The Old School House
Matlaske, North Norfolk

Following closure as a school in the 1960s and initial domestic conversion from a village hall in the 1980s, the house has recently undergone careful renovation to make it a spacious, contemporary but comfortable home. The character of the property has been retained, with high ceilings, original arts & crafts fireplace, exposed beams and stone door steps that show the wear of children's feet over the years. A former classroom is now the main living area, with comfy seating around the fire, a large dining table & chairs for lazy meals and an upright piano for family musicians to play their favourite tunes. There are super views over the surrounding farmland from the house and garden. Deer can often be seen venturing out of nearby Barningham Hall woods, while kestrels, buzzards and red kites soar overhead.

The village of Matlaske is set in delightful rolling countryside ideal for walking and cycling, just five miles due south of the seaside town of Sheringham and a mere four miles from the historic Georgian market town of Holt. Beyond, the coastal towns and villages of Cley, Blakeney, Morston and Stiffkey provide inland harbours, mud creeks and salt marsh walks, while the huge sand expanses of Wells, Holkham and Brancaster lie further west. To the north and east, you'll find the newly-revived bucket & spade resort of Cromer, then round to Overstrand, Happisburgh, Waxham's remote dunes, Horsey Beach's seal colony and on to the Norfolk Broads, with plenty of opportunities for sailing and motorboat hire.

Closer to home, the nearby village of Itteringham has a well-stocked shop selling local produce and the village pub/restaurant is a great place for lunch or dinner. Baconsthorpe's medieval castle ruins are well worth a visit and Mannington Hall, seat of the Walpole family, is close by. The stunning National Trust property of Blicking Hall is also around five miles away. Here, the hall, gardens, parkland and lake provide a tranquil place to walk, do a spot of fishing, hire a bicycle... or just watch the world go by.