Location

The house is only about half a mile downhill to the highly sought after village of Cley which was formerly an old 18th Century port and retains many attractive brick and flint cottages alongside grander merchant's houses.

Today it offers an eclectic range of shops on the doorstop including the Crab Pot Bookshop, Pinkfoot gallery, Cley Smokehouse, Made in Cley and the renowned Picnic Fayre delicatessen.

The village benefits from St Margaret's Church an architectural delight, two pubs and the well-known Wiveton Hall Cafe all within walking distance.

This is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Conservation Area, Cley has a fabulous shingle beach which is within easy walking distance, perfect for swimming and family picnics, and offers easy access to the saltmarshes and Blakeney Point with many ways of whiling away leisure hours including sailing, seal trips, cycling, golf, amazing coastal walking and fine beaches. The Cley marshes wildlife reserve dates from 1926 and makes this one of the very best places for birdwatching.

If you want to keep a boat in Cley harbour, it is free, and whether a canoe, paddleboard or a small traditional boat, setting out from here through the reeds is a wonderful experience.

Approximately three miles to the south is the Georgian market town of Holt, renowned for its attractive street frontages and for its wide and eclectic range of independent shops. As well as Bakers & Larners department store, there are boutiques, cafes and bars, doctors' surgery, dentist, and post office. Holt is also home to the highly regarded Gresham's School, pre-prep, prep, and senior, founded in 1555.

There is a buzz in the air in North Norfolk and the coast has the best of everything on offer, from locally sourced butchers, fishmongers and farmers markets to artisan bakers, cool coffee shops, restaurants, delicatessens, up-market farm shops and art galleries.

Description

Lateral living is so often confined to towns or village setting, and part of a collection of similar houses. Rectory Hill Cottage is the exception to that rule and is a brilliant example or how single level living in a rural and coastal setting can work so well.

Set, as the name suggests, in an elevated position to the east of Cley-next-the-Sea, Rectory Hill Cottage enjoys fine views across the fields to the famous north Norfolk coastline. The house is almost 2400 sq ft, of traditional brick and flint and more recent composite cladding, a programme of modernisation has been carried out by the current custodians.

The focal point is the fantastic open plan kitchen/dining room, perfect for entertaining, family life or simply to enjoy the view from with a morning coffee. With bespoke kitchen units and a large central island, the kitchen is functional and stylish, and comes into its own when peeling back the wide bi-fold doors, out on to the west facing terrace to take in the famous open sky and incredible sunsets of Norfolk. A lovely sitting room, about 6m x 6m, is complete with woodburner and sliding glazed doors into the brilliant sun room, 7.5m long, a room to relax in and enjoy views of the coast, countryside and gardens. There is a large boot room, essential for coping with muddy dogs, salty wetsuits, and boots after long walks.

The bedrooms are conveniently grouped on one side of the house. They include a large principal bedroom and en suite bathroom with walk in digital shower and contemporary bath, with the modern theme continuing in the en suite shower rooms of two further double bedrooms. The fourth bedroom is also a double, with the use of the family bath/shower room.

The house has a successful track record as a holiday let, whilst also being of a scale that could be a main home.

Outside
The house enjoys about an acre of gardens, with a high degree of privacy. The attractive brick and flint house is framed by mature gardens, which wrap round the house from south to north. Areas of lawn are bordered by mature mixed and beech hedging, and dotted with shrubs and clipped box hedging adding interest but with ease of maintenance. A gravelled seating area enjoys a south to west orientation. A particular highlight is the expansive terrace, accessed directly from the house via the kitchen and the sun room. This is a perfect area for long summer evening suppers, or quiet gin and tonics whilst taking in the views of the surrounding countryside and across to the coast. The composite decking and glass balustrades echo the modern feel of the house.

A further area of lawn is beyond a high beech hedge, and field gate, whilst there is plenty of gravelled parking for cars and boats and two handy storage sheds.