The story of our holiday home in Norfolk
Hi, we’re Caroline and Hannah
After renovating Waveney Valley Barn, we really had time to explore this magical place that we can proudly now call our home and, oh my, how beautiful it is. The Waveney Valley is just breathtaking, it’s a very good place for the soul. The skies are unbeatable here, especially at night, the stars are beautiful. The wildlife is in abundance, from the cuckoos in spring to the owls at night, we love being surrounded by all this wildlife every day, all year round.
It still takes us back, even now, 3 years after our holiday home in Norfolk opened, how people comment on the bird song and how they have never been somewhere where there is so much of it. Some of our guests record the bird song so they can listen to it when they return home. I am definitely guilty of taking it for granted as I am just so used to it, I notice it as soon as I leave though.
Within our 2 acres we have created our own little eco-system and some days it feels like all the wildlife is moving in. We have unspoilt wild areas which are just full of habitat, we leave these all year round as they provide so much shelter for wildlife. Within a day of staying at Waveney Valley Barn it would not be uncommon to see robins, blue tits, wrens, goldfinches, pheasants, ducks, swans, barn owls, buzzards, red kites, muntjac, the list goes on.
Caroline and Hannah
The Sheep – Annie & Minnie
The Chickens
Ginger Tom Cat – Stevie
History of the barn
We fell in love with the dilapidated cottage and barn, dating back to 1580, nearly 10 years ago. The barn and our 2 acres of land were not visible due to the overgrowth as she had been empty for over 30 years. For us it was love at first sight and we knew we had to be the next custodians to bring her back to life. It took nearly 3 years to get to a point that we could finally move in with our 3 kittens, a sink, a washing machine and the basics.
A lot of building work went on for several more years, but we didn’t mind as she had a heartbeat again and it was as if she was smiling and thanking us for what we were doing. We had never renovated a house before, let alone a Grade 11 listed property which was falling down. It was a steep learning curve! We bought our holiday home in Norfolk because we fell in love with her and wanted to preserve her for the future. It is a huge responsibility but also a great honour.
The Future
During the restoration of the Grade II listed barn, we wanted to make her as sustainable as possible for the future. We have a ground source heat pump and underfloor heating throughout the ground floor of our cottage and Waveney Valley Barn. The heat pump provides the heating and hot water for both the cottage and the barn. We have solar panels too. If we created enough of our own electricity then we would be self-sufficient, the future dream.
We welcomed our beautiful baby boy a year ago and couldn’t imagine him being raised anywhere else than under her guardianship – our beloved barn. We wanted to share this beautiful part of the country with other people and for them to feel the same sense of calm and love offered by the barn. We have so many repeat customers, who feel like family now, who have fallen under her spell and return time after time to their home from home.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Waveney Valley Barn and for you to fall in love with the barn and the surrounding area.
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