Wide Norfolk countryside stretches out on either side of this ‘very special’ place. Ivy-covered and Tuscan-inspired, the Georgian inn is owned and run by Janie and Tim Elwes in a ‘beautifully rural setting’. (‘We’re in the middle of nowhere,’ the owners proudly admit. ‘Turn on the satnav,’ guests advise.) Parasols open over tables in the courtyard on sunny days; when the weather turns cold, a fire is lit in the large open fireplace. Inside and out, ‘the staff are friendly and efficient’; a ‘lovely, relaxed atmosphere’ reigns. Simple, homely bedrooms are ‘quiet and spacious’, and supplied with ground coffee for the cafetière, plus handmade Norfolk toiletries in the bathroom. A family room sleeps four. In the kitchen, chef Mark Sayers uses produce as local as it gets: meat from nearby Aylsham; fish freshly caught just up the coast; eggs from free-range hens in the next village. Typical offerings on the blackboard menu: Cromer crab, pink grapefruit salad, Parmesan crisp; roast wild duck breast, braised red cabbage, apples. The coast and the Broads are easily reached; National Trust houses and gardens at Blickling and Felbrigg are within a 20-minute drive. (J and JA)