North Norfolk

A first trip to North Norfolk usually starts with the coast road, threading between flint-walled villages and stretches of salt marsh that run out to the sea. You'll want to walk at least one stretch of it properly, whether that's along the raised paths above the marshes or down onto one of the wide, flat beaches where the tide seems to disappear into the horizon. This is a landscape that rewards slowing down: birdwatchers come for the reserves along the coast, sailors and crabbers head for the harbours, and plenty of people are happy just to sit somewhere with a view and let the light change over the water.

Inland, the county opens out into quiet farmland, church towers and small market towns, and this is where a lot of visitors choose to base themselves. Converted barns and farmhouses are a particular feature of the area, and staying in one gives you a real sense of the working landscape behind the coastal villages. Hall Farm Barns is a good example of this style of stay, with a cluster of conversions - the Courtyard Barn, the Great North Barn, the Great South Barn, the Cowshed and the Dairy among them - each set around the same farm, alongside separate properties like the Farmhouse, Hampshire House and the Gallery Barn. With 519 self-catering cottages listed across North Norfolk, there's a wide range of settings on offer, from single barns tucked away down farm tracks to houses within easy reach of the villages.

Days here tend to divide between coast and country. On the coast, expect sailing, crabbing, birdwatching and long beach walks, along with the small harbour towns that give the area its character. Inland, the pace drops further: cycling or walking between villages, visiting local farm shops, or simply enjoying the barns and gardens of wherever you're staying. Many of the self-catering properties have generous outdoor space, which suits families and groups wanting a base to come back to after a day out rather than somewhere to just pass through.

North Norfolk isn't a place you tick off in a weekend. It works best as somewhere to return to, with a different village to explore or a different stretch of coast path each time. Choosing where to stay is part of that decision - a barn conversion near the farmland gives you one kind of trip, a cottage closer to the coast another - but either way, the wide skies and slower pace are what people come back for.