by The wind blew down Holt Street, Langham’s main drag, turning leaves into autumn tornadoes. Above, two geos in search of warmer terrain were struggling to keep their course, but there wasn’t another soul in sight at ground level. It was a Friday evening and to my left and right, set back from the road, a few houses – but not all – started turning on lamps, lights. I knew this little North Norfolk village would be quiet, but I wasn’t expecting silence.
A mile in from the North Sea coast, Langham is just behind the front lines of Norfolk’s famous seaside destinations – Brancaster, Wells-by-the-Sea, Blakeney – and therefore little known. But, like some of their county counterparts in recent years (Burnham Market – or by its new derogatory nickname, Chelsea-on-Sea – is only 20 minutes away), its stock is rising and this parish with no more than 400. tea leaves residents the title of one of the most fashionable escapes in England.
This is partly due to the growing popularity of Norfolk over the centuries, but mainly thanks to a new hotel, the Harper. Named one of the “Top 50 Boutique Hotel” the day before I arrived, the Harper is the brainchild of hotelier Sam Cutmore-Scott, better known to the tabloids as the husband of Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry’s university girlfriend.
Opening in the spring of 2021, which the pandemic delayed the mandatory year, the Harper has quickly established itself as a must-visit for London’s well-heeled and fashionable; In my research, what Soho House was offering was a regular bedfellow.
But what piqued my interest was not the apparent success of the hotel, but the fact that Cutmore-Scott had bought not just one local pub, but two. The Harper collection now includes Langham’s own Blue Bell as well as the Morston Anchor, in the next village over.
Even for a strip of the British coast subject to more and more killing boujificationa boutique hotel occupying two village lanes looked bold.
“It’s important to us, it’s important to our guests, and it’s important to the local communities to have these places where they can gather,” explained Cutmore-Scott. He said buying the pubs was not part of the business plan, but after the owners of the Blue Bell indicated they were ready to give up, hit by Covid, Cutmore-Scott saw an opportunity.
“They won’t be game changers in terms of results, but our guests are always wanting to know where to go for a pint and it was getting to the point where we didn’t have anywhere to really tell them.”
The Blue Bell, a pretty, low-ceilinged pub with an open fire, opposite the village sign, offers standard beer fare, but higher quality food in a set menu not unlike that available at the hotel. The Morston Anchor, on the other hand, is focused on the delicacy of coastal fish and chips, but fancy, of course. Both are brand new in a dark navy blue that links them back to their surrogacy.
It was to the Blue Bell that I fought against the wind. Inside, two workmen had finished early for the day, but otherwise, it was as quiet as the high street. I went back later for dinner, which was exceptional (I then had venison carpaccio and the Brancaster catch of the day, a famous chorizo-crusted salmon fillet), but it was no busier. The waitress looked surprised, especially since she realized the Cruiser was full. “It’s usually busier on Friday, Saturday.” Do the locals come in for a pint, I asked. “They do.”
This is of course getting to the heart of the matter. Battles are raging across the country in rural zip codes watching the sun set on old industries, a dying way of life: communities diluted by absentee second home owners, rising house prices freezing out generations younger, buzzing villages apart from parts of the community. summer wreath.
For Harper, although the Parish Council objected to a 2019 planning application submitted for a change of use – turning the traditional brick and flint barns that now house a glass factory into a hotel – citing the impact on “sustainability and integration of hotels”. the local community”, Cutmore-Scott says the relationship with the village as a whole has improved since it opened. In fact, it was reported that the former chairman of the parish council, Paul Godfrey, met the couple over coffee to discuss parking issues at the hotel.
“North Norfolk is not a natural place to embrace change,” he said. “But if you stick with it, be good to yourself, try to ignore the frustrations … I think it’s just a matter of time. Both villages are happy to have the pubs open, perhaps not in the exact form or offering they would have done themselves.”
This is a sentiment echoed by Jonny Miller, Managing Director of Langham Glass, the company that occupied the Harper site before it vacated the premises and moved down the road to Fakenham.
“It was not practical to stay there. The infrastructure could not support us throughout the year,” he said. “Our tour coaches would get stuck on the roads in the winter so we had to make enough in the summer to last until the next tourist season.
“I think [what the Harper is doing] is great for the village. Locals will always be against change – it was the same arguments when we opened in Langham in 1979 – but what’s the alternative?”
Norfolk is an agricultural county. It remains so today, as evidenced by the patchwork of fields around Langham. It doesn’t take an economics degree to realize that modern farming doesn’t support local economies like it used to, so a new business is needed.
Despite the arguments that places like the Langham should have, The Harper is an excellent hotel, smart enough for city types but with a gentle country feel. The staff are attentive, friendly and truly care about your experience. The in-house restaurant, bar, snug and lounge area caters for comprehensive relaxation and details such as free A minibar and homemade cookies in the room on arrival make a difference.
The food at Stanley’s, his restaurant, as at the Blue Bell, exceeded expectations and was as good as anything I’ve had in any hotel (there was something of Willy Wonka’s lamb starting with “crispy lamb” with it, life in. textures, and the cote de bouef for main – although the Eve’s Hill leaves that were with it were not necessary – beautifully cooked). The spa and pool area is small but guests reserve exclusive half-hour slots (a hangover from the pandemic) so the size is mitigated and there’s something wonderful about having the pool and hot tub to yourself.
All of the above are only available to guests – residents only, it is described – a measure aimed at reducing traffic around the Harper and Langham, but Jules Keirle, the hotel’s manager, says that the trials to open Stanley’s to the locals were slow but. steady progress.
The next challenge will be when the Harper expands into its vacant neighbour, Langham Hall, an 8,000 sq ft Grade II-listed property it bought this year which will double the size of the hotel and add rooms treatment, more beds and a wide lawn with an as yet undetermined function.
Keirle says that once in place, these facilities would be suitable for a membership offer, opening the door to more village integration, but this is not confirmed and is several years away.
The harpist is clearly here to stay; what becomes of Langham remains to be seen.
