The Harper, Norfolk | A Breath Of Fresh Air

Norfolk is known for it’s long unspoilt beaches and coastline, big blue skies and some truly idyllic places to stay. Located in North Norfolk, one of these havens is the soon to open, and it’s called The Harper. The new boutique hotel is set in a former glass blowing factory in the pretty village of Lanhgam, just a short cycle distance from Blakeney.

Embracing its history with bespoke glass features and natural materials, The Harper is artfully mismatched in a carefree – non fussy way. With 32-bedrooms in total, no two are the same and the choices of size and style range from Big, Bigger to Biggest which can be viewed on The Harper’s website here.

Fully celebrating the hotel’s location by the sea, food at The Harper combines locally sourced produce in a contemporary way with a comforting and distinctive Norfolk twist. It may be no surprise that seafood is a particular speciality here. The Harper’s laid back ‘dine anywhere’ approach to eating helps you feel at ease, however, Stanley’s is more of a classic restaurant space if you like a more regimented approach to meal times.

Fun fact: Stanley’s was named after founder Sam Cutmore-Scott’s grandfather, whose middle name was Harper. You can find out a little more about the story behind the hotel if you’re interested here.

Just next door to Stanley’s you can discover Ivy’s. Named after Sam’s late grandmother, this quintessential living area is set amongst a wood-burner, arm chairs and sofas you just want to nestle in for a evening after a long day exploring – plus there’s wine fridges so it’d be rude not to enjoy a glass or two whilst you relax…

Ivy’s is actually set within the old foundry of the old glass factory and plays perfect homage to this with a bespoke stained glass window feature (which you can see pictured above).

Our favourite spot in the hotel has to be then Den. A super relaxed space where you can create a housing empire over an intense but friendly game of Monopoly, test your skills at a game of pool or watch a classic movie. To put it simply this is the ultimate games room for all to enjoy.

When the weather warms up a little, the Yard is a great place to be with a glass of something special whilst you sit and chat watching the sun go down. Filled with flowers, grasses and herbs it offers an easy breezy spot to relax. Don’t worry about getting hungry here though, The Shack – which is the outside kitchen – offers grilled foods for the full taste of summer. Check out their menus here.

There’s no better way to explore the tranquil Norfolk countryside than a little light exercise by using one of the hotel’s bikes. The Harper has devised a series of walking routes called ‘Harper Hikes’ for the keen walkers among you too.

After all that fresh air how about trying a pub crawl? The Harper will quite literally ferry you from one pub to the next in their very own Land Rover (with a designated driver provided of course!). During the crawl you can enjoy a standard pie, ploughmans and pints but there’s also famed local coastal delicacies to try like steamed mussels, crab and chips…sign us up!

After all this excitement only a relaxing trip to the spa the next morning will do. The Harper has an indoor pool bathed in natural light, a hot tub, sauna, steam room and two treatment rooms, a place to embrace wellness in the widest sense either on your own or with a loved one. The Harper offers a fresh take on the traditional massage concept called MASAJ.

Offering bespoke massage, bodywork and relaxation experiences to choose from, The Harper Spa only works with the most intuitive and highly-skilled therapists, and has developed signature bodywork treatments with a distinctive style that draws on Thai, Ayurvedic, Stretch and Sports massage techniques. During treatments you can choose from a selection of hand-crafted natural oil blends plus you’ll also be interested to know the Spa only use natural products. Find out more about the Spa here.

Whether you are just escaping everyday life or a stressful job in the city, the Harper is a soothing breath of fresh air. With a trick or two up its sleeve, the hotel is due to be a hidden jewel in the Norfolk jewellery box that we cannot wait to experience for ourselves.

To find out more or to make a reservation visit the website here. Please note that due to COVID-19, the opening has been delayed until early 2021.

Images: The Harper