Fenside
Dogs: Unlimited dogs / reactive dog friendly
Sleeps Max: 10
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Unique property on the Norfolk Broads
“The photos of the deck area and the flower meadows do not do the place justice. The sense of being in nature is wonderful with butterflies galore. We even got to see the barn owl flying around the meadow one evening. Plenty of comfy seating for all the family and everybody reported very comfortable beds and pillows.”
Escape to Fenside — a truly unique retreat set within two acres of peaceful wildflower meadow. Hammocks, a fire pit, and private river frontage leading directly onto Barton Broad create the perfect backdrop for unwinding in nature.
A secure gate provides safe access to the river for children and dogs.Inside, the one-of-a-kind 1960s property is bright, spacious and full of character, featuring a modern, fully equipped kitchen and a generous open-plan living/dining area ideal for relaxing or socialising. Perfect for Families, Groups & Dog Owners
- Sleeps up to 10 guests across four comfortable bedrooms
- Unlimited dogs welcome – no charge!
- Enormous, fully enclosed rear garden (5ft+ fencing), mostly laid to lawn — perfect for dogs to roam
- A selection of dog-friendly beaches within a 15-minute drive, see our page here for more
- Enjoy the Waterways From Your Doorstep – Bring your own canoes, paddleboards, kayaks or dinghies and set off to explore the Broads directly from the bottom of the garden.
- Follow Fenside on Instagram here.
- Find out about boating with your dogs from our Blog post here.
- If Fenside is booked for the dates you want, have a look at our other big houses – The Farmhouse, Thatch Cottage and Red Roofs.
*Low occupancy discounts available for some out of season weeks!*
For the dogs:
- Mud Daddy
- 2x large, 2x medium crates (others available on request)
- Dog buggy on request.
- Dog sitting. If you would like to go out for a few hours do look at our recommendations for dog sitters here.
- Throws for the sofa
- Dog towels
- 2 large, 2 medium and 2 small dog bowls
- Outside tap and hose
- Ramp to assist dogs getting out of the dyke if they go for a swim!
For the humans:
- All bed linen and towels supplied (bath and hand towel per person)
- Unlimited Sky fibre broadband
- Sky Entertainment and Netflix
- EV car charger on site
- 2 x Hairdryers
- Table tennis table, footballs and goals and basket ball net for holiday games
- Wendy house for children to play in.
- Fire pit at the bottom of the garden.
- Weber coal BBQ
- All electricity and heating included
Hello! We are Kay (pictured here with Alfie), Aaron and Poppy (18 years old). Kay grew up in Norfolk and learnt to sail on Barton Broad, which is accessible from the bottom of the garden at Fenside House! It was the most wonderful stroke of luck to have found Fenside House when Poppy was tiny, and she and her brothers and cousins and various family dogs spent many happy times enjoying the huge garden with its Wendy House, sunken trampoline, hammocks, fire pit and table tennis over the years. We joined the ERC family a few years ago and have loved being part of this wonderful animal loving community and welcoming many fabulous guests to our little patch of paradise. It is still our respite from busy ‘day’ jobs (Kay is a psychotherapist and Aaron is a music producer) and we love doing DIY and working in the garden between guests’ visits.
About the property
All about the inside:
Kitchen
Entrance to the property is through the kitchen door with lots of storage for coats, shoes and welly boots in cupboards along the right hand side. There is an electric oven and halogen four-ring hob, dishwasher, microwave and fridge with ice box. Plenty of pots and pans, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery for entertaining all.
Utility/Boiler Room
There is a laundry room which houses a washer and dryer for guest use. There is also a further fridge and a freezer overflow in this room. Great if you feed raw and want to store the dog food away from the kitchen area. Don’t forget that you can order a free delivery from The Raw Dog Food Company via the website link here.
Open plan lounge/diner
This large, bright room has views over the gardens. The large dining table is the perfect place for up to ten guests to eat together. The lounge area has comfortable sofa and chair seating. There is an inset wood burner for those colder nights and a large TV with Sky Entertainment, Netflix and Blu-Ray player. There are doors to the front of the property and large sliding patio doors leading to the decking area and BBQ.
Bedroom 1
Beyond the lounge is Bedroom 1 with king size bed, bedside tables and a walk-in wardrobe. Double sliding doors lead out to the decking. There is an en suite bathroom with walk in shower, WC and wash basin.
Bedroom 2
Turn right out of the kitchen and down the hall are the further bedrooms. At the bottom on the left is Bedroom 2 with king size bed. This room also has sliding doors out to the decking. There are built in wardrobes down the other wall with plenty of storage. The en suite has a walk in shower, WC and wash basin.
Bedroom 3
Opposite Bedroom 2 is Bedroom 3 with king size bed. Built in wardrobes for storage and views down the huge garden and on to the broad.
Bedroom 4
Bedroom 4 has two sets of full size bunk beds sleeping up to four guests. There are two small chests of drawers and a single wardrobe. There is further storage and hanging space in the large sliding cupboards in the hall.
Family bathroom
This large main bathroom has a bath with shower over, WC and washbasin.
All about the outside:
Plenty of parking at Fenside on the shingle driveway for up to 5 cars. This area can be closed off by a large 5 bar gate at the entrance. There is an EV charger for guests to use, free of charge.
The garden wraps around the property to the right and leads down to the huge back garden. Laid to grass with fencing all around the boundary. A large gate gives access to the broad at the bottom where guests can launch their own boats, paddle board and kayaks. At the bottom of the garden there is a fire pit to enjoy through the evenings. There is a Wendy house for children to play in and a sunken trampoline and so many smells for dogs to discover!
From the property, guests can enjoy the large decking area. There is seating for all, large charcoal BBQ and a great place to stargaze on an evening and sunbathe during the day!
Will this property suit my dogs?
If your dogs like to run, zoom, bumble, explore or just chill then Fenside is perfect for them! Very suitable for reactive dogs too as very little can be seen or heard from this garden. With the house being all on one level it may also be suitable for dogs that can’t do stairs. Do please bear in mind that there will be a visit from the bin men once during each week – details of this are in the welcome folder. They have to access the property in order to turn round as it is at the end of a long, single track lane.
Please note:
- No smoking in the house please.
- Electric car charging is permitted using the dedicated charging point only.
- Electric bike and scooter charging is NOT permitted.
- For bookings of 14 nights or longer there will be a mandatory mid-stay clean so that safety checks can be carried out.
- There is a private boat on the mooring. Guests will be made aware in advance if this needs to be accessed during your stay.
- All major supermarkets deliver here, if you do make an order – please make sure it is delivered after your arrival.
- The access road is single track and unmade, as you might expect for such an off-the-beaten-track location!
- Bin collection lorry needs to access the property once a week to collect bins and turn round. Collection day is in the house guide.
Accessibility
There are steps into the property at all entrances but parking is right next to the house and once in, all of the accommodation is on the same level – including all 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (with separate walk in showers). The property does not cater specifically for mobility, audibly or visually impaired guests but please do contact us if you would like to know more – hello@eastrustoncottages.co.uk.
Reviews / Testimonials
SOME OF THE FABULOUS COMMENTS FROM THE GUEST BOOK…
And if you want to read more independent reviews, check out these sites too..
Facebook | Edog Advisor | Dotty4Paws | The Good Dog Guide | Dog Friendly
“Fenside House is a magical place. We took our family of eight there including Grandparents for a relaxing family holiday. The house has everything you could want, well equipped kitchen, ( I have never stayed in an Airbnb with so much crockery and food availability for guests) games, books, table tennis and a bbq. The photos of the deck area and the flower meadows does not do the place justice.
The sense of being in nature is wonderful with butterflies galore. We even got to see the barn owl flying around the meadow one evening. Plenty of comfy seating for all the family and everybody reported very comfortable beds and pillows. The three bathrooms are all superb with lashings of hot water and great showers. If you are looking for a great venue for a family holiday in relaxing surroundings then don’t hesitate.
The place is not so perfect that you are afraid you are going to spill something. It feels loved and lived in, which for us was perfect. We relaxed and had a truly wonderful holiday. Thank you Kay for your great communication before and during our stay. We will be back!”
“We really enjoyed our stay here. The location is so peaceful with river access on to Barton broad. The property is well kept and equipped with games including a ping pong table. The grounds consist of extensive meadow areas to the front and back with paths mown through them. Fab for wildlife enthusiasts.”
“The countryside location of this property on the broads makes for a great and relaxed holiday. The bungalow has masses of space, a lovely deck with a huge wild garden, and is extremely well equipped. We loved the mid-century vibe. Kay has thought of everything to keep all ages amused. There is little phone signal but Wi-Fi assist helped, and do not come in a low slung car as the lane is extremely bumpy. We saw about 150 seals on the beach at Horsey, and hired a picnic boat for the day. Wonderful.”
“Great place in the Norfolk countryside. The house is very well equipped, there was everything we needed and more!”
Location & Directions
How to find us
Fenside, Fenside Lane, Catfield, Norfolk, NR29 5DD.
What3Words location: ///poets.skater.configure
Directions
Heading from Stalham on the A149, turn right on to Sutton Road, take the first right on to Plumsgate Road and follow down to a crossroads. Once here, go straight over on to Lodge Road. Take the first right on to Fenside and follow all the way down. Fenside is the last house on the road. Please note that this road can be very muddy and bumpy!
