Pastures new

Dear Guest,
We are thrilled to report that we have had a very busy season so far.  When we bought White Horse Farm last September, along with its three barns-'Primrose', 'Walnut' & 'Blackberry'  little did we know what dramas lay ahead! 

Winter

The snow arrived, plus an  extra sprinkling for our village which meant Gunthorpe was very nearly cut-off! Luckily our guests were terribly good natured about everything and lots of alcohol was consumed and the fires were kept roaring.  Poor Jo was left on his own with the dogs, a new business, and barns full of guests whilst I was unexpectedly whisked off to hospital for quite a lengthy unplanned stay!  For a retired farmer who didn't know a duvet cover from a pillowcase, he coped admirably.  At this stage I would like to thank all guests, friends & relatives that rallied round and helped whilst I was indisposed - I can't begin to thank you all enough.  I am not sure whether Jo is happier when I am resting in bed and he is out of the firing line but has more jobs to do, or, when I am up and about issuing orders!!  I am hopefully on the mend with just a few more hoops to jump through.

Spring

Spring brought a rush of bookings and work was well under way with 'Cowslip' our new barn.  The beautiful grounds burst into life under the watchful guidance of Jeremy, our gardener who patiently advised me on what and what not to do in my kitchen garden which has become a new baby for me.

With the new barn ready, we welcomed our first canine guest, Max the labrador with his owners - he apparently had such a good time that word spread, and before long we were inundated with dogs of all shapes and sizes wanting to bring their owners on holiday!  We now have a dedicated canine gallery so they can 'show-off' to their friends!

Summer

Summer, of course, is the busiest time of the year and unsurprisingly we are fully booked so I have now turned my attention to luring guests to stay with us for an Autumn break.  It really is a great time to come and visit as the roads are quieter and you do not have to book so far ahead to secure a table in your favourite eaterie.  Also, our guests love striking a match to their woodburning stove or log fire - of course, they can be lit all year round but it does look a bit silly in a heatwave! 

Returning guests... take note that you are eligible for a discount so that gives you a good excuse to book a few nights away.  Be sure to reserve your dates soon as we have blocked out two weeks in November when we are upgrading the barns with new shower rooms and re-decorating. 

Autumn Escapes

I love Autumn... a kaleidoscope of colours - orange, red, yellow russet & green, leaves crunching underfoot, huffy breath on nippy mornings, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, walks in pine scented forests, collecting fallen conkers, hearty casseroles and good red wine, bracing walks across heath and sand, snuggly sweaters and cozy scarves, skies full of honking geese, race meetings at Fakenham, hot water bottles, nostalgic movies in front of the fire, hedgerows abundant with goodies, big haystacks, and, of course...the harvest festival!

Special Treat!

Guests that make a booking for an 'Autumn Escape ' break with us before the end of August 2010 will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne on arrival.  'Autumn Escape' breaks run until the end of November. Hurry and book now...

One night only!

We are really thrilled to announce that White Horse Farm will soon be able to unveil a brand new 'Guest Suite'! 

We are often asked by our guests if we have room for them to stay an extra night as they cannot bear to leave, so.... we gave the matter some thought and came to the conclusion that there are lots of reasons that guests may like to stay for 'One Night Only'.  Maybe you have a wedding invite in the area or are visiting relatives but whatever the reason it is extremely difficult to find a high quality establishment in North Norfolk that offers luxurious self catering accommodation to our level for 'One Night Only'.  Our new 'Guest Suite' will be located adjacent to 'Cowslip Barn' and will be called 'Sweet Pea'. 

The accommodation will offer a large bedroom with seating area, king size bed with luxury feather topper, superb en-suite shower room, 'Tassimo' coffee machine plus welcome munchies, a flat screen TV and our divine 'Hermes' toiletries.  We haven't decided on a final tariff yet but details will be on the website soon.  Our builder will work as quick as he can and we hope that 'Sweet Pea' will be ready to launch in approximately six-eight weeks.  Be sure to tell your friends as we think this new addition will be very popular.

As a guest of White Horse Farm, you will be kept informed of Sweet Pea's progress.   If you 'd like to keep your friends informed, please forward this message.

P.S.

I look forward to hearing from you...
Best wishes, Susie.

Thank you for all your kind comments about the website - it has taken a lot of hard work and I have had an incredible amount of help putting it all together from Jon Jackson, the website genius, whose services I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. I think the website offers a enlightening and informative 'snapshot' of life at 'White Horse Farm'.