Bylaugh Hall in Norfolk, architect Charles Barry and restored from a ruin by Stephen and Muffy Vince

Tom Toms
Travel to Norwich on the All and a few miles from Norwich re-set your Tom Tom to BYLAUGH HALL NR20 4RL

If coming from the South or via Cambridge, it is much quicker to aset you Tom Tom for Norwich, and when a few miles from Norwich and you see the signs for Swaffham, A47 then, or just before then - reset the Tom Tom for

Or Print out the following directions as from London and other routes the take one onto the M11 and A11 towards Norfolk and Norwich.

Travel along the A11 until one is only 3 or 4 miles from Norwich city centre. The dual carriageway of the A11 comes to an abrupt end at a large roundabout where it also crosses the A47. Take the second exit signed to Swaffham and Dereham. After about 6 miles this dual carriageway also ends at a roundabout. Continue along the A47 towards Swaffham and over the next smaller roundabout. There are chevrons in the middle of the road all the way, which become larger after a further mile from that second roundabout. Here there is a turning to the right signposted 'Wood Lane'. Follow this road for 3 or 4 miles and through the village of Weston Longville and thence out onto the A1067 main road from Norwich to Fakenham. Turn left travelling through the village of Lenwade. After another 3 miles one sees on one's right the Bawdeswell Garden Centre at an off-set cross roads.

Turn left just before reaching the garden centre into Elsing Lane. After about one mile, with the estate wall on one's right you reach a small cross roads with Bylaugh Church signed to the right. Follow this lane for about one mile, passing the church on ones left. Shortly afterwards there is a sign to Bylaugh Hall on the right. Follow this track and past the actual hall following signs for The Orangery where you will also see the reception.

If you are going to The Manor, then it is about one hundred yards past the sign at the bottom of the Bylaugh Hall drive and also on the right hand side.

from the North via Dereham

From the A47 take exit marked Swanton Morley B1147. This is to the Norwich side of Dereham. If one exits into Dereham then one enters something of a labyrinth of one way streets. The nearest landmark that locals can be asked for is the Cherry Tree (a pub) car park. Don't go into the car park, but travel out of Dereham along Theatre Street which runs beside this pub. Straight over the crossroads at the end of the street and one is then out of Dereham on the Swanton Morley road.

Go through the village of Swanton Morley (without speeding because there are often traffic cops with radar in this village) and continue on this road towards Bawdeswell, until one goes over the 2 hump-backed bridges which cross the river Wensum. Just after the bridges take the right hand turning marked Bylaugh. Continue up this narrow country lane past Park Farm on the right. In daylight you will see the church in front of you, and before reaching this church, on the left you will see a turning with a the Bylaugh Hall sign.

Keep the hall on one's right, ie do not turn right on the concrete road that passes in front of the hall. Instead continue with the hall on ones right with its railings.

The holiday cottages and houses are then market on signs to their relevant parking areas and are all just beyond the hall.

BY CAR FROM NORTH EUROPE

For travellers coming by car via Harwich, do drive via the north of Rotterdam to ensure clear signage to Hoek van Holland, and avoid Den Haag.

The night ferry is good value with free food and a nights sleep; and one also misses the traffic at both ends. The day ferries are super fast catamarins, and because one is not sleeping, can work out quite a bit cheaper.

Coming off at Harwich beware, the English road signs are not designed for foreigners going anywhere other than London, and they are not designed for us either. So, follow Colchester and London for the first quarter of an hour or so, but look out for a slip road with A12 to Ipswich and follow signs for Ipswich. Missing this Ipswich turn-off is a disaster not easily corrected.

One follows the A12 towards Ipswich (once on the A12, 'The Midlands' will appear also on one of the signs) It is 10 oir 15 minutes before one finally arrives at a large roundabout where magic, the signs for Norwich and the Midlands direct one to the left and onto the A14 north.

But beware, dont relax yet. There is another trick. This is the route to The Midlands. Look carefully for another slip road whcih will appear in about another ten minutes singed Norwich A140. This is also an easy slip road to miss, particularly if one is following a truck or similar.

After coming off this slip road one is again presented with the option of Bury and what would mean going back onto the road one has just left. It is not a round roundabout, so follow its course round until one sees Norwich and the A140 again.

Now you are safe for nearly an hour. When you get close (2 or 3 miles) to Norwich one reaches a large roundabaout onthe outer Ring, take the slip road onto this dualed motorway styled ring road, and stay on it as it heads to the A47 Dereham and Swaffham. It ends in a roundabout.

Continue over the roundabout to two way traffic for about two miles until one sees chevrons in the middle of the road, and a sign to the right saying Wood Lane. Take this road, and stay on it without even thinking of taking any turnings. One passes through the narrow village of Weston Longville and still continues straight on this road until it ends on the Norwich to Fakenham road at a T junction.

Turn left and go through the village of Lenwade.
The next thing you will see after about 3 miles is a garden centre on your right called Bawdeswell Garden Centre. Turn LEFT opposite this, that is, just before you get to it down a lane called Elsing Lane, and signed to Elsing. After a short while, the Bylaugh Estate wall will begin on your right and teh straight road you will have been on will start to go down a slope.,

At the bottom of this slope there is a small house (Elsing Lodge) on a cross roads with Bylaugh Church signed to the right. Follow this winding lane CAREFULLY for about a mile. If it is daylight you might see the church on the right behind huge Yew trees. Soon after this, the drive way to Bylaugh Hall is on the right with a sign within its entrance.

You have arrived. Carry straight on up the drive (do not take the concrete road to the right) but keep the hall to your right. There are signs at the hall directing you to the relevant parking areas for each of the holiday cottages and houses.

The crossing from Dunkerque (Dunkirk) to Dover is, particularly if the tickets are bought in advance when they have offer, the cheapest crossing with a car. At the English end it is a 2 hours longer drive than Harwich.

Norwich international with flights connecting to London, Edinburgh, Paris, Amsterdam , and more...
Norwich airport is 20 minutes drive from Bylaugh, by taxi.

By car:

Bawdeswell 5 minutes. Early to late village shop which sell a large variety of food and other items.
Dereham 20 mins. Lidl, Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets in this market town.
Norwich 30 mins. The cultural and business centre of the region.
Cambridge 1hr 30 mins
Stanstead 1hr 50 mins
London 2hr 30 mins

Bylaugh Hall is between Dereham (East Dereham) and Bawdeswell
The closest station is at Norwich.
The Closest airport is at Norwich.
Stansted airport in London is 85 miles away.

Our properties can be hard to find in the dark after a long journey. Please ensure that you take careful note of our directions and ask us for a contact phone number if you expect to arrive after dusk so that we can guide you if you get lost. Please be considerate to our neighbours and avoid calling on them late at night to ask for directions.

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