Norfolk Lavender, Heacham. Pizza, Blooms and a Play Barn on Our Doorstep

There’s a moment most people have at Norfolk Lavender before they’ve even ordered anything. You get out of the car, or off the coast path if you’ve walked it like we did last night, and the smell just arrives. Not perfume-shop lavender. The real thing, warmed by a whole day of sun, drifting across the gravel before you’ve even seen a single row of it.

We went up on a Tuesday evening with the dogs, more out of habit than plan, and came home smelling like a florist’s van. Worth every step.

What Norfolk Lavender actually is

Norfolk Lavender sits at Caley Mill on the A149, right on the coast road between Hunstanton and King’s Lynn. Which puts it a genuinely short hop from our Hunstanton site at Heacham. It’s home to England’s National Lavender Collection, over 50 varieties spread across nearly 100 acres, and it’s been growing lavender here since the 1930s. Free entry, free parking, open every day of the year.

July and August is when it earns its name properly. The fields go from green-grey to a proper wash of purple, and during peak bloom they run timed lavender field walk tickets so you can wander right through the rows rather than just admiring them from the path.

Yard Pizza. The reason we went back a second time

Tucked in the courtyard is Yard Pizza, a wood-fired oven turning out proper sourdough pizzas. And yes, there’s a Norfolk Lavender & Goats Cheese pizza on the menu, which felt like the only sensible thing to order on site. We shared one with a more traditional tomato-and-veg pizza between us, sat at a picnic table under the festoon lights as the light went gold, and didn’t move for the best part of an hour. There’s a water bowl for the dogs under the table too. Nobody had to ask.

What else is on site

• Farmer Fred’s Adventure Play Barn. An indoor 3D farm-themed play barn for ages 0-12, with slides, climbing and a dedicated toddler area. Separate admission, and worth pre-booking online if you’re going in peak season.
• The Farmshop. The full range of Norfolk Lavender’s own products, oils, and gifts.
• The Plant Centre. Take a lavender plant home with you (we’ve got three now from various visits).
• Bringing the Outside In. Houseplants, botanical gifts and terrariums, right by the entrance.
• Mill Kitchen café and a Jump Pillow for the kids, plus garden live music on select evenings through summer.

Getting there from Heacham/Hunstanton

Norfolk Lavender is walking distance from our Hunstanton site, right on the A149 in Heacham. It’s an easy amble if the weather’s kind, or a five-minute drive if little legs (or paws) have had enough for the day. No need to plan a full day out. It slots in as an evening wander after the beach, which is exactly what we did.

The site is dog-friendly throughout. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome everywhere except, sensibly, inside the play barn and shop interiors. Water bowls are dotted around, and nobody bats an eyelid at a dog under the table at Yard Pizza.

Pairing it with the rest of your stay

If you’re staying with us at Hunstanton Camping & Glamping, Norfolk Lavender is one of those rare finds that works for absolutely everyone in the group. Food for the adults, a play barn for the kids, a proper walk for the dog, and something genuinely photogenic for whoever’s in charge of the camera. Pair it with a morning on Wild Ken Hill’s rewilding trails or an afternoon on Old Hunstanton beach, and you’ve got a full day without moving the car more than once.

We have a spot waiting. Book your Hunstanton stay at norfolkcoast-cottage.co.uk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Source: Norfolk Lavender. Visit Us