Local Area Information

Staying in this modern and stylish holiday rental, you are located in the peaceful village of Pentney, Norfolk, UK. Situated roughly mid way between the historic port town of King's Lynn and the charming market town of Swaffham, it's a great spot to explore from. Nearby is Pentney Lakes, where you can enjoy activities like water skiing, windsurfing, and kayaking. Nature lovers will appreciate the lakeside walks with various bird species and flora & fauna.

If you're up for a beach day, the North and West Norfolk coasts aren’t far - where big skies and wide, open sandy beaches (which are often pretty deserted) await you. You can relax on the lovely Old Hunstanton beach (not forgetting to stop for a refresher at its lovely beach café), travel further around to the renowned Holkham beach or check out the many gorgeous coastal villages such as Blakeney and the harbour town of Wells – excellent for fish & chips after a hard day crabbing!

The children will love the areas farm parks, theme parks and wildlife parks as well as the beaches. In school holidays the nature sites such as Pensthorpe and stately homes such as Holkham Hall offer fantastic activities for children to get involved and explore the natural environment. Military re-enactments at Castle Rising, banger racing in Lynn and Swaffham, Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse and buggy based tours of Watatunga Wildlife reserve are just the tip of huge variety of ‘things to do’ here in Norfolk.

Norfolk also has fantastic tourist attractions, many of them based around nature such as RSPB or Norfolk Wildlife trust sites, as well as more typical traditional attractions such as steam railways, fairgrounds and shows, and of course a wide variety of music festivals throughout the year.

History buffs should definitely visit Castle Acre, known for its castle ruins and the Priory. A nice riverside walk starts from the Castle and leads you to a 16th-century coaching inn where you can grab a drink or a bite. Kings Lynn has rich history including the Hanseatic League trading period and what is believed to be only remaining theatre attended by Shakespeare! Its museum houses the incredible Sea Henge, recovered from the coast to preserve it.

Looking for local food and drinks? Make sure to explore the local dining scene at a myriad of pubs & restaurants, not only around the coast but also inland. Many villages host traditional pubs with great menus, while the towns have a great mix of new and traditional food offerings. If you prefer your own cuisine, then shopping at the local butchers & grocers will give you access to the locally produced meats, fruits and vegetables that are in season. Let’s not forget drinks. Norfolk has a variety of distilleries, breweries & vineyards producing top notch products and many of these are happy to invite you in.

The City of Norwich is a hive of activity and opportunity throughout the year. Its two Cathedrals, riverside walks and ‘The Lanes’ a charming historic shopping area and a thriving, colourful art, music and foodie scene make the quick drive to Norwich a must for the urban explorer.

Closest Shop

Nearest shop is over the A47 on Norfolk Woods Resort, Gayton Road, Pentney, King's Lynn PE32 which a very small convenience store. It is generally open Mon-Sat 8am to 7pm, but, hey! this is Norfolk time we are talking about here and times may change! 

For more in extensive shopping, to the west we are less than 20 mins from the Hardwick Retail Park in Kings Lynn, where you will find Next, PC World, Pizza Hut, Tesco, Sainsbury, MacDonalds, KFC, Costa, Hobbycraft and many more. To the east, Swaffham is less than 15 minutes, with Asda, Tesco, Waitrose and a great Saturday morning Market.

The best start to Saturday morning is a trip to Swaffham market (free parking for two hours) for fresh local veg, cheese, fish (we recommend the Routs of Wisbech stall) then to Impsons butchers for local meats, pies and of course - sausages. Their pork scratchings are to die for at just £1 a bag!!

Norfolk has huge range of local producers offering some fantastic tastes, so please stop and check them out as you travel around.

 Favourite Places To Eat and Drink

A great place to eat nearby, or for a take-away delivered, is the Ship Inn at Narborough. Great Chinese food and friendly staff. It’s also a pub too! Check out the Parkside Bar at Pentney Lakes for Sunday Lunch and often bands or other events too.

On the A47 between The Old Chapel and Kings Lynn you will find the Carpenters Arms, for a good Sunday Lunch, and Middletons Steak House for a more refined meal.

In Swaffham there are several pubs, cafes & chip shops to choose from, plus Costa & the Waitrose cafe.

The refurbished Ffolkes at Hillington has a fantastic garden for children, indoor crazy golf and street food menu (may need to book).

The Gin Trap at Ringstead has a fantastic selection of Gins and the real ales are kept just right (the Abbot is just so moorish), while the Rose & Crown at Harply is a traditional pub with great food and a curry night on Mondays!

Fish and chips at Wells after a mornings crabbing, is a must. While in Hunstanton, Fishers has recently been voted one of the 10 best chip shops in UK, and The Waterside Bar provides good, simple grub at affordable prices.

Love outdoors & food? Enjoy sitting alfresco in the Marshside Bar at the White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, overlooking the sunset on the tidal marshes listening to one of the great local bands playing. A real pleasure for all your senses at once. Marshside closes over winter but the main restaurant and pub continues to be very busy throughout the winter months, and the views are constantly changing.

For sea foodies, Brancaster mussels are the real deal wherever you can get them or pick some up from Routs at Swaffham market and cook them yourself. We have great recipe in the Welcome Information folder.

Favourite Beach

This is the Norfolk coast you are talking about, fantastic beaches are all around! Any beach from Snettisham through Heacham, Hunstanton, Old Hunstanton, Holme, Brancaster and more, will surely delight you, and are dog friendly too. Holkham beach is glorious, vast and (usually) full of birds, but dogs must be on lead. For more details on Norfolk Beaches check out this link HERE  

Or you can go inland, to nearby Bawsey Lakes or to Linford Water just 25 minutes away on the edge of Thetford Forest. Both are freshwater lakes with ‘beaches’, and heathland walks among firs, gorse and catkins!

Favourite Walk

There is a quick walk in the village, about 20 mins, with time off the lead if your pooch is being pesky! Also just a few minutes drive from The Old Chapel, is West Bilney Woods for longer Forestry Commission walks. 

The woods at Sandringham are just a short drive away, and any of the beaches above also offer great walks. Don’t forget that Kings Lynn & Norwich are rich in history and have some lovely areas to walk around. It’s not all woodland & beach!

If you want more information just give us call or preferably book here  to stay and we will give your welcome email will include a huge list you can work through!