South View Cottage

When you’ve a yen for the seaside, the shingle at Snettisham beach (55 minutes’ drive) is just the job for spotting wading birds like avocets and pink-footed geese during long walks, while the lively resort of Hunstanton (an hour) has fine golden sand and is a popular spot for surfers and kiteboarders. A suggestion for an urban day out could be visiting the Gothic-style cathedral in historic Ely (half an hour), where you can tour a stained-glass museum and clamber up 288 steps for spectacular views over flat Norfolk fenland countryside. If the kids want a break from history and culture, treat them to close-up encounters with donkeys, sheep and piglets at Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre (10 minutes). Sticking closer to home base, riverside rambles can be followed along Well Creek (five minutes’ walk), while meanders along the River Great Ouse lead to the Denver Complex (55 minutes) flood-control sluices across the river. At Denver Windmill (an hour), you can refuel in the tea room and microbrewery, and if you’d care to combine a walk with hitting a ball, there are two golf courses within 10 minutes’ drive.