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About East Ruston and the cottages
East Ruston
A quiet, unspoilt village, set in the heart of rural Norfolk
but on the edge of the Broads, just south of the
delights of
North Norfolk, within easy distance of Norwich and only
moments from the coast
– the best of all Norfolk has to offer!
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The
Weavers Way
footpath runs through the village and there are plenty of foot
and bridle paths and quiet lanes to explore in and around the area. The
village doesn’t boast about its wildlife lakes and common
areas for walking and wildlife watching but we'll let you in
on the secret! There are sandy beaches at
Walcott, Cart Gap and
Happisburgh
– all under 3 miles away. About the
same distance away is the ancient wood at Witton - another
lovely place for a walk, bike ride or a picnic.
The
small towns
of Stalham and
North Walsham are close by and the Broads centre of Wroxham is
less than 15
minutes drive away. In the immediate area there are
wonderful old
churches, wildlife areas and fishing lakes. The internationally famous
Old
Vicarage Gardens is
walking distance from all 3 properties. Very well worth visiting. |
THE
COTTAGES
All properties are dog and
child friendly. They are all within a couple of miles of
each other, the Old Forge and the Old Piggery in East Ruston
and the Garden Room just over the border in Ridlington. They also have the advantage of being on one level making
access for those with limited mobility much easier and ideal
for little ones! Dogs are
genuinely very welcome and free of charge (there is a small
charge for more than 4 dogs in the Forge) –
just let us know how many you are bringing.
Our
‘It’s a dogs life’
page shows just how
welcoming we are! Please note, there is a limit to the
number of dogs in the Garden Room.
Our latest addition, Red Roofs, is on two levels with a narrow
staircase and therefore not really ideal for those in
wheelchairs. However, there are bedrooms and a bathroom
on the ground floor.
Should you wish to travel to
either of the cottages by train, bus or coach we will be happy to collect
you from the local stations of Wroxham, Worsted or North
Walsham and take you back again at the end of your holiday.
The Old Forge
The Old Forge is set amongst farmland on the road to the
coast. A small lane runs down the back of the property - exit
and entry is onto this lane. Walks
into the village and onto the Weavers Way can start from here.
It has great charm, with original beams and brick and flint
walls and is furnished in an eclectic style with lots of
books, paintings, cushions and lamps to add a homely touch. The
Old Forge is not owned by
us and is not on our land but is
managed by us and only a minute's drive away.
The large
living room with its raised open fire - an original feature,
wonderful in the winter - has plenty of space for
comfortable country evenings. There are a couple of cosy nooks where you can curl up and read, a large table
for meals or board games and welcoming sofas to relax on after a
day exploring.
The five
bedrooms are each named after a local bird – this is great
bird-watching country – and allow for couples, singles and
children. The three bathrooms – one en suite - are small
but
brightly decorated.
The Old Piggery
The Old Piggery was converted from an old farm building in 2007/8 and
is proving very popular with those who have stayed.
It is located next to the old New Barn (it was new once!) and
has its own secure, walled and gated barn yard outside. The conversion work has been carefully
carried out to a high standard. The accommodation is
furnished in a simple, rural style and the main living
and kitchen areas are open-plan with high beamed ceilings and
provide a very comfortable living space for couples or families.
The cottage is on the corner of a quiet lane and surrounded by fields and
is right at the bottom of a bridle path - Munn's Loke - so you can
start a walk straight from the cottage door.
The
Old Piggery is part of Sue and Dermot’s own 3 acre property which is run
as a very small holding. Depending on the time of year there may be lambs/sheep
and pigs. There are always
chickens and Atticus, the horse, is
sometimes in the field next door.
We are
always developing the small holding to attract wildlife and
plenty of species can be spotted around here. There are a large number of red deer in the area
and sitings of them are common at certain times of the year -
groups of half a dozen or so are not unusual and the most we have
seen in one go was 28! Muntjac and
Chinese Water Deer populate the area all year round. A Barn
Owl has been seen in the yard and also going into the barn and can
be regularly seen hunting over the nearby hedges and banks. A
Little Owl can also be seen in the evenings.
If you want to
bring bicycles, motorbikes or trailers there is space in the barn or stable,
by arrangement, to lock them up safely. Also useful for
windsurfers, surfboards, golf clubs, fishing tackle, car top boxes etc.
The Garden Room
The Garden Room is situated just off the private drive of The
Old Rectory, Ridlington. The Old Rectory is the home of
Fiona and Peter Black and The Garden Room is run by Fiona.
The location is very tranquil and The Garden Room is an airy, open
plan space yet very cosy. It is tastefully and simply decorated. The formal part
of the garden is beautifully planted and beyond that there are
areas of woodland. Fiona's working labradors are in kennels
opposite and her free range hens and guinea fowl roam around the
garden.
There are wonderful walks from the door onto tracks, quiet lanes
and common land and plenty of wildlife in the area.
Bicycles can be hired or you can bring your own and they can be
safely stored. There is a tennis court and croquet lawn for
guest use.
Red Roofs
Our latest addition - Red Roofs is actually nowhere near East
Ruston but is at Hickling and is in a wonderful situation
overlooking Hickling Broad. Only 4 miles from the coast too.
It's set in a very tranquil and open area down a quiet lane.
The house has a wonderful rambling feel to it, full of bits of
family furniture. pictures etc. It's not 'smart' but it has
bags of charm. There is a dinghy to sail, the bird and
wildlife watching is wonderful and there is plenty of quiet
walking in the area.
PLACES TO EAT
There is an
excellent fish and
chip shop in Stalham High Street, good Chinese in Stalham and
North Walsham, pizza and kebabs in Stalham High Street again.
So many villages and small towns have tea rooms and cafes that
there are just too many to mention. The
Tour Norfolk
site has got a fairly comprehensive list.
Our
village pub, the
Butchers Arms,
is
within walking distance (about a mile) of both properties and there are plenty of other welcoming pubs and places to eat in the immediate area.
The Lighthouse and
The Star are the
next nearest and popular with guests. The
Harnser at
Sutton and at Ingham
are both under 10 minutes away. Slightly more upmarket pubs
are
The Swan
at Ingham and the
Recruiting Sergeant
and
The Kings Head at
Coltishall, about 20 minutes away. Further afield, but well worth the
effort, are
The Black Boys in
Aylsham, The
Buckinghamshire Arms and
The Walpole Arms ;
all ideal for lunch after a visit to the magnificent
Blickling Hall. Just outside Aylsham is
the
Banningham Crown, a
lovely old pub with good food in a nice location. The
Goat
Inn at Skeyton
is another not too far away. We have also recently been
to
The White Horse
at Overstrand recently (twixt here and Cromer) and
found it very pleasing!
Many of these pubs
are dog friendly - worth calling first to check. If you want to find
other
dog friendly pubs try the
Doggie pubs
website.
Good restaurants
in the area include The Bure River
Cottage Restaurant and The Staithe and Willow at Horning, the
Olive Branch
at Tunstead and, slightly confusingly, the recently
opened
Olive Tree at North
Walsham where The Chubby Panda (Chinese and Thai) can also be
found. Cromer has
La Griglia and
Bolton's Bistro in
The Cliftonville Hotel along with lots of little cafes/fish
and chip shops. Wroxham also has a number of places to
eat - from the dreaded McDonalds to the very posh
Broads Hotel
Of course,
Norwich is full of
great pubs and places to eat - way too many to list here. If
you are planning on visiting some of the fabulous North
Norfolk beaches and towns there are many, many other good
places to eat from wonderful cafes through some award winning
pubs to a Michelin starred hotel. Google it and take your
pick!
Each property has a
list and a selection of leaflets/sample menus. For more
information try the Tour Norfolk website - all sorts of useful
things here for your stay.
Tour Norfolk.
Local artists
We are very lucky to have a
number of artists in working in different mediums in and
around the village. Click
here
for details.
If we
can't accommodate you...
Then we can highly recommend
Ollands Farm Barn
in Happisburgh, they are particularly
dog friendly too.
And finally......
we aim to please. If you need something not
mentioned on this website to make your stay more enjoyable
- eg a birthday cake, a champagne welcome for a special
occasion, a pamper evening, tickets for an event or
attractions, dog sitting service - do get in touch.
We will be happy to help.
Wild red deer photographed at the back of The Old Piggery,
one of our Norfolk Grey hens and one of our lambs.
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