Mum’s the word! Plan a special Mother’s Day break at Heacham Manor
Maybe it’s the combination of spring arriving and nature bursting into life after winter, and a fantastic reason to celebrate one of the most important women in your life, but Mother’s Day is the perfect excuse to book a Norfolk break and make mum feel like a queen. With lots of fun, seasonal activities and places to visit, here’s our guide to a fantastic Mother’s Day weekend on the coast.
Best gardens to visit in Norfolk
Mother’s Day is synonymous with flowers, so instead of a wilting bouquet that won’t last long, visit one of Norfolk’s gorgeous gardens to see spring’s flowers in their prime. Within walking distance of Heacham Manor, Norfolk Lavender is world famous for its purple plants and, while the fields are well worth a return visit in summer when the lavender is in full bloom, a walk around the gardens are a sensory treat at any time.
Or head inland to Pensthorpe, just outside Fakenham, and spend a day exploring the nature reserve’s five incredible gardens, including designer Piet Oudolf’s exquisite Millennium Garden. Based on a prairie landscape, each year the planting is more impressive than the last, and the gardens are a wildlife haven, dotted with stunning sculptures to discover at every turn.
From wild to walled, head to the Holkham Estate and tour the six-acre working garden’s slips which are edged on one side by working greenhouses and the other by the newly restored Samuel Wyatt vinery. While you’re there, visit Holkham Hall, a Palladian masterpiece created by Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester in 1764. Tour the impressive Marble Hall and state rooms, which are still home to the 8th Earl of Leicester and his family.
Drawing inspiration from these master plantsmen, treat mum to some blooms for her own patch of green at HortiCo a nursery and garden emporium at Drove Orchards, Thornham, Ward’s Nurseries at Ringstead or Thaxters Garden Centre in Dersingham. These local independent garden centres have a fantastic range of plants and helpful expert advice to find something special that she’ll remember your Norfolk stay every time it blooms.
Chocs ahoy! Norfolk’s best bars
Where there are flowers, there should be chocolate, and Norfolk has a clutch of super chocs to treat mum to. Norfolk’s Gnaw has more than 20 flavours to choose from – head to Hunstanton’s Norfolk Deli (LINK TO https://norfolk-deli.co.uk/) which stocks its bars to take your pick. Another Norfolk native, Booja-Booja’s vegan, dairy-free chocolates have won countless awards and are sold in some of the Uk’s grandest food halls, so you can’t go wrong with a box.
Visit Maldon Chocolates at Snettisham’s Poppyfields Retail park, which supplies Heacham Manor’s chocolates, and take your pick of the delicious handmade treats created on site by its chocolatier.
Or for a highly original Mother’s Day gift, book an artisan chocolate-making course with Hunters Chocolate and make your own bean to bar under the expert guidance of master chocolatier and chef Gary Hunter.
A bite to eat at Heacham Manor
Everything stops for tea! Or at least it should, so after your are done exploring gardens or making your own chocolates, enjoy an indulgent afternoon tea back at Heacham Manor at the Mulberry Restaurant. Our AA Rosette team will serve up the most delicious tiered tea with a selection of sandwiches and cakes, along with a refreshing brew.
As the big day itself falls on a Sunday, treat mum to a roast without the washing up at Heacham Manor. We have two fantastic options with our carvery in The Pavilion, or enjoy a full Sunday lunch in the Mulberry Restaurant where there will be a free dessert for mum! As one of our most popular dining days, don’t forget, get booked and make the lady of the day feel like a million dollars.