Congham Hall Hotel & Spa
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Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. Disappear and no one knows where you are. I certainly needed it towards the end of June. No big or bad reason why, sometimes I just want some alone time to recharge the social battery.
Congham Hall Hotel & Spa had kindly invited me for a weekend stay and I still can’t believe how lucky I am for these opportunities. Bloxham PR did it again - You know I am always going to sing those incredible women’s praises!
I arrived early on Friday morning and enjoyed the space before checking into my cabin. The spa had my name on it for sure, and I couldn't wait for an early morning swim and soak in the hot tub. A tip for anyone visiting, please book any spa treatments in advance - they get very busy on weekends especially. I was too last minute to book something, so just a heads up! But the pool and hot tub is free to use at any time.
The Georgian manor house is every bit the country hotel aesthetic you expect to see on Pinterest. The boots all lined up, flowers on every table top, vintage furniture in the lounge areas. The spa and restaurant have a more contemporary look and it feels elevated. The cabins remind me of Scandi architecture, where the sliding doors open up and nature can be welcomed in.
Friday evening and I sipped a glass of wine as the golden glimmer of sunset enveloped the sky. Baby deer foraged amongst the wild grass. You couldn’t make this up, it was something I imagined in a film. As I journaled and listened to the soft coo of cows in the distance, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Over the last couple of months, I have felt a grounding sense of peace within. As a producer in the media industry, your mind is always racing ahead to the next potential obstacle. Anxiety and over-preparation become your closest friends. But despite this, I have found a way to block that noise so I can be truly present.
Now, I couldn’t give that peaceful energy away if I tried. It’s too precious. I finished my wine, closed up the blinds and sank into the glorious bed. What is it about hotel beds? How do they find the softest, comfiest bedding, and those linens are just always perfectly white and crisp. I have tried hard to replicate it, but yet to be successful. Maybe that’s why travelling can feel even more magical.
I am an early bird so I got up around 5am and began running the roll top bath outside. I grabbed my Country Living magazine, a cup of coffee and continued to enjoy my solitude. That’s the thing about Congham Hall, you can just lie back and feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. Even though the cabins are closely located to one another, I always felt a huge sense of privacy. As far as I was concerned, I was the only person staying there.
It was a big day ahead and the forecast was sunny skies - a rare one for us presently. A morning swim to clear the mind and a hearty breakfast in The Samphire Kitchen to keep me energised, were on the cards. That Saturday, I headed to Sandringham Estate. I figured with it being my first time in Norfolk, I should go and see an iconic royal residence. The house stands in a whopping 22,000 acres estate in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The estate has been occupied since Elizabethan times, when the manor house was constructed, and is listed as Grade II.
I opted for just the Gardens visit as it was too hot to be inside. There are eight rooms in the house available to the public for viewing. But there are also gift shops, a restaurant, multiple cafes, St Mary Magdalene Church and the royal park, all available to visit. You easily need at least half a day if you want to explore thoroughly. The church and the park are free to roam if you want to opt out of paying tickets. But the Gardens give you great views of the house.
Whilst sunbathing, I had to get an ice cream, which fun fact - the milk is sourced from Windsor farm. It was really delicious and a big hit for the day. I leisurely made my way back to Congham Hall, but stopped off for a pub lunch at The Three Horses. It was such a cute roadside pub and the meal was so good! I inhaled my food and people watched. It was really nice to see lots of locals greet each other as you’d expect in a small village. That wholesome neighbourly energy is exactly what I search for in my future. Being back in London for two years now, I do enjoy the bustle, but I can imagine that it will later become fatiguing. Village life, where I walk my dog and say hello to people in my street, will call upon me soon.
As I sipped one last cup of tea in the cabin, I couldn't help but wonder, what was it about Congham hall that brought me so much peace? Was it the natural beauty of Norfolk, the peeled back simplicity of the cabin’s interior design? Perhaps it was the wildlife, unafraid and unabashed by my presence? All of the above and it embodied how I feel energetically. You can’t beat inner peace. When you feel this good, things align and those that do not, will be removed from your space. Don’t fight it, let it go, with ease. And if you’re really lucky, you can stand and look at an apple orchard, knowing that life couldn’t be any better right now.
