Coot

Why you'll love staying here

Coot at Wheatacre Hall Barns is a beautifully converted barn on a family-run farm on the edge of the Waveney Valley, close to the Norfolk–Suffolk border. Thoughtfully renovated, the barn offers spacious accommodation ideal for families or groups of friends keen to explore this picturesque corner of East Anglia.

The open-plan living area is contemporary yet retains original features such as exposed brickwork and timber beams, offering a wonderful sense of the barn’s history. The kitchen, with its sleek white cabinetry and contrasting tiles, is fully equipped with modern appliances, making it easy to prepare delicious home-cooked meals to enjoy around the large oak dining table, the perfect spot for planning the day’s adventures.

The generous sitting area has sumptuous leather sofas, ideal for gathering together to watch a film or enjoy a competitive board game. Large French doors open onto a patio, flooding the space with natural light.

Upstairs, three beautifully styled bedrooms have been designed with comfort in mind, ensuring a restful night’s sleep, only to be woken by birdsong or the gentle lowing of cattle. The master bedroom benefits from a sleek en-suite shower room, while the remaining rooms have access to both a bathroom and a separate shower room, helping everyone start the day refreshed.

Outside, the patio is a real suntrap, a lovely spot for beginning the day with a cup of coffee or enjoying a leisurely lunch cooked on the barbecue. A large lawn provides plenty of space for children to play or dogs to run freely.

The farm’s facilities are particularly special. There’s a fantastic games room with a large projector screen for music and sports, ideal for family competitions or relaxing with friends. Nearby, a converted barn houses a fitness suite complete with a range of gym equipment for those wishing to stay active while on holiday. There’s also an enclosed hot tub where you can unwind and soak away the stresses of everyday life, and being fully covered, it can be enjoyed day or night, come rain or shine. Little ones will love the soft play barn, complete with a comfortable viewing area where parents can keep an eye on them.

Wheatacre Hall Farm has been in the same family for four generations and is an arable and dairy farm covering over 1,000 acres. It grows crops such as wheat, barley, oilseed rape and seed potatoes, and is home to a pedigree milking herd of 400 Friesian cows. Guests are welcome to visit the milking parlour to watch the afternoon milking - or the early morning milking, should you wish to rise at 4am - while in spring, children will delight in meeting the newborn calves. Some of the milk is bottled on site and available to purchase raw and unpasteurised. Alternatively, the on-site farm shop sells pasteurised milk along with locally produced ice cream and yoghurt, fresh fruit and vegetables, locally reared meats, cheeses, tempting baked goods, beers, wines, and spirits, and so much more. And when you don’t feel like cooking, the lovely café serves fantastic breakfasts and lunches made with seasonal local produce, as well as delicious homemade cakes.

A variety of walking trails wind through the farm, taking you across open fields, low-lying marshland, and woodland. Along the way, you can spot numerous bird species as well as free-roaming deer. Much of the land surrounding Wheatacre Hall Barns borders the River Waveney, where coarse fishing is available during parts of the year.

The charming market town of Beccles is just a short drive away and offers an array of quirky independent shops, restaurants and cafés. As you wander through the town, you cannot miss the impressive detached sixteenth-century bell tower of St Michael’s Church. Standing 97 feet tall, this perpendicular Gothic tower dominates the skyline. Inside, the church houses a 13th-century font, while the tower itself contains a peal of ten bells, rung weekly.

Further afield lies the Blickling Estate, managed by the National Trust. At its heart is a magnificent Jacobean mansion with a nationally significant library, set within 55 acres of formal gardens shaped by three centuries of planting. There are xncient yews, a parterre, a lake, and a productive walled kitchen garden to discover, while the wider estate includes over 4,600 acres of woodland, parkland and farmland. There is also a fascinating museum that explores the history of RAF Oulton, an airfield built on the estate in 1939 which played a vital role during the Second World War. Its collection of objects, documents, and personal stories offers a moving insight into the lives of the servicemen and women stationed there.

The Norfolk Broads are right on the doorstep of Coot, offering more than 125 miles of lock-free waterways. One of the defining features of the Broads is the many windpumps and mills that dot the landscape. Once used for grinding corn or draining marshland, many have been beautifully restored and now serve as popular visitor attractions. Alternatively, head to Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, a woodland garden with gentle trails, abundant wildlife, and its own private broad. Families can enjoy nature walks, birdwatching, or a relaxing boat trip through the quiet waterways.

For wildlife lovers, a visit to Blakeney Point is a must. This four-mile shingle ridge, backed by dunes, salt marsh and mudflats, is home to England’s largest grey seal colony. Seal-pupping season is a truly breathtaking spectacle. The area is also an important site for birdlife, particularly the remarkable summer displays of its breeding tern colony.