The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe

About The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe

The White Horse sits on the harbour side at Brancaster Staithe, with an uninterrupted view over the tidal marsh to Scolt Head Island and the open sea. The Norfolk Coast Path runs along the bottom of the garden, and the local oyster and mussel beds are worked from the quay next door. It is a proper inn rather than a hotel, with a busy bar and a conservatory dining room that catches the light off the water.

Fifteen en suite bedrooms are split between the main building and an adjoining single-storey annexe. The upstairs rooms in the house have the best marsh views, and The Room at the Top adds a private viewing terrace and a telescope. The eight garden rooms each open onto their own small terrace, sit close to the coast path and form the dog-friendly section, which makes them popular with walkers. All rooms have large beds, smart TVs, wifi and Nespresso machines.

Food is the other draw. Brancaster mussels and oysters come from a few hundred metres away, fish is landed locally, and the menu runs from sandwiches and shellfish platters at lunch to fuller dinners in the evening. There is a good range of East Anglian ales and a sensible wine list. Breakfast is included, and the terrace is the place to sit on a clear morning as the tide comes in.

The inn suits walkers, birdwatchers, sailors and dog owners more than families with young children, though children are welcome. Titchwell and Holme nature reserves, Brancaster beach, Burnham Market and Holkham Hall are all within a few miles. Saturday stays usually require two nights, check-in is from four o'clock and check-out is early at half past ten, which is worth planning around.