Hotel review - The Orange Tree, Thornham, Norfolk
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| Bloomer, in the Old Bakery |
We stayed at The Orange Tree, Thornham for four nights, during the late summer heatwave in early September 2023. Our room, "Bloomer" comprised part of The Old Bakery, which is a charming old building a few steps away from the pub, away from the main road. Bloomer is one of the dog-friendly spaces offered by the pub.
Having arrived and checked in, the friendly receptionist showed us to the room. We parked in the dedicated parking bay, opposite the entrance. This was quite tight, for a large car like a Land Rover, but achievable with care. There is also parking on the road nearby.
Bloomer
Entry to Bloomer is set away from the road, which was helpful with two dogs. Entrance is into a decent-sized hallway, with a soft chair, cabinet and a lamp. It feels a little empty for its size. To the immediate left is the bedroom, a good-sized room with a window onto the road. It has a walk-in wardrobe, with plenty of hanging space and shelves for shoes and folded clothes. It's worth taking some extra hangers, as there were only a few provided. There is a double bed, a sideboard with kettle and Nespresso coffee machine and the supplies one would expect in a hotel room.
There is a decent-sized TV on the wall opposite the bed, a storage unit and a chair to the side. The TV isn't smart and doesn't support Apple TV, Netflix or other streaming services that one often finds on TVs these days.
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| Spacious, modern shower |
WiFi is provided in the conservatory, with decent coverage and download speeds of around 45 megabits per second.
The bathroom is reasonably large and modern, with a large walk-in shower and a bath, sink unit and toilet. Everything worked well, although the fairly narrow shower screen wasn't really enough to keep water from escaping onto the bathroom floor.
The conservatory is quite large and gets very warm on a sunny afternoon. There is a small, rather noisy fridge and fairly uncomfortable rattan furniture, which is rather tired-looking. This isn't too surprising, in a dog-friendly room, although the sofa was beginning to come apart.
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| One end of the Conservatory, with fridge & WiFi router |
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| Rattan sofa looked about to split. |
Outdoors
The door from the conservatory opens onto a fairly large patio, all the way along the back of the building. There is a set of 4 wooden chairs and a square table on the patio, which were beginning to fall apart. To the right is a flue from an oil boiler, which fired up periodically, filling the patio area with the smell of oil fumes.
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| Delightful, mature garden. |
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| Table and chairs beginning to fall apart |
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| 'Spare' patio area - sun loungers would have worked here. |
The patio is in two sections: the section immediately outside the conservatory, with its table and four chairs, and an adjacent section, which is covered with stone slabs and is completely bare of furniture. We really felt this area could have been more imaginatively used, perhaps with a barbecue and/or some sun loungers or more comfortable seating.
Impressions of the accommodation
We feel it's an odd mix. It feels more than just a hotel room. The cost is relatively high because of the large, private garden and extra indoor space. However we felt that it could have included an indoor table & chairs and a more comfortable sofa, both of which could have been easily
accommodated. This would have made the space feel less empty and more
comfortable.
We'd also suggest, given the cost of the room, that the rattan furniture and lamp in the hallway should be in better condition.
We think that the unit would function better as a self-catering apartment, perhaps with a small kitchenette, but certainly with utensils and crockery so that meals could be taken in the garden. A dustpan and brush for clearing up after the dogs would also have been useful, especially given the absence of a doormat inside the conservatory door. While it's understandable that the owners might prefer residents to eat all their meals in the pub, for many people, this may seem an extravagance too far.
Eating at the pub
We ate in the pub on our first evening. Service is friendly and efficient. Unusually, there is no service at the bar. There is a fairly short but imaginative menu. The food is well-presented and of excellent quality. For dinner, I had a plate of traditional fish & chips, at around £18, and my wife had 'Posh fish & chips', which was a creative spin on the traditional, with cod cheek, a small piece of nicely-cooked, moist cod, potato croquettes and other trimmings, which she very much enjoyed. That was £26.50. Wine felt relatively expensive, with a large (250ml) glass of Sauvignon Blanc costing over £12 and 175ml costing almost £9. There is a decent range of well-kept ales available on hand pump.
We found the patio dining area to be rather cramped, with tables and benches closely stacked in rows. With two dogs, it was quite difficult to get to our preferred table. The patio is adjacent to the busy main road, which might bother some.
Breakfast was included in the room price. Given the lovely weather, we ate outside. Again, service was friendly and efficient. A full English breakfast, although not large, comprised excellent quality ingredients, with fruit and toast available on the bar. Again, the focus is on the provision of an excellent but fairly limited menu (muffins featured a lot), which meant popular choices such as a vegetarian Full English or kippers were not available.
Alternatives to eating at the pub
Thankfully we'd had the foresight to bring a picnic set with plates and cutlery, so we ate most lunches and dinners in the garden, having bought some delicious provisions from the nearby deli. On a couple of occasions, we also visited the nearby Lifeboat Inn, which was once owned by the celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White. This provides the Orange Tree with plenty of competition, also offers rooms and is off the busy main road.
Cost of the stay
Bloomer cost us approximately £230 per night, on a B&B basis, mid-week in September. Four nights B&B plus one dinner for two people, comprising a main course each and a few drinks left us with 15p change out of £1,000.
Conclusions
Overall, this was a pleasant stay. The pub has a friendly feel and a nice buzz. The staff is friendly, helpful and efficient. The food offer is very good, using quality ingredients. The large but cramped patio seating area outside the pub would benefit from fewer tables and benches, to create a more relaxed feel. The busy main road adjacent to the patio was a shame but this may not bother city visitors.
The accommodation is reasonably comfortable but is in need of a facelift, given the price point. The owners may want to consider providing more facilities so that residents can more easily self-cater if they wish.
Up-to-date information and photos can be found on their website at https://theorangetreethornham.co.uk/
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