Norfolk at a Gentler Pace: Big Skies, Slow Water and a Proper Pot of Tea

Norfolk does not shout. It lets the sky do the talking, and over the Broads the sky is roughly two thirds of everything you can see.

The case for taking it slowly

I have reached the age where a holiday is judged by the comfort of its chairs and the promptness of its tea. Norfolk obliges on both counts, largely because nothing here is in a hurry. The water moves at walking pace. So, mercifully, does everyone on it.

The obvious way to take the county slowly is by boat. Gala Girl sleeps three and starts at £531 per break, which is a sensible arrangement for a couple plus one relative who insists on doing the steering. If you are travelling as a family or a group of friends, Brinks Quartet sleeps six and starts at £873 per break. Divided among six, that is not a frightening sum for a week of moving house every morning without packing a thing.

A word from someone who has learned it the hard way: a boating holiday is a proper holiday, not a driving one. You will cover fewer miles than you expect and enjoy them more. Bring a book you have been meaning to finish, and something warm for the evenings, because the wind out there does not care what month it is.

A roof, a kettle and somewhere to put your feet

If sleeping on water holds no appeal, the cottages make a strong case. Vine Cottage at Clevency Cottages sleeps two from £437 per break and sits near a bus stop, which matters more than it sounds. A bus stop means one of you can have a pint with lunch without the other sulking about the drive home.

Southbank sleeps four from £447 per break and is likewise near a bus stop. Landers Mews sleeps six from £881 per break, again with a bus stop within reach — useful when a group of six discovers it has opinions about where to spend the afternoon. For something newer, Otters Mead Boutique Lodges sleeps six from £445 per break, which is the sort of price that makes you check the figure twice.

My advice, for what it is worth: choose on sleeping arrangements first and prettiness second. Six people in a cottage for six is companionable. Six people in a cottage for four is an anecdote you tell later, through gritted teeth.

Windmills, airfields and, unexpectedly, camels

The rainy-day list here is unusually good, and most of it is indoors. Holton Windmill is a fine place to start, if only for the pleasure of standing at the foot of one and tipping your head back. Halesworth Museum and Diss Museum are both small in the best way; Diss Museum runs guided tours, which I would recommend to anyone who prefers their history explained by someone who actually cares about it. Mildenhall Museum has parking, which saves the usual circling.

Then there is the wartime side of things, and it is considerable. Halesworth Airfield Museum and The 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum both tell the story of wartime flying from these flat fields, and they tell it without fuss. Halesworth Airfield Museum has a gift shop. Allow longer than you planned at either; I always do.

For the grandchildren, Oasis Camel Park is exactly what the name suggests, and it is sensibly equipped — café, toilets, gift shop, picnic area and parking. That combination buys you a whole afternoon with no logistical crises. Subtropical Swimming Paradise, with toilets and parking, handles the day when the weather turns properly unsporting and the small ones need wearing out.

Booking without the guesswork

A few practical notes before you open a calendar. Decide early whether you want a pool on site, because that narrows things quickly — the family holidays with pools in Norfolk list does the sifting for you, and there is a separate round-up of places to stay with a pool if the children are grown and you simply like a swim before breakfast.

Travelling with a dog is straightforward here, given the walking, and the dog-friendly places to stay in Norfolk page saves a good deal of emailing. If you would rather not cook, there are listings for places with a restaurant or a bar, and others with evening entertainment for those who like a little more noise than I do. And if a hot tub under a Norfolk night sky appeals, there is a page for that too.

Book the boat early, the cottage reasonably early, and the tea for four o'clock.