Penny Churchill looks at Larkfields, the Manor House at Oulton and Gurneys Manor at Hingham. When buying a country house — or indeed any house — a question of priorities comes into play. And three properties have come to the market in Norfolk in recent days which demonstrate this beautifully.
The first is in the coastal village of Blakeney, which lies within the North Norfolk Heritage Coast, five miles north-west of Holt and 13 miles west of Cromer. What was once a thriving commercial seaport has silted up, but small boats can still make their way past Blakeney Point to the sea — and it’s against this background that Strutt & Parker are handling the sale, at a guide price of £4.5m, of Larkfields .
It’s a house for someone who wants the pleasure of a country house without the ageing fabric of a centuries-old home to worry about. This striking New England-style coast house is inspired by houses in Cape Cod and the Hamptons, with New England’s renowned Polhemus Savery Dasilva an inspiration for local architects SMG of Sheringham and Norwich. Located off the Morston road on the western edge of Blakeney, Larkfields stands at the end of a tree-lined drive within 10 acres of professionally laid-out gardens, wildflower meadows and two hedged paddocks that drop down to the coastal path, from which the house can’t be seen.
In a quiet channel close to the property is a recently built pontoon, used for launching a tender or small boat. The result, say the agents, is a beau.