If you love the thought of lots of finishing touches to your room; if you love the thought of sitting by a warming log fire now autumn has arrived; if you love the thought of trying individually styled rooms in a lovely peaceful village you will certainly love the Bedingfeld Arms. This has been a coaching inn since 1783 and stands in a spacious open garden opposite the historic 15th century moated Oxburgh Hall, now in the hands of the National Trust.
The owner, the charming multi-talented Catkin, with her husband Steve, and her team led by general manager Sophie, could not have given us a warmer welcome. This couple, who have a farm that supplies the inn with meat, herbs and vegetables, also have a stone masonry business that has installed the hand-carved marble fireplaces in the inn, a statue of John Lennon and rustic furniture in the garden. After standing empty and derelict for over a year in 2012 they rescued the Bedingfeld Arms back to life with considerable thought, and a great deal of hard work, not to mention the not inconsiderable expense involved given over to upgrading the rooms and the fabric of this delightful local community pub with the luxurious comfort of a coaching inn.
There are nine stylish en-suite bedrooms – four in the main building and another five in the coach house, a converted outbuilding, all with underfloor heating. Flat screen TV’s, free wi-fi, complimentary toiletries and the always welcome tea and coffee making facilities are in all the rooms . We were shown to our suite in the main building that had dual-aspect windows and were delighted to find a king-size four poster bed with loads of comfy cushions piled on it, a huge bathroom with DOUBLE-sized bath and an equally sized walk-in shower. Bone china mugs, not the usual heavy ceramic cups or mugs normally found, were on the tea tray; candles stood grouped in the fireplace waiting to be lit and more stood on the mantelpiece under a large gilt painted framed mirror. Sheer indulgence. There is not a wardrobe but this is more than made up for by lots of hooks around in the suite.
Three other bedrooms in the building are equally well decorated and styled. The Red Room also has a four -poster bed in coverings reminiscent of the Kings Room in Oxburgh Hall should you see it, and and en-suite. The Green Sleigh Room is as it says a sleigh bed with 1500 pocket sprung mattress and can be configured for a four-person occupancy. The Powder Blue Room, beautifully decorated also, is also one of the luxury bedrooms with a cast-iron bed, marble fireplace and with all the facilities the others have to offer. These latter three rooms, it should be mentioned, do have only showers in the en-suites. While all these bedrooms are on the first floor disabled access is unable to be accommodated unfortunately.
However, in the Coach Houses, Room 5 does have limited disabled facilities and access, with an en-suite walk-in wet room, underfloor heating and flat screen television.
The other four rooms are doubles with 6ft beds, en-suite with hairdryers, flat screen television, tea trays and all with underfloor heating. The Coach House twin is the only one to welcome your four-legged doggy friends to stay.
I can also wholeheartedly recommend the Full English breakfast. It’s absolutely delicious and filling and so worthwhile you have got to go for it!
Lunches and evening meals are catered for with an extensive tempting wine list and as a free house able to offer hand-picked cask ales.
Catkin is so obviously passionate about looking after and caring for her guests requirements at all levels, it was an absolute pleasure to be able to have the privilege of enjoying the experience. The Bedingfeld Arms certainly lives up to the promise of luxury B&B accommodation.
Bedingfeld Arms
The Green
Oxborough
Norfolk PE33 9PS
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