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Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room

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TV, fireplace, DVD player, table tennis
Dining
Exterior
8 bedrooms, iron/ironing board, internet, bed sheets
Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop
Reviews
9.6

Exceptional

Entire home

8 bedrooms5 bathroomsSleeps 15

Popular amenities

  • Pool
    PoolPool
  • Washer
    WasherWasher
  • Barbecue grill
    Barbecue grillBarbecue grill
  • Kitchen
    KitchenKitchen
  • Fireplace
    FireplaceFireplace
  • Dryer
    DryerDryer

Explore the area

Map
Great Hockham, Norfolk
  • Popular LocationSnetterton Race Circuit9 min drive
  • Popular LocationBanham Zoo14 min drive
  • Popular LocationHigh Lodge Visitor Centre20 min drive
  • AirportNorwich (NWI-Norwich Intl.)46 min drive

Most relevant reviews

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room

For Covid-19 cancellations, Staycation Holidays offer a full money back guarantee. If you or we have to cancel your booking due to government restrictions relating to Covid - you will receive a full refund, or you may decide to choose alternative dates.

For a house party Jane Austen-style you can’t go far wrong with Vicarage House & Pool House. Tucked in the heart of the Norfolk Brecks, this luxury eleven-bed property is very 'Pride and Prejudice', although the Bennets wouldn’t have got to splash around in a heated outdoor pool.

A Georgian gem for families and groups of friends, there’s also a tennis court on top of many other activities such as croquet and table tennis, plus cycling in Thetford Forest Park on the doorstep.

Vicarage House & Pool House is dog-friendly and the ultimate luxury base to comb the expansive North Norfolk beaches and nearby family attractions.

Vicarage House sleeps nine in comfort in the main house, with room for a further six in the Pool House.

A six acre slice of Norfolk envelopes this rather special holiday home with huge front lawn and magnificent landscaped gardens. The spacious interiors provide an ideal setting for families and groups of friends, whether for a special celebration or just for a wonderful holiday.

Take advantage of the fantastic facilities including a heated outdoor pool (1 April – 30 October) and private hard tennis court, as well as football, badminton, croquet and boules. A vast games room is situated in the adjacent Pool House, with a table tennis table, sofas, armchairs, a TV and DVD player and other games. Plenty to keep you on site!

The focal property is the beautiful Vicarage House. Alive with light, the house drips elegant Regency charm with classic country-style soft furnishings and antique furniture. The huge, light hall embraces you from the moment you set foot in the door. Airy rooms with high ceilings open up around you, while the classic farmhouse breakfasting kitchen gives a warm heart to the house.

Life is easy here. Celebrate together in the large dining room. Enjoy an after meal get-together in the sumptuous formal drawing room, the comfy sofas perfect for a catch up with family or old friends. Then there's the snug family sitting room for cosying up in front of the open fire and watching a classic family movie to bring everyone together. Or just curl up with a squishy cushion and a good book.

The five beautifully designed bedrooms can sleep nine guests in comfort and style. Three modern roomy bathrooms and flexible sleeping accommodation make it ideal for different combinations of guests and all have wonderful views...

And, if the weather’s kind, spill out onto one of four terraces wrapped around the house. With rattan furniture and two barbecues, you can capture the sunshine any time of the day and catch a classic Norfolk sunset.

The Pool House has its own distinct character providing ground floor accommodation for six. Ideal for any less mobile members in your party. A vast living room with 20ft vaulted ceiling, chunky oak beams and high windows frame the sky and a wall of windows open west onto the swimming pool and walled garden. Three comfortable bedrooms with double or triple aspects offer flexibility, and one of the two shower rooms has direct access to post pool showers.

Nestled in six acres of beautiful gardens, each step you take outside brings new surprises. From the old roses in the front garden to the deep blue delphiniums in the topiary garden and the classic borders of the walled garden. Children will love exploring the arboretum through the enchanting wooden door and playing games on the acres of lawn. Hunt for the local wildlife - deer, pheasants, rabbits, song birds, owls and woodpeckers -and see how many animals you can spot.

IN A NUTSHELL
15 Guests
Eight bedrooms: four super king/twins (one with an additional single bed), two super kings, one double and one single
One bathroom, four shower rooms, three of which are en suite
Four spacious reception rooms
Suitable for children and baby (cot, travel cot and highchair provided)
One well-behaved dog welcome by request (small additional fee*)
Private all-weather tennis court
Heated outdoor pool (1 April to 30 October)
Large games room with table tennis
Set in extensive landscaped grounds with four terraces
Six ring gas barbecue
Ten adult and various children’s bicycles for guests’ use
A chef and butler service is available by arrangement
A range of beauty and therapeutic treatments are available by arrangement
Welcome hamper, linen and toiletries
Ample parking
Covid-19 measures* (see Visitors' Notes)

PROPERTY LAYOUT
Main House Ground floor:
Entrance hallway with boot room and separate cloakroom with wc.
Drawing Room: Opens west through large French windows onto a generous stone terrace with the walled garden beyond. Sofas & arm chairs will seat your whole party comfortably in front of the open fire.
Sitting Room: Floor to ceiling windows overlook the front lawns and the walled garden. With an open fire, large flat screen TV & DVD library.
Dining Room: Conveniently adjacent to the kitchen and overlooking the front lawns, it has a huge table seating 15.
Modern fitted kitchen area: Open plan kitchen seating 12, perfect for jolly breakfasts. Fully equipped with granite work surfaces and a 42 inch plasma flat screen. French windows open onto a stone terrace with a table to seat 15, and the topiary garden beyond.
A large walk in larder and large utility/laundry room lead off the kitchen.

Main House First floor
Red Bedroom: The largest bedroom is double-aspect, overlooking the walled garden and the Pool House and the garden beyond. With a pocket-sprung super king bed (which can convert to twin beds), arm chairs, linen press & wardrobe. En suite shower room with a large walk-in shower with chrome ladder towel rails.
Butterfly Bedroom: A suite of rooms. With an extremely comfortable pocket-sprung super king bed (which can convert to twin beds) & upholstered chairs. The adjacent bedroom, suitable for a child, has a pocket-sprung single bed. En suite shower room.
Teal Bedroom: This airy bedroom is en suite to the family bathroom. Gaze over the front lawns from the comfort of the pocket sprung super king bed or relax in the comfy armchairs.
Family Bathroom: En suite Family Bathroom to the Teal Bedroom, with separate access to the Cream and Lilac Bedrooms. Gaze over the front lawns from the comfort of your bath!
Cream Bedroom: A pocket-sprung super king bed (can convert to twin beds) guarantees a perfect nights’ sleep. Overlooking the topiary garden, the Cream Bedroom is furnished with a large chest of drawers and an arm chair for a chill-out moment. It shares the Family Bathroom.
Lilac Bedroom: A single bedroom with a pocket-sprung bed overlooking a terrace with flower borders, the Pool House and the fields beyond. It shares the Family Bathroom.

Pool House Ground Floor Accommodation:
Living Room: A vast room with a 20ft vaulted ceiling, chunky oak beams and high windows framing the sky. A wall of windows open west onto the swimming pool and walled garden. Contemporary sofas and upholstered cubes offer an opportunity for relaxation.
Laundry Room.
Checked Bedroom: Triple aspect room with a double-height vaulted ceiling, TV & pocket- sprung king size bed. The adjoining en suite has a large walk-in shower, a chrome ladder towel rail and overlooks the walled garden. Direct access from the Pool allows you to take a shower after your swim.
Taupe Bedroom: A cosy bedroom, perfect for couples, with a super comfy pocket-sprung bed and high padded headboard. Double aspect with floor to ceiling windows & TV/DVD, it shares a large shower room with the Tulip Bedroom.
Tulip Bedroom: A generous bedroom with a pocket-sprung super king or twin beds & TV/DVD. Double aspect with French windows leading to the new garden. It shares a large shower room next door with the Taupe Bedroom.
Games Room: With log burner, sofas, armchairs, bean bags, DVD Sony Wii and Game Cube all attached to the large screen TV. French windows open onto the New Garden and the room is triple-aspected with views over the arboretum and fields beyond. Lots of children’s board games and toys to keep them happy when they are not playing table tennis!

Garden and Grounds:
The gardens are very special.
There are old roses in the front garden, hot pink valerian and climbing roses around the house. Raspberry ripple roses and deep blue delphiniums fill the topiary garden. Lavenders, irises and lavender blossom around the Pool House. Centurion and alliums adorn the new garden with its apple trees and new beech hedge.
The Walled Garden has classic borders and a central circular bed full of peonies in June with lilacs and wisteria providing colour and scent in the Spring. The Arboretum contains bright yellow, crimson and variegated maples, flowering hawthorns, yellow flowering laburnum trees and the blue green salix. An enchanting wooden door leads from the Arboretum into the Walled Garden. Pots are full of seasonal planting and lots of blossom trees give Spring colour.
There are acres of lawn on which to play games and the garden is abundant with wildlife ; deer, pheasants, rabbits, song birds, owls and woodpeckers.
Also, you are spoilt for choice with outdoor eating areas: Close to the house beside the kitchen is a large 15-seater teak table with rattan dining chairs and two barbecues. This terrace captures the morning sun so is perfect for breakfast and lunch. There is a stunning rattan round table with circular rattan seats on the terrace in the Walled Garden, a beautiful dining area perfect for watching a classic Norfolk sunset. Seating 10, this terrace is bathed in sunshine from early afternoon.

AS A WORKATION
The Lilac Bedroom in the main house can be turned into a home office when the space is not needed as a bedroom.
There is a printer and three Nespresso coffee machines.
There is high quality, hard-wired WiFi with resetting done externally by a company.

EQUIPMENT
Oil-fired central heating
Main House: Open fires in both reception rooms
Pool House: Log burner in the sitting room
Main House: Six hob Smeg range cooker, combi-microwave, American fridge freezer, two dishwashers, warming drawers, coffee machine and blast chiller
Main House: Washing machine, tumble dryer and Sheila Maid
Pool House: Washing machine and tumble dryer
Main House: 42in plasma flat screen in kitchen, 40in plasma TV and DVD with surround sound and Blu-ray. PS3 with games, and a very wide selection of DVDs in sitting room
Pool House: Large screen TV with DVD Sony Wii and Game Cube attached in the games room, TV/DVD in the living room and in all three bedrooms
WiFi internet access*
Cot, travel cot and highchair provided
Outdoor furniture: Large 15-seater teak table with rattan dining chairs and two barbecues (including a six ring gas barbecue) on the terrace beside the kitchen, rattan round table with circular rattan seats seating 10 on the terrace in the Walled Garden

VISITORS' NOTES
No smoking
* One well-behaved dog welcome by request (additional £25/stay). Please restrict your pet to the ground floor and do not allow on the furniture
Minimum stay 7 nights Friday to Friday during February Half Term, Easter, Whitsun, Autumn Half Term, late Summer Mid season, Summer High season, Christmas & New Year
Minimum stay 5 nights during Spring Mid season
Minimum stay 3 nights during Spring & Autumn Low seasons
Please note that a damage deposit of £500.00 is payable to the owner of the property upon arrival.
We can provide floor plans to help you organise your stay.
Check-in is after 4PM
The house has a team of staff – The House Manager, Vicky lives in the next door village. Vicky will show you around by WhatsApp or provide instructions over the telephone. Detailed instructions about the running of the house and operations of the appliances are provided in the House Manuals. Vicky will be available to answer questions at any time on WhatsApp and by phone as are Staycation Holidays.
* Covid-19 measures for this property:
In full compliance with the hospitality industry cleaning protocols and safety guidance.
External specialists in defogging and technical cleaning will clean the house after guests leave prior to the housekeepers cleaning and preparing the house for guests.
The gaps between stays are more than 24 hours, leaving the house risk-free and giving the house keepers plenty of time to deep-clean between stays.
Contact-free check in and check out.
Paper towels for hand-drying will be provided as well as soft towels.
We carry out a technical clean of the three dishwashers between each stay.
Hand sanitisers and/or anti-bacterial hand wash (to the extent available) in addition to the luxury L’Occitane and Aesop hand wash and shampoos and soaps.
Anti-bacterial washing-up liquid.
You can arrange a supermarket home delivery at least ten days prior to your stay.
Table tennis bats, tennis racquets and badminton racquets are cleaned but please bring your own should you wish.
Complete privacy and exclusive use of the cottage during your holiday.
Date changes for all existing and new bookings if the lockdown measures are extended or re-imposed.
Naturally isolated.
*Internet access is offered at this property for recreational purposes only and is not meant for business use. Speed/service may vary depending on the package obtained by the owner which is provided to Guests free of charge. Should Guests experience difficulties or loss of use, neither the owner nor the agent will be held responsible.

The vast majority of holidays are a complete success but things can go wrong from time to time and it is essential to discuss any problems with us at the time of the occurrence. We are committed to ensuring the success of your holiday. Regrettably, we cannot accept any complaints, which have not been brought to our attention at the time of occurrence. Any complaints not resolved locally must be confirmed in writing within 28 days of your return.

Property manager

Charles Millward

Languages

English

Property amenities

Pool/Spa

  • Private pool
  • Heated pool
  • Massages

Internet

  • Internet access

Parking and transportation

  • Onsite parking

Kitchen

  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Dishwasher
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils

Bedrooms

  • 8 bedrooms
  • Bed sheets provided

Bathrooms

  • 5 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer

Living spaces

  • Fireplace
  • Living room
  • Wood stove

Entertainment

  • TV with cable/satellite service
  • Table tennis
  • Arcade/game room
  • DVD player

Outdoor areas

  • Patio
  • Terrace
  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden

Laundry

  • Washing machine and dryer

Comfort

  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Smoke-free property

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • In a village

Things to do

  • Golfing on site
  • Tennis on site
  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Wildlife and game walks nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector)
  • Smoke detector not reported (host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property)

Similar properties

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 23

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

Property is also known as

374928

About the neighborhood

Thetford

Located in Thetford, this vacation home is in a rural area. St. Martin Cathedral and Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Knettishall Heath Country Park and Wayland Wood. Traveling with kids? Consider Melsop Farm Park, or check out an event or a game at Snetterton Race Circuit. Fishing offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with cycling nearby.

What's nearby

  • Snetterton Race Circuit - 9 min drive
  • Dad's Army Museum - 12 min drive
  • Banham Zoo - 14 min drive
  • Thorpe Woodlands Adventure Centre - 15 min drive
  • High Lodge Visitor Centre - 20 min drive

Getting around

  • Harling Road Station - 8 min drive
  • Norwich (NWI-Norwich Intl.) - 47 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Kings Arms - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪The Chequers Inn - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Tyrrell's Bar and Restaurant - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪The Nags Head - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room have a pool?

Yes, this property has a pool. Pool types include heated pools.

Is Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room located?

Located in a rural location, this family-friendly vacation home is within 6 mi (10 km) of St. Martin Cathedral, Melsop Farm Park, and Wayland Wood. Watton Clock Tower and The English Whisky Co. are also within 6 mi (10 km).

Secluded country house gem with heated swimming pool, tennis court & games room Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 4 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 5 reviews" "

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Jackie withers

Amazing house, lovely gardens, very comfortable beds.
Our party of 12 loved our holiday. Despite the rain we had a wonderful time. House so spacious we were never on top of each other. Private chef gave us a meal to remember!
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ronnie W., Sheffield

A great week
We were blessed with great weather and that served to enhance our stay. As Grandparents we occupied the pool house. This meant we had a peaceful haven at night away from the main house, but could join in the fun during the day time when family gathered around the Pool. We did do two day trips away from the house during the week, but to be honest we could just as easily stayed at the location all week, there was so much to do. The children loved the play room it felt so homely. The Welcome we received from the Darby's and the wonderful staff made the stay all the better, including the welcome pack and the too many to eat apples, plucked by ourselves from the abundant crop. We may well go again in the future Thanks to all
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2017