For the Broad House, half a mile might be ahundred miles such its world away from the bustling main street of Wroxham and Hoveton. Next to the driveway of the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club, the rural approach belies its location and the 24 acres of wooded parkland and river frontage it sits in.
The Broad House is a charming Queen Anne building, in the main dating back to the early 1700s – think quintessential sash windows, red brick architecture and slate roofs. Converted in 2007 and opened just eighteen months ago by Philip and his wife Caroline, it previously had been a private home and the feeling of being guests at a house-party and the privacy of seclusion and tranquillity remain. Few hotels have a similar array of public rooms downstairs; along with four intimate dining areas used as restaurants, there is a library, drawing room, bar and garden room to choose from, when guests seek a quiet retreat.
Outside in the grounds, the Broad House, probably uniquely for East Anglia, can boast their own boat charter in the grounds. Owned by Katie Hanger, who works as an events co-ordinator for the hotel when not on the water, Lola Charters run a 45 foot twin deck river cruiser from the Broad House’s own boathouse. Philip even manages to escape down river to steer it whenever he can, guests enjoying the likes of picnics, wine tastings, dinner parties and full dinners aboard, with alfresco heated dining for 10 people.
Run on a very separate exclusive basis with the nuptial party taking the whole hotel for two nights, discerning weddings are a major part of the event activities at the Broad House. Opening for the start of the busy season in May, a grand vaulted thatched barn and glass fronted bar is currently being finished, catering for bespoke parties of up to 150 guests whilst the current Ballroom will sit smaller celebrations for up to 60 people. Another very key difference about the hotel is its own fully working kitchen garden, which come the lush growing season, keeps the kitchen self sufficient for specialist baby vegetables and salad ingredients. For example for six short weeks in late Spring, their inherited asparagus bed will produce 300 bundles of superb ‘sparrowgrass’. Plot to plate being so quick will see the lucky diners enjoying it at its finest (as like peas, the natural sugars quickly turn to starch).
The two full time gardeners work in consultation with Philip and his new executive chef, Andy Parle to choose the ideal crops for exploiting the most productive use from the different growing areas as well as securing the best tasting and high yielding varieties of each. Even over the winter, the glass houses have given a good supply of tender salad leaves and will boost the new potatoes and early tomatoes with a real head-start.
Upstairs the house with its nine very different cosseting bedrooms offer a huge variety of shape, look and luxuries, one for example in the timbered attic has twin stand-alone baths side by side along with a walk-in shower in the bathroom. But all share the beautiful views over the parkland and many look out towards the Broad river basin.
The restaurant experience is now the primary focus of Philip and Caroline’s attentions, recruiting Andy earlier this year, a well known Norfolk chef previously at Itteringham’s Walpole Arms. This builds on the firm foundation of a year’s efforts since opening from chef-lecturer Steve Thorpe on sabbatical from his role as Head of Norwich Hotel School at City College. Alongwith head chef Tom Brace, Andy is planning menus around their own home-grown produce and of course the local Norfolk ingredients such as cheeses Mrs Temple’s Walsingham or Ellie Bett’s Dapple, Aylsham smoked goods, Swannington Farm pork and Brancaster mussels.
Now open for lunch as well as dinner, lighter options served at lunchtime might be salmon fishcake with proper tartare sauce; sauté of jointed guinea fowl with lyonnaise potatoes and sprouting broccoli; and finishing with orange and croissant bread and butter pudding with chocolate brownie ice cream. In the evenings, things hike up with canapés, sorbet and petit fours offered alongside the three more elaborate courses, which could be treacle cured gravadlax on a buckwheat blini with beetroot relish, crème fraiche and garden leaves; saltimbocca of pork loin with butternut squash and sage risotto; ending with white chocolate and stem ginger cheesecake with poached rhubarb.The Broad House really is a seductive bolt hole in the country, well away from the hordes elsewhere on this famous stretch of inland waterways, just right for weekenders wanting to escape the stresses and demands of busy lives.
The Broad House, The Avenue, Wroxham,
Norfolk T: 01603 783567 W: broadhousehotel.co.uk
