Byfords

About Byfords

Byfords occupies what is thought to be the oldest building in Holt, a Grade II listed flint and brick property that survived the fire which destroyed much of the town in 1708. It describes itself as a posh B&B, and the description is fair: it is a bed and breakfast in structure, with a cafe, delicatessen and restaurant filling the ground floor and 16 bedrooms above and behind. It sits in the middle of Holt, a Georgian market town that has become the shopping centre of the north Norfolk coast.

Bedrooms are individually decorated, with beams, uneven floors and roll-top or deep baths in several, along with underfloor heating, good linen and modern showers. Sizes vary from cosy doubles to family rooms and larger suites, and there are self-catering apartments nearby for guests who want more space or a longer stay. Rates include breakfast in the cafe, which runs to a full Norfolk grill, smoked fish and its own baking.

The cafe and store are open all day to residents and passers-by, and are busy from morning coffee through to dinner. The kitchen leans on local suppliers, with Cromer crab, Norfolk pork and vegetables from nearby growers, and the deli sells bread, cheese and store cupboard goods to take away. Spa treatments can be booked, and there is a small bar for residents in the evening.

Byfords suits couples and small groups who want a base with character in a walkable town rather than an isolated country hotel. Holt has independent galleries, bookshops and clothes shops on the doorstep, the North Norfolk Railway runs from Holt to Sheringham, and Cley, Blakeney and Salthouse are a short drive north. Parking is on street or in the town car parks, and rooms above the cafe can hear some daytime activity.