Cley-next-the-Sea - February 2012

Cley looked fantastic under a blanket of February snow. Even the birds were so cold, they stayed still enough to photograph.

The Gardens at Cottage Farm Barns, Spring and Early Summer

Despite the months of almost no rainfall (great for our holiday guests but hard on the plants), the gardens at Cottage Farm Barns have put on a remarkably good show, through the spring and early summer. Golden Lion Barn has a brand new courtyard garden, which is now beginning to get established and the bedding around Inn Keeper's Store - just getting into its second year - seems to have been there forever.

Spring and early summer are great times to be at Cottage Farm Barns, but one thing we have found out, our guests need to book early because we seem to get booked up really quickly.

Snowdrop Walks Walsingham

Walsingham, just two miles down the road has been a place of pilgrimage from before the Normans arrived. Its abbey and little streets, crowded with old houses is well worth a wander at any time, but without a doubt February is Walsingham's month. Literally carpets of snowdrops, mingled with aconites have naturalised throughout the Abbey woodland and along the banks of the River Stifkey which runs through the Abbey grounds. Seeing the first flowers of spring in such quantity this is a woodland walk that stays with you for years.
The snowdrop walk Walsingham makes a great early spring cottage holiday at Cottage Farm Barns - www.cottagefarmbarns.co.uk

North Norfolk Figs

We'd never have believed before we arrived at Cottage Farm Barns that figs would grow and ripen in such abundance in North Norfolk. What's more the two trees are both facing due North.

This year we've figs galore far too many for us to eat, so from early September they are a extra bonus for our guests at the barns. For a sweet self catering holiday in Thursford, North Norfolk www.cottagefarmbarns.co.uk

Buzzards over Cottage Farm Barns

You hear them, long before you see them.  A sort of stweet, stweet call that's incredibly distinctive and within a short while you are bound to see them, our local buzzards soaring over the barns.

We were out in the garden of Golden Lion Barn this afternoon, the sky was pretty clear and we both heard the calls at about the same time. Within minutes one, a pair, then another pair of buzzards came into view, wings wide out as they glided in widening circle above - fantastic.  Of course by the time I had grabbed my camera, changed the lense and come outside again, they were far too far away. They kept teasing us with their calls but they never came close enough for a shot. The one here is a cheat from the internet, but I'll catch the Thursford buzzards on my camera one day.

For a high flying self catering holiday in Thursford, North Norfolk www.cottagefarmbarns.co.uk

The Garden at Cottage Farm Barns

Let me introduce Janet, the most important part of the self catering holiday team and most vitally the 'gardener'.

Janet has truly green fingers and most likely green hands and arms too. The garden is the first thing that almost everyone comments on when they arrive at our holiday barns. Your looking at it now, in early September and you'll just have to imagine it back in March this year when it was little more than a track way for builder's diggers and deliveries. Tons of farmyard manure - I'm exaggerating but the pile that Kevin, who farms down the road, dropped off for us in the field next door was enormous - back breaking double digging and planting out of plants saved from our garden in Suffolk, and this is the result.

You'll have to ask Janet, if you want to know what any of the plants are called but I, like most of the guests at the barns, are happy simply to stroll down the path way and enjoy them.

For a colourful self catering holiday in Thursford, North Norfolk www.cottagefarmbarns.co.uk

It took a long time getting there, a 7 month planned build that took nearly 14 to complete. We'll tell you all about the trials and tribulations of dealing with our builder one day, it could fill the whole blog.

But now, at least we can say it was well worth it. Our two holiday barns are up and running,  giving fantastic self catering holiday accommodation in Thursford, North Norfolk.  www.cottagefarmbarns.co.uk