Long House
- Location
- Norfolk
- Size
- Sleeps 10
Long House, designed by Sir Michael and Lady Patty Hopkins, is situated in Cockthorpe, on the flat expanse of the Norfolk landscape, with views over the inlets, salt marshes and creeks of the North Sea coast. It is distinctive for its massive and traditionally crafted flint wall, referencing the ancient churches and barns of East Anglia.
Accommodation
Stay from £1500 for 4 nights (for up to 10 guests)
- A flexible space that works well for smaller and larger groups.
- Enclosed courtyards for outdoor eating, relaxing and taking in the views across open countryside.
- Traditional villages and seaside towns nearby, with excellent places to eat.
- Suitable for all ages; with separate ground floor bedroom annexe.
- Five bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom.
In the village of Cockthorpe, one of the largest of the Living Architecture properties, Long House stands within grounds where once stood a substantial moated medieval manor house.
Flanking the centrally positioned front door, massive flint fortress-like walls give little sense of what lies beyond. It is only on entering that guests realise the hugely generous scale and height of the grand central hall, with its expansive vaulted timber roof ‘floating’ above the rooms below. To one side, a carefully crafted timber spiral staircase rises to a galleried balcony and upper floor.
This feeling of space and openness is further accentuated as guests are immediately struck by the all-round expansive views of sky and landscape synonymous with this part of North Norfolk.
Long House is perfect for large groups and families to come together and enjoy the substantial space on offer. The ground floor is semi-divided into three main areas, grand central hall, living room and open plan kitchen/dining. Guests can use these individual spaces, whilst feeling connected to friends and family, and to other activities going on in other parts of the house. Two semi-enclosed courtyards are positioned at eastern and western ends of the house, accessed through full height sliding doors; these can be used for taking breakfast in the morning, or simply relaxing, with glass in hand, whilst watching the sun set over the fields.
A separate annexe with bedroom/bathroom and desk is located on the ground floor, across the eastern courtyard. Four equally spacious bedrooms are situated off the galleried hall on the first floor, each with their own bathroom.
In the winter months, guests can retreat indoors, light the double-sided wood burner, talk, read, listen to music, or all gather to cook and eat around the 12-seater dining table. Then head off to sleep in one of the beautifully proportioned and detailed, timber-lined bedrooms.
Long House explores the tradition of local vernacular and materials, whilst creating a 21st Century modern home to inspire.
Location
About Your Stay
During Your Stay
Floor Plan
What Guests Say
It really was a superbly-designed house and surpassed all our expectations.
The quietness of the house itself was stunning. No noises of operating heating/ ventilation etc. made for a unique (to us) experience allowing the sounds of the outside, birdsong, horses snorting etc. I am convinced I heard the super-sonic whizzings of a bat, but maybe my imagination getting the better of me!
Excellent: Miele appliances - bliss - comfy beds + bedding - super kitchen and great furniture - welcome pack - underfloor heating - all the well chosen books and games - info pack.
It was absolutely beautiful, everything was excellent taste.
It is an excellent Grand Design, and we loved staying at The Long House.
We all felt very happy in the house... Everything was nice; the architecture of the house, the surroundings, the garden, the furniture. It was all in perfect harmony.
The house and site are delightful. We enjoyed watching the wildlife (hares, stoats, goldfinch as well as the horses in the back field - not to mention the occasional fly past from the local airfield). In all, a most relaxing and enjoyable break.
Wish I could live there permanently! Loved the well-thought-out selection of literature. Overall, a sublime experience.
The Long House accommodated our family splendidly and we enjoyed our stay over Christmas 2016 enormously.
Even though there were 10 people in the house for much of the time, it always felt calm.
About The Architecture
Long House responds to the traditional methods and materials of the local vernacular, but is inspired by the best lessons of Modernism.
The house purposefully dissects the gardens in which it sits, alluding to a domestic tradition of front and rear garden. A massive wall of flint along the north elevation emphasises this division and is sited to protect guests from this, at times, very exposed coastal region.
Perched above the fortified flint walls sit a series of clerestory windows extending the full length of the house. This transparent band supports what appears to be a traditional styled barn roof, clad in zinc sheet.
Internally though, the roof is archetypal of Michael and Patty's work; a carefully conceived arrangement of structural timber window mullions and joists are restrained by steel rods and plates to form a ‘cap’ to the massive flint walls beneath. This honesty in revealing the structural 'bones' of a building is prevalent in all their major works of the last 40 years. In addition, the house features many 'signature' design elements tested when creating their own homes; the spiral timber staircase is a refined version of the one in their house in Suffolk.
This very personal approach to the design instills a real sense of 'home' the moment you enter, and is also evident in their selection of furniture, lighting and rugs.