01/09/2026
Things I’m loving this month and this one is a Norfolk summer edition...
Houghton Hall and Gardens
One of my favourite places in Norfolk, full stop. The contemporary art exhibitions are always worth the visit — this year’s is particularly good — and the children treat it like a treasure hunt, which is exactly the right way to experience it. The gardens are endlessly inspiring, and somehow I’ve managed to pass that on to the boys too. The interiors are next level. Every time I go, I find something new.
Pensthorpe
What I love about Pensthorpe is the feeling of being completely surrounded by nature. The children wander, there are playgrounds inside and out, and this summer they added a maze and extra activities. It’s one of those rare places that genuinely works for adults and children at the same time, rather than just tolerating one for the sake of the other.
Holkham
Holkham feels like a home from home. We come every summer without question. This year my seven-year-old braved the high ropes, we picnicked, rode bikes, and I even managed a run on my own — which felt like a small miracle. The kind of place that gives everyone exactly what they need from a day out.
BeWILDerwood Norfolk - Magical family fun
BeWILDerwood gets me every time, and it’s because of the detail. Everything is made from wood, there are little houses for magical creatures, and my four-year-old and I spent a long time debating why the creatures never come out in the daytime. We climbed everything, braved the big slides, and I left genuinely charmed. It doesn’t feel commercialised or contrived — and that is a real achievement for what is, fundamentally, a children’s amusement park. The thought and care in it is quietly extraordinary.