife abounds in North Norfolk and one of the great pleasures of the area is spotting species and habitats as you go, or visiting one of the many reserves in the vicinity.
Sculthorpe is a great favourite. Small but with a strong chance of seeing marsh harriers and much more. Cley has its increasingly renowned marshes, with a great visitor centre, viewing hides and enjoyable walks.
In fact there is usually a guided walk, event or lecture going on somewhere in the area, so check out the Norfolk Wildlife Trust website for latest activities. They also run some great (and great value) events for kids in the holidays, including beach explorations.
