Hi, my name is Ruby. Mother to five children aged between 21 months up to 16 years old! We are a homeschooling family and love to get out enjoy nature and make the most of local areas. I live in Suffolk, not far from the coast which is where we are often found! 

Over the years of raising our five children, Norfolk is a place we have spent a lot of time in. We’ve tried and tested a lot of places that suit families, believe me we’ve been around a bit!
I’d love to share my favourite places with you and my top tips on where to go, shop and eat. 

Beaches 

Brancaster beach with its wide expanse of golden sands is perfect for Summer sandcastles or Winter wanders. 

Wells-next -the-Sea is just beautiful all year round. The most colourful selection of beach huts and some are available for hire. The beach leads on vast amount of forest which makes for a great walk! There is a large carpark and cafe. With public toilets too. An ice cream van is also parked at the rear of the carpark near the steps. 

Another beach we really enjoy is Horsey. If you visit around April time you all get the spectacular sight of all the seal pups and their families! 

Places To Eat & Shops 

Wells Deli is a lovely cafe for all. You’ll find it along the front of the harbour, accommodating everyone this cafe is great for families and couple alike. We are a family of seven and we’ve been welcomed here many a time without feeling like we are taking up the whole place! If you know you know! The menu has a good selection for lunch. Nachos are amazing! Or if you just fancy a hot drink and cake, the peanut butter stack is my fave! 

If you walk up through the town there is some more shops and local grocery stores and cafes. I always pop into Nomad and the Bowerbird and then over to Bring the outside in. Both have some dreamy homewares and gifts. 

Stiffkey Stores has got to be one of the prettiest places we’ve been to. It's like something out of a story book, and feels like Aladdins cave. A really lovely friendly store serving locally made pastries and cakes, luxurious Coffee and plenty of choice for the small ones. To the rear of the cafe huts is an outbuilding where you will find the most amazing selection of homewares, baskets being a huge feature in this room. Its like a dream! 

Inside the store there is some more homewares with the prettiest selection of children's interiors, toys and gifts. I really struggle to make a choice every time we go! There is also some fresh groceries out the back which is great if you’re on holiday and need a little top up! 

We recently discovered Creake Abbey and really glad we did. With several shops in one place, a cafe and food hall its a great pitstop without having to go anywhere else! 

This is where you'll find the wonderful Marshes & Flint. An independent store offering homewares, kids interiors, gifts, toys, ethically sourced products and so much more! There really is something for everyone here. They stock some of my most favourite brands. 

Creake Abbey Food Hall and cafe is a family friendly spot, with a nice bit of green outside too for those little legs that need a runaround without disturbing the rest of the cafe! 

Byfords of Holt is one of the most family oriented cafes we've ever been. They promote children to just be children. Not worrying about them making noise or being a little unsettled! We've brought buggies to the table, walked them around, had them entertained by staff, all during our dinner time! 

The menu is extensive but easy to choose. The grazing dishes are amazing and you get to try a bit of everything! Do book online though to avoid disappointment. It's so easy to do, but guarantees your evening out. They also do breakfast and lunch, which we've never tried but it looks just as good as dinner! During the day you can get sandwiches, bits from the bakery and deli counter, salads and also freshly made smoothies blends! 

Places to stay 

I completely get that not everyone can stretch to staying over or that your budget doesn’t allow to stay in the places I’ve listed. Its taken us many years to get to this point! Ford House is a flint cottage situated in Docking, very close to the North Norfolk coast. 

Such a homely cottage welcoming families, its spacious and cosy. We love it here. Amanda is a wonderful host who is very knowledgeable with regards to things to do and places to eat. 

Why we love it here so much is that there is no checkout time. As a family its so hard getting all your bits packed and out the door by the usual 10am and it makes you feel like you’ve lost a day right?! So its a huge bonus being able to take our time, let the babe nap, have some lunch eat before heading home! 

Lastly I'll add a fave campsite of ours that is great for families Its spacious and eco friendly which we really like. Its situated in Diss, so is around 1hour 20 mins from Norfolk but would be worth travelling for a good day out and offers cheaper accommodation. 

So that’s my round up of Norfolk, I hope you enjoyed reading and get to visit soon! 

@rubydiamonds