The Patch in Snettisham

Contact the owner: Tim Browne and Jill Ryan Browne

• Tel: 01793 695 752Please mention Glaven Valley when calling.
• Mobile: 07957 551 472Please mention Glaven Valley when calling.
• Email: Use the form to the left to email the owner.
• Website: http://www.the-patch.com

Inside the property

The original 'building' on this site was a Victorian railway carriage! We believe it was put in place in about 1927, and is still at the heart of the house. You can see part of the carriage in the photo of the kitchen - it houses two narrow but comfortable bedrooms (twin beds and bunks) and the shower room/loo).
Upstairs are a double bedroom with windows looking to back and front, and a single bedroom with room for a folding bed (provided). There is room for a travel cot too. All bedrooms have electric heaters, hanging space and drawers.
Bed linen and towels can be provided for £6 extra per person. (or £5 if you make up your own beds).
For those with small children, stairgates can be provided at no extra charge.
Out of school holidays we offer short breaks, and discounts for four or fewer people. Please contact us for details.
Quiet, well-behaved dogs are accepted at £20 extra per week.

There is a wood burner in the spacious sitting room/dining room, and plenty of books, local maps and guides, indoor and outdoor games and pastimes, plus a TV/video and DVD player with films, and two radio/cassette/cd players. Mobile phone reception is a bit hit and miss round here, and so we had a telephone landline installed.
The kitchen is large and has a full-sized electric cooker with double oven, plus the usual electricals (microwave, fridge, toaster) and also a slow cooker, handblender and mixer. There is a freezer in an outhouse. We also have a spin dryer, but not a washing machine or dishwasher.
The rent includes the first £20 worth of electricity and £5 worth of landline calls at standard rates (- none of our guests so far have exceeded this, even in the winter!) A reasonable supply of firewood is also included

Outside and garden

The garden is large and mainly laid to lawn. It's well enclosed, and safe for both children and dogs - the gate can be secured with a bicycle lock. You should know that there is a lake immediately outside the house, across the lane, so you would need to watch your children if they are small.
There is parking in the garden for at least two cars.
There's plenty of garden/beach furniture, a barbecue, and a selection of bicycles for guests' use - handy for nipping up to the shop, and for exploring the local area..

Surrounding area

NEARBY FACILITIES -
We provide lots of brochures and guides in the house, but here are a few important details..........
Between Easter and the end of October, there’s a well stocked general store at the end of the lane nearest the road. A fish and chip shop, water sports agency and shop, and an amusement arcade are a little further, all operating during the summer months. At other times of the year the nearest shops are in Snettisham village, a couple of miles inland. It offers a good range of facilities, including a small general store, pharmacy, surgery, post office, quirky second hand bookshop, craft shop, gallery, hairdresser, charity shop, garden centre, a couple of good pubs and a restaurant. There are regular car boot sales in the summer which are very popular!
Snettisham beach (a few minutes walk along rough footpaths) consists of a mixture of shingle, sand and shells. It's very quiet and often deserted apart from a few walkers, and activity around the sailing club during the summer months.
Swimming is good at high tide, but low tide reveals the vast mudflats of The Wash.
The world-renowned RSPB bird reserve is easily reached on foot or by bike - it's a place apart, wild and windswept and atmospheric.
There are many attractions within a few miles, and The Patch is also a good base for walking, cycling, photography, water sports -see Snettisham Beach Sailing Club's website - and even astronomy: - being far away from streetlights, we have beautiful clear starlit skies at night (weather permitting!)

The cheerful Victorian seaside resort of Hunstanton is about 15 minutes drive away, and has a good range of shops and attractions, including a leisure centre with an indoor swimming pool (The Oasis) and a Sea Life Centre. The Princess Theatre usually has shows or films to offer during the summer.
The historic town of King's Lynn has much to recommend it, both for shopping and for attractions - several fascinating museums, theatres, markets, a wonderful Art Deco cinema,fine historic buildings, and so on. The county town of Norwich is a little over an hour's drive away.
Many good pubs and restaurants are in the area, offering locally sourced food.
Plenty to do round about - the Royal Family's own holiday home, Sandringham House, Norfolk Lavender, Castle Rising - where there are spectacular battle re-enactments during summer weekends. Snettisham Farm Park is great for children, with baby animals to feed, horses to ride, an adventure playground, tea room and shop, etc. Bircham Windmill is a memorable place to visit. Take a trip in an open boat to see the seals at Blakeney Point. Further afield, the self-styled 'fine city' of Norwich is about an hour's drive - and you pass Pensthorpe nature reserve, made famous by BBC's Springwatch and Autumnwatch, on the way.
For more information, have a look at our website, and do email or phone us if you have any questions.