My visit to Boathouse Barn

Boathouse Barn is one of our brand new properties, located idyllically on the river within a stunning countryside estate. Last week, guest experience team member, Joe, got the chance to visit this wonderful barn conversion.

Here’s how he got on…

Boathouse Barn is incredible from the moment you pull off of Mill Road. Driving up and entering through an electronic gate, I found myself driving down a beautiful country estate. It reminded me of those scenes in children’s fantasy films where the children are whisked off to stay with there long lost aunt, or in Narnia when the kids are evacuated from the big city!

Driving along on each side of me was pretty grassland, covered in beautiful white snowdrops and lovely large trees lined each side of the gravel pathway. Continuing through you drive past the owner’s house, and alongside the river. Already imagining the fun families will have staying here, with The Norfolk Broads literally on the doorstep! Not to mention paddle boards and small boats can be used to travel to local pubs by the river!

Boathouse Barn gravel driveway — Private road leading to Boathouse Barn

Parking the car in the designated parking area just past the barn, I got out of my vehicle and just marvelled at where I was. Unbelievably picturesque, surrounded by nature, this truly was a stunning riverside setting.

The Kitchen/Dining/Living area…

Taking the key out of the key box I preceded through the entrance foyer before arriving into the large open plan kitchen/dining area. High ceilings, very well lit, you could tell straight away the owner had put a lot of careful consideration into designing the property. All brand new and exceptionally clean with some lovely pieces of attention to detail that showed the level of care that had gone into creating such a lovely holiday let.

You could very much feel that Boathouse Barn was designed to encourage social interaction, a place where families would be brought together, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy outside world. Things like the open plan layout, the central island in the kitchen and the layout of the lounge furniture had all been part of a considerate purposeful design. The double glass doors open out into a patio area with seating, ideal for taking in early-morning nature with a hot cup of coffee.

Having taken quite some time to marvel at the downstairs, I was excited to see what the rest of the house had in store. The layout was superb, with a slight level of quirkiness throughout yet very convenient and thoughtfully designed.

The Bedrooms…

Wow ‘oh wow, how nice the bedrooms were. Beautifully furnished, stylish with touches of colour and my gosh, THE BEDS! I’m 6 ft 4 so I’m always very conscious of bed size… But I could have laid on the super king in any direction and my feet still wouldn’t have touched the end of the mattress. The upstairs twin bedroom was equally marvellous. It had this curiously kooky window which looked over the downstairs dining table. My first thought was that mischievous children would find this hilarious! Spying on the adults having dinner after bedtime!

Very cool, very well done and exceptionally stylish.

I’d missed the third bedroom on the ground floor, having been overly eager to view the upstairs. Another fantastic twin room, which let in plenty of light thanks to it’s own private door for outside access. Ideal for guests who have trouble with mobility with it being on the ground floor and having two separate entrances.

In terms of bathrooms the property has no shortage. The master bedroom offers it’s own private ensuite, whilst a family bathroom can be found downstairs. There’s also an additional shower room located off the utility room.

The outside and garden…

The outside area of Boathouse Barn could do with a whole separate blog post because there is simply so much to talk about. Guest’s have their own private patio area and garden, great for enjoying those summer evenings with your families. It’s also fenced off for those of you holidaying with pets!

There’s even a full sized tennis court on the grounds which guests have access too!

Guests are also allowed to go and explore the beautiful nature that surrounds the property. Entirely private land, exclusive for those staying within the grounds – and filled to the brim with wildlife. The owner told me Snow drops emerge early on in the year followed by daffodils and then wildflowers. You can apparently even sometimes spot otters, king fishers and other river birds along the river!

Surpassing expectation, and utterly impressed were the feelings I left Boathouse Barn with. Beautifully unique, refreshingly thoughtful and delightfully peaceful.

If you want to see what all the hype is about, then click here to book your stay at Boathouse Barn.