Marsh End

Kett Country cottages look after over 150 cottages in North Norfolk and we were invited to try out one of them, Marsh Cottage, over the Autumn half term.

Marsh Cottage is a modern house, built as part of a small development in the heart of Burnham Deepdale. And the setting is the key. If you know this part of the world, you'll know how lovely all the villages are - and Burnham Deepdale is right on the sea with lovely walks along the marshes and just minutes away from bustling Burnham Market (aka Chelsea-on-Sea) or more down to earth seaside fun of Hunstanton.

The cottage has four bedrooms - two doubles (one with an ensuite), one twin and a single. There's a family bathroom upstairs and a large loo downstairs. The lounge has two large leather sofas and an armchair, a large telly and leads out to a conservatory with table and chairs. Although it was too cold to use our garden much, it's a good size with garden table and chairs, BBQ and fully enclosed with a gate out to the side of the cottage where two cars can be parked. There's also a handy cloakroom porch area for stashing muddy wellies and coats.

The kitchen has a small table you could perch on to eat, but why bother, when there's a separate dining room? All the mod cons you'd expect are here - washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, oven and microwave. It was a nice touch having a cupboard full of plastic plates and cups for smaller kids and we thought it was well equipped with cutlery, crockery, saucepans and everything else you'd be looking for. There's also a cot and highchair available if you need it. The one thing it's missing is an open fire, but coming from a draughty old house, we enjoyed the modern benefits of double glazing here when the temperature dropped outside.

We also appreciated all the family board games in the house - including Connect 4 and Cluedo which kept our two children happily occupied when they weren't running about on the beach.

One of the best things about the cottage's location is having so much on your doorstep. Just a minute's walk away is a handy garage with a well-regarded cafe, Fat Face shop, gallery etc attached. As Burnham Deepdale runs into Brancaster Staithes, there's a village pub there - The White Horse - which gets rave reviews and is less than a five minute walk back to the house. The children's menu there includes giant cous cous, baby
mozzarella, tomato & pesto salad and cheesy smoked haddock tart which makes a difference from the usual kiddie fare. There's also the Fish Shed - a great local deli serving up fresh fish, shellfish as well as locally sourced meat and veg - just opposite the pub.

It's also well placed for a number of day trips - Sandringham is around 20 minutes drive from the cottage or you could go on a seal boat trip at nearby Morston. Alternatively - and this would be more for Spring and Summer - you could just spend the day on the huge sandy beaches, pottering about to your heart's content.

All in all, we thought it a great place for a family break whether you're coming up here in the middle of winter or the height of the summer season.