Gratitude in Abundance - Best of Britain Award - Outstanding Venue

After what has been one of the most challenging years in the industry, to receive a Best of Britain award from Bride Book for being an outstanding Wedding Venue has been a wonderful surprise.

We can not thank our couples, past and present, enough for how they have supported us throughout.

We love to be able to share this little part of ancient Britain with you all & can not wait to open our doors again.

If you’re thinking of an intimate Elopement or Micro Wedding in 2021 then we have some late availability due to Wedding moves so please do get in touch weddings@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk

All our Love

The Little Team at Happy Valley

Christmas & New Year Availability

A New Year, a new start, a new wave of hope. Never has the countdown to end one era and begin another been so welcome or so needed. CS Lewis said, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we will leave behind” and boy, do we need to leave Covid behind in 2020.

For every goodbye, there’s a shiny hello into something new and we now have 365 fresh chances ahead of us. When we say goodbye to 2020, let us say goodbye to loneliness, to separation, to anxiety about the unknown and when we say hello to 2021, let us remember what a global pandemic has taught us about the importance of togetherness.

At Happy Valley, while the world sat still, we watched nature blossom and would love nothing more than to welcome you to the landscape that kept us safe and sane this year. Heated and insulated cabins, surrounded by the magic of whispering trees, there’s no better place to reflect and feel renewed than Happy Valley.

Choice of bespoke heated cabins -

Toad Hall Treehouse - (Private Hot Tub) – king bed, double bed + 2 kids sleeping options, ensuite wet room, fully functional kitchen, open plan living and balconies

Xmas Week 23-27/28th = £1495

*NYE 30th December - 3/4th Jan = £1495

Keeper’s Cabin - (Private Hot Tub) – fully functional kitchen, living space, log burner, 2 king beds, single bed, ensuite shower room.

*XMAS - 23rd - 27/28th December = £999

*NYE - 30th December - 3/4th Jan = £999

Woodpecker Tree Temple (Private Hot Tub) – king bed, built-in bunkbed, kitchenette, ensuite shower room and log burner

*XMAS - 23 – 27th/28th December - £750

*NYE - 30th – 3/4th January - £750

King Nutkin Shepherd Hut – Kitchenette, log burner, breakfast bar, king bed, heated shower room/toilet a short walk away. Outdoor bbq/firepit. Balcony.

18-21st December - £225

21st – 23rd December - £185

*XMAS - 23 – 27th/28th December - £395

*NYE - 30th – 3/4th January - £550

Denver Rest – real double bed, outdoor undercover kitchenette, bbq/firepit, heated toilet/shower room a short walk away

18 - 21st December - £175

21st – 23rd December - £135

*XMAS - 23 – 27th/28th December - £325

*NYE - 30th – 3/4th January - £449

With nine acres for socially distanced walks, hand sanitiser dotted around the trees and a certification as a Covid-secure venue, we want you to have fun and feel safe. As you start the first page of a brand-new story, let Happy Valley create an opening chapter you’ll always remember.

Here’s to the beginning of the end of Covid and the start of a happier, healthier future for us all.

Happy Valley’s Season of Giving Giveaway

Thomas S. Monson once said, “Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting”. It’s been a tough year and we could all do with a little pick-me-up but sometimes it feels even better to give, than it is to receive.

Whether it’s a neighbour who has checked in on us, a key worker who hasn’t stopped, or a family member delivering food parcels, we all have someone to be grateful for during this time.

What if you could show your appreciation by giving them a gift that didn’t cost you anything? If it sounds like the perfect, win-win situation, it’s because it is.

Happy Valley and Tribe Norfolk have teamed up with some incredibly talented and kind-hearted local suppliers living and working in Norfolk. They’ve all had a challenging year, but they are all about the Christmas spirit and want to help you spread a little cheer.

Each day, from Sunday 13th December until Christmas, we will be giving you the opportunity to nominate a worthy friend to receive a special Christmas treat. This will be featured across our social media channels. All you need to do is like the post on Instagram, follow the supplier and Happy Valley and nominate your friend worthy of the prize – let them know you care and the reasons why. If you see the prize on Facebook or Linked In, tag the friend you’d like to nominate and share the post. A winner will be selected and announced every day and boy do we have some amazing prizes up for grabs.

Nothing ever seems too bad, no mountain seems too hard to climb, when you know there’s someone cheering you on from the side lines. Be that person for someone else this Christmas and nominate them for Happy Valley’s Season of Giving Giveaway.   

With love, Katy, Kirsty and the team at Happy Valley xx

Heres a list of all those getting involved in our Winter Giveaway

Imogen Davison – Sugar Buttons Cakes

Sugar Buttons Wedding Cakes & Courses by Imogen Davison (sugarbuttonscakes.com)

@sugarbuttonscakes

Hannah Hunnam Floristry

Hannah Hunnam Flowers — Norfolk Florist

@hannah.hunnam

Aurora Grey Photography

Documentary wedding photographer | Aurora Grey | England

@auroragreyphoto

Purple Plum Catering

Caterers Norwich, Norfolk - Wedding & Event Catering (purpleplumcatering.co.uk)

@purpleplumcatering

Natalie Boon – WildFolk Florist

Wedding florist Norwich (thewildfolkflorist.co.uk)

@thewildfolkflorist

Lucy Stubbs Farm SFA Alpacas

Stubbs Farm Alpacas

@stubbs_farm_alpacas

Duration Brewing

Farmhouse Family Brewery in Norfolk | Duration Brewing (durationbeer.com)

@durationbeer

Folk in a Field

Folk in a Field Festival | Folkinafield.co.uk | England

@folkinafield

Mason’s Great Events Co

Mason’s Great Event Co. | Wedding & Event Planner | Norwich, Norfolk

@masonsgreateventco

Tribe Norfolk

Shop — Tribe Norfolk

@tribenorfolk

Happy Valley Norfolk

Glamping in Norfolk — Happy Valley Norfolk

@happyvalleynorfolk

Halloween at Happy Valley

Follow us behind the scenes to a Halloween Week at Happy Valley. As Hallows’ Eve falls on the week of October Half Term, it is no surprise that our mini mascots are employed to take part in the mischief and mayhem.

The sun has dawned on Summer and now the moon, wide eyed in wonder, looks down at the scene unfolding. Tiny dew drops of rain can be seen building up on cobwebs of woven silk; nature plays its part as spiders and bats are ready to take their role in this spooky festival.

As the cold air lingers and a foggy mist descends, Annie and Barnaby step into their positions magnificently by brewing the potions (tea and hot chocolate!) and preparing the cauldron for a family feast (pumpkin cookies!). With no cat or ghost in sight, Timber the dog is roped into the day’s ritual and as pumpkin is going spare, he is happy to oblige.

Our first call to arms, is to find our coats, wrap up in a layer of protection from the howling winds, and step into the woodland of whispering trees to find the perfect chestnuts and conkers for our collection. We place these and the acorn leaves into the magician’s hat and utter a chant or two.

With spoons and (adult-supervised) knives at the ready, we carve out some fun by etching into the round, plump, pumpkins at our feet. Scraping out the fluffy, orange innards, we scoop this into our pot and place to one side (this will be noted on our post-Halloween-pumpkin-blog). Our future architect and nine-year-old carpenter, picks up his drill and creates a fiery sky of stars by drilling holes into the pumpkin’s thick skin.

Adorned with a witch’s hat and magic at her fingers tips, Annie brings a glimmer of sparkle to nature as leaves and conkers are coated in gold. The shimmery glow coming from the puddle below hints at the evening to come and a cackle echoes in the air, reverberating throughout the land. It’s almost time.

The candles are lit, sparklers ignite, pumpkins are placed, with fairies and sprite. Our two, adorable children transform into Witch and Magician. Skulls’ eyes are aglow and to the new, log cabin we go. Come friend, come foe, come ghost, come all, this year’s Halloween will be the best of them all!

If you would like to join us for a weekend of magic and fun, we have some last minute availability due to a local lockdown for our unfortunate guests:

Availability: Friday 30th October – Monday 2nd November 2020

Cabins: Woodpecker (£395) or Denver Rest and Tawny Hut (£320) - NOW FULLY BOOKED

To book, please contact hello@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk / 01485600719

With love,

Katy and Kirsty xx

Autumn Equinox

Today is the Autumn Equinox, aka Mabon, a powerful time of the year where day and night dance in perfect balance, where the sun and moon equally share the sky. We open the doors to Autumn and give thanks and honour the harvest just gone. Even when the harvest wasn’t quite what was expected there’s always something to be grateful for.

A time of balance between the seasons. Holding this transitional space without fear is on our Happy Valley affirmations list and not always easy in the current climate. But we all know that fears makes the wolf look bigger & we turn to Mother Nature for a word of wisdom.

The Equinox is a time honoured by many cultures including us here at Happy Valley. The nights become chillier and before we even see the change in the landscape our senses notice the changing seasons. We can marvel at how Mother Earth shows us that nothing is constant and how this is reflected in our world.
This too shall pass.

We celebrate the land and its history for it has seen this all before and we celebrate all of you who’ve shared this crazy journey which is 2020. We’ve made it to Autumn & that is worth celebrating.

Location Location Location

In this season of uncertainty, there is an opportunity for growth and creativity. If a picture says a thousand words, then an entire photoshoot can give you a story, and people are looking for this now more than ever before.

While the world is kept inside, we look out towards the light and long to chase the clouds and catch the sun as it sets. We want to see rainbows, vast landscapes, and everything in between. In our enforced bubbles, we turn to family albums, postcards, magazine clippings and the endless reel on Instagram for comfort and for the hope of a better future.

We invite location scouts and managers, photographers, creatives and designers to Happy Valley where the options are endless. Whether you’re looking for a woodland wilderness, a little lake, rustic lodges, vintage barns, industrial spaces or an open field in the middle of nowhere then look no further. There’s an exciting portfolio of unique locations available for film and photographic shoots within this one Norfolk Venue.

Here we highlight the Hay Barn which is a great year round historic barn with a wood burner, bar area and chill out. It’s licensed for Weddings and perfect for a Micro Wedding.

Why not shoot and stay on site. Take a look at our Shepherds Huts, Tree temple and Treehouse HERE

By hiring Happy Valley for the day or week, you can paint people’s screens with positivity and fun with the following photoshoot options:

·       Film location

·       Engagement shoots

·       Commercial photoshoots – Fashion, Wedding, product shoots etc

Set in a rural backdrop of quintessentially English countryside, Happy Valley is a woodland venue like no other. Its nine acres of land offers the perfect chance to capture nature at its best. What’s more, our on-site, luxury glamping accommodation, barn and hot tubs can host your team should you wish to work on a longer project.

We could not wait to get back to being creative and shot a little Autumn shoot in the Hay Barn with some incredibly talented local creatives last week.

Hannah Hunnam is a sustainable florist based in Castle Acre and has a natural eye for creating incredible flower arrangements. Check out her instagram @Hannah.Hunnam to see how she works with colour, movement and flair in a sustainable manner. Here’s a bit more from Hannah -

“I’m an independent florist based in Castle Acre, West Norfolk. I specialise in seasonal, wild and naturalistic floral arrangements - all of which celebrate colour, movement and flair! I’m passionate about sourcing locally grown and British blooms wherever possible, and have built some great relationships with incredible local growers here in Norfolk (I'm also growing what I can in my very small garden!). I take great pride in using sustainable design methods in my work, and avoid using floral foam in all of my arrangements and installations. There are plenty of alternative and creative design solutions available with the aim of lowering our carbon footprint, without having to make any compromises on the quality and style”

Tori Hancock is a UK based wedding and commercial photographer - A little bit from Tori -

“My style focuses on humour, emotion and beauty and is a blend of documentary, fine art photography and photojournalism. I love to get those unique portraits, teary eyes, and fun candid moments. If you're getting married and think you might be interested in me discreetly documenting your special day, why not get in touch. Likewise, if you want to capture some memories of you and your loved one(s), or have a business that you want to be photographed, feel free to drop me a line.” Check out Toris Instagram HERE

For more information or to receive a bespoke quote, please contact: hello@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk  

INSTAGRAM - @HappyValleyNorfolk

TWITTER - @NorfolkVenue

Halloween Shoot in The Hay Barn at Happy Valley - Photography @torihancock_photography - Flowers @hannah.hunnam

Carry on Glamping...

“Nature itself is the
best source of healing for mental and emotional disorder”

- Paul TP Wong

“A walk in nature,
walks the soul back home”

- Mary Davis

2020 is the year where the world grew silent and its people grew still, where we yearned to touch but remained distant and where the sound of the news broadcast was an unwelcome invasion into our fortress of solitude. We’ve cried, we’ve fretted, we’ve sighed, perhaps we’ve even thrown a thing or two and yet we were the lucky ones. As our doors begin to creek open and we tentatively take our first steps into society again, we wonder what it is we will find and we wonder who it is we will find. Though we are moving forward, we are not moving on and we will not forget the NHS heroes who fought for us, the household members who held onto us or the loved ones who tragically left us.

Pre-pandemic, we were a society who knew the cost of everything but understood the value of nothing. Now, we’ve seen the beauty in the kindness of strangers, we’ve felt national pride watching our community come together and we’ve watched in wonder as the earth has begun to heal and nature has reawakened to the dawn of what we hope will be a new era. How we began 2020 was beyond our control but how we end it, is up to us.

Here at Happy Valley, we invite you to push the reset button and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Happy Valley Post-Pandemic

Reflect – curl up on the sofa in our treehouse lodge and look out onto a panoramic vista of nature. Use this time to think about what matters to you, consider how you’ve felt in recent months and how you want your future to look like. Write it all down and then cast it into our log burner and as the fire turns it to ashes, begin to rise up and start again.

Remember – in nature we can bare our soul. Our lake will catch your tears, our trees will hear your cries and our lands will hold you. Nature will remain by your side and will be your quiet companion as you remember those you have loved and those you have lost. There is no right way to think, no correct way to feel; Nature will not judge you, will not report you but it will console you.

Rejuvenate – they say time is a great healer but nothing speaks to us more than walking through the woods and grounding ourselves among trees that have seen a lifetime of loved ones walk our lands and watched every story of our ancestors unfold. It’s here that we feel close to them and here that we feel able to breathe again and ultimately, give ourselves permission to live again.

Reset – we can hurt without having to hide and we can heal in allowing ourselves to find happiness. Embracing the future does not mean forgetting the past. At Happy Valley, we invite families to reconnect and friends to reunite. Hug, sing, dance, laugh.

Hopefully, from the 4th July onwards, our glamping will be open again. Each cabin/tent will have its own private facilities and can only be booked by those who have been isolating in the same house. Extra measures have been put in place so please take a look at our Covid page on the website to see how this may affect your stay.

Our doors will soon be open to welcome you back and we hope we can give you the opportunity to end 2020 in a very different way to how it began.

We can’t wait to see you,

With love,

Katy, Kirsty and the team at Happy Valley xx