Once a hamlet that formed part of Lord Amhurst’s Didlington Estate, Colveston is now at the hub of a thriving livestock and arable farm stretched across the Breckland Heath of south-west Norfolk.
At the heart of this farmland stands Colveston Manor, a charming Georgian home built from the distinctive chalk and redbrick that characterises the region. Parts of the house date back to the 16th Century and the farm is mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086.
The manor house is set in its own extensive grounds with informal gardens through which guests are free to wander and enjoy the peaceful environment. To the south of Colveston, stands of Scandinavian Pine mark the edge of Thetford Chase, an amenities area that offers hiking and pony trekking. Throughout the whole area is a wealth of bird and wildlife to enjoy, and close by to the west of the manor house is the River Wissey, tributary to the Great Ouse, and East Anglia’s last remaining chalk-bed trout stream.
A short drive in any direction and you will arrive at one of the area’s small towns, each steeped in local history and centred around still-thriving weekly markets. Nearby Norwich, Ely and Bury St. Edmunds boast cathedrals and in Bury the remains of an old abbey preserved in the Abbey Gardens is a delight. Cambridge and Norwich, our nearest cities, are both forty minutes drive.
Norfolk and Suffolk’s rich heritage is close to hand with National Trust properties such as Ickworth House and Oxburgh Hall welcoming visitors year round, and Sandringham, the Royal Family’s winter retreat, just a few miles away. There are many other gardens and historic houses open to the visitor and the north Norfolk coast is within easy reach. Also close by are Grime’s Graves, the site of Stone Age flint mines.