The Triumphal Arch on the edge of the Holkham estate on the north Norfolk
coast was built to impress visitors as they drove in their carriages to the
ancestral seat of the Earls of Leicester.
At the time, the interior was never much of a consideration and for several
decades after it was completed in 1761, the main room at the top contained
not much more than a card table. The arch then housed many generations of
local shepherds and their families in cramped and squalid conditions.
But not any more. The apartment has been given a 21st century make-over to
create a bolthole in the middle of the countryside. And it worked for my
wife and I, who had booked in search of a romantic weekend away from our two
small boys. I think it was the feeling that nobody, unless they were armed
with a crane, could look in that made our stay so different.
The Arch now has a well-equipped kitchen on the ground floor, a narrow stone
spiral staircase leading to a shower-room, further up the tower to a toilet
and then in the top of the arch itself to a sitting room and bedroom with
free-standing bath. Given that this part of Norfolk isn't exactly over-run
with people, the sense of seclusion is total.
It is a three-hour drive from London to the entrance of the Holkham estate -
now situated to the north of the Hall after the coastal railway line was
built, not to the south where the Arch stands. At the estate entrance is the
Victoria pub and hotel, which has gained a glittering reputation for great
food and comfortable accommodation.
We checked in and were handed our keys to the estate gates (these are closed
at the weekends) and to the Arch. We headed off in search of lunch. I should
declare here that this part of Norfolk is one of my favourites bits of
England - but we decided not to eat at an already established favourite like
the Lifeboat Inn at Thornham. Instead we headed to The Globe Inn at
Wells-next-the-Sea. It is also owned by the Holkham estate and was renovated
completely in 2005.
The pub sits in the corner of a pretty Georgian square in this busy seaside
market town and by late lunchtime on a beautifully sunny late Autumn day,
finding a parking space nearby was quite a problem. Another driver made a
point of pulling over to tell us where to find his vacated space - something
that has never happened to me in 15 years of living in London. The Globe's
restaurant at the back was spacious and elegantly refurbished.
I had the "Norfolk Plate" (£9.75), comprising cooked ham, pickled
onions, pork pie, a wedge of cheese, smoked mackerel, salad and new
potatoes. It was all local and all delicious, especially the Norfolk Dapple
cheese, which is gaining a richly deserved following. Only the pub's
toilets, which were already looking shabby only 18 months after their
makeover, struck a false note.
Then it was time for a pilgrimage. Not to the nearby ruins of Walsingham
Abbey, although they are well worth a visit, but to the village of Holt, 20
minutes from Wells. Women and men of taste have been quietly visiting the
Old Town shop for more than a decade. It is a clothing manufacturer run by
Marie Willey and Will Brown. Its sells clothes - made to order only - using
great British fabrics such as cord, serge or linen. The styles of the
trousers, dresses, jackets, coats and shirts are emphatically old-fashioned
but very fashion-forward. Many magazine stylists make the pilgrimage
regularly and this was our first. We shall be back.
Those staying in the Triumphal Arch can cook for themselves but we chose to
eat (of course we did) at the Victoria that evening. The plaudits are
well-deserved. I had the local mussels from Thornham (£7) and a venison
burger from the estate (£12.50). Both were excellent and the service was as
good as anywhere in London. The short drive back across the estate was
memorable, with herds of deer dashing ghost-like from the headlights of the
car.
The next morning we abandoned thoughts of a bracing walk back across the
estate for breakfast at the Victoria in favour of tea and toast in bed which
we prepared in the flagstone kitchen (complete with underfloor heating). All
basic breakfast necessities are provided.
Then, again in glorious autumn sunshine, we walked for two hours along Holkham
beach. Many dozens had the same idea but all were swallowed up by the huge
stretches of sandy beach, dune and pine and we wandered in blissful
isolation. Holkham Beach is part of the one of the largest nature reserves
in the country and is reason enough on its own to visit this coast.
NEED TO KNOW
A weekend for two in the Triumphal Arch at Holkham costs from £520 for Friday
and Saturday in the West Arch.
