Woodlakes is the perfect base to explore delightful countryside and outstanding attractions of historic Norfolk. We have included some of the highlights here, but there is much more to enjoy.

Downham Market, the nearest town, is one of Norfolk’s oldest settlements and an up and coming Market town. Most basic services are available including reasonable shopping, banks, a market on Friday and Saturday, a Railway station with links to King’s Lynn, Ely, Cambridge and London, and a Bus Station connecting to the local towns and villages. Free car parking is available at the Hollies, the Market Place, the Town Hall and Paradise Road.

King’s Lynn is a Roman market town on the River Ouse which became a bustling commercial port. There are many historic buildings to visit including two 15th Century Guildhalls, medieval churches and a Customs House built in 1683. The town centre has good shopping including markets on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and has a direct rail line to King’s Cross Station in London. In July the King’s Lynn Festival takes place, a week-long programme of music and the arts which began as a celebration of the reopening of the Guildhall of St George where Shakespeare once appeared, reputed to be the oldest theatre in Europe.

The Royal Estate of Sandringham was built in 1870 by the Prince and Princess of Wales, later to become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. It is now the country retreat of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. Described as "The most comfortable house in England", the main ground floor rooms are open to the public and the décor and contents remain very much as they were in Edwardian times. Almost 243 hectares (600 acres) of The Sandringham Estate has been designated a Country Park. There are two Nature Trails and numerous paths in the woodlands to explore. The Country Park is open every day at no charge to the public and car parking is free.

Alternatively head off to the golden beaches of the north Norfolk coast, which have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There you will find miles of unspoilt beaches and pretty coastal towns and villages to explore. Heacham and Hunstanton are two of the country’s most outstanding beaches on the beautiful North Norfolk coast, and are only 20 miles away.

The historic University City of Cambridge, with its beautiful colleges, punting on the River Cam, the beautiful “Backs” and world famous King’s College Chapel are only 35 miles away. For retail therapy the fine city of Norwich is within easy reach. The shops are in abundance and provide even the most energetic of shopaholics with a challenge. In addition the city of Norwich has the most complete mediaeval street pattern in England, with 1500 historic buildings, and at the heart of the city there stands a Norman castle as well as one of England’s finest Norman cathedrals

The National Trust has three properties within a short drive from Woodlakes. Oxburgh Hall and gardens near Swaffham, Peckover House and gardens in Wisbech (capital of the Fens) and Anglesey Abbey and gardens.

The City of Ely and Ely Cathedral were built by William the Conqueror as a prominent outpost after the bloody and lengthy rebellion by Hereward the Wake. Later, during the period of the Civil War the cathedral was commandeered by Oliver Cromwell and became known as Cromwell’s Castle. The striking silhouette of the cathedral is visible from many miles away and is colloquially described as the "Ship of the Fens".

The Fens, a former wet wilderness which has been drained over the centuries to create some of the most fertile land in Britain. Here you can visit important nature reserves and historic churches.

The Norfolk Broads, Britain’s newest National Park, offers 200 miles of reed-fringed navigable waterways. These were created between the 12th–14th Centuries when peat diggings became flooded after sea levels rose. This beautiful landscape surrounded by marshes, windmills and nature reserves, can be explored by boat available for hire by the day.

Thetford Forest Park is Britains largest lowland pine forest in the unique landscape of Breckland. There are numerous walks and cycle rides to enjoy and you can also take a trip into some neolithic flint mines. The town of Thetford which was once the capital of East Anglia has a Norman castle mound and 12th Century priory.