Pub with rooms Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk | The Globe Inn

Overview

The Globe is an old coaching inn that overlooks a pretty, leafy Georgian square known as The Buttlands, just inland from the Quay in the quaint seaside town of Wells-next-the-Sea. It remains delightfully informal and pubby despite being spruced up and extended in recent years.

Big round tables take pride of place in the broad bay windows of the simply adorned front bar with its gleaming handpumps - locals and holidaymakers are drawn in for pints of Adnams - evocative local photographs on plain walls, and wood-burning stoves, which belt out heat on cold winter days.

Bare boards flow into the rear dining area and a seaside feel prevails as befits its location - think, soft pastel hues, local artwork, cosy private nooks, and a stylish, contemporary look. Posh underground loos (note the glass-fronted cellar on the way), a fabulous sunny courtyard with pizza oven, a modern pub menu that brims with local produce, and 19 super-smart bedrooms complete the very pleasing picture.

Rooms from:

19 doubles/twin: £115

Good to know

All credit cards (except Amex)
Disabled access
Alfresco dining - pizza oven
Private dining (cosy nooks)
Parking (limited); pay car parks nearby
Dog stay: £15

Dog-friendly

With the coast path almost passing the front door, the Globe loves dogs and welcomes them in the bar (bowls & treats) and seven of the bedrooms - £15 per pooch per night with bed, bowl, treats and towels.

Family favourite

The pub is family heaven being so close to the beach - kids have their own menu; there are games and toys in the bar; extra beds (£30 per night) and three apart-hotel suites replete with kitchen and dining areas.

Alfresco

Make the most of the sunny courtyard on warmer days - wood-fired pizzas draw a hungry crowd at weekends and holidays, so be sure to arrive early to bag a bench.

Rooms

The nineteen very individual and beautifully refurbished bedrooms are split between the inn and Courtyard Wing, the latter featuring spacious superior rooms, easy access ground floor rooms, one ultra-cosy single, and three apart-hotel suites with cooking and dining areas - perfect for families with young children.

Rooms are named after the striking (and expensive) statement wallpapers behind the super-comfortable Mattisons beds, with Kingfisher and Imperial Pheasant being the large and airy superior rooms with colourful headboards on super king beds, rich fabrics and huge tiled bathrooms with double sinks, bath and separate walk-in showers.

All are equipped and furnished with style, imagination and attention to detail, and a nod to the Globe's seaside location. Expect coffee machines, sweets and homemade biscuits, fresh flowers, smart TVs, and a super private rooftop terrace for residents to share. Rooms enjoy views across the green, the rooftops to St Nicholas's Church, or the courtyard.

Restaurant & bar

The kitchen team makes good use of the abundant seasonal produce to be found along the coast, working closely with local fishermen and butchers in Wells-next-the-Sea to produce locally-sourced, consistently fresh and delicious meals.

Venison and game are sourced from local estates, the beef is from cattle fattened on salt marshes, smoked salmon is from Cley Smokehouse along the road, and the creels of lobster and baskets of crab that are brought straight up from the quay have a special unbeatable flavour.

Menus successfully combine well cooked pub classics with more inventive dishes - Wells crab cake, pickled fennel, sun-blushed tomatoes and olives; lamb rump, quinoa, pomegranate and pickled heritage carrots; banana walnut cake with maple butter cream. On fine summer days enjoy imaginative fresh baked pizzas from the wood-fired oven in the sunny courtyard.

Things to do

This breathtaking stretch of coastline offers enormous scope for all kinds of walking. One of the most popular haunts of walkers is the region's remote Holkham Beach - it's just the place to enjoy wild beauty and stunning wide skies. If you enjoy sampling long-distance paths, however, try the 93-mile Peddars Way and North Norfolk Coast Path, which offers a great blend of pastoral Norfolk hinterland and magnificent coastal scenery.

Titchwell Marsh is one of the RSPB's most visited reserves. Follow several nature trails to spot ducks, waders, geese and seabirds. There are also avocets and terns, bitterns and marsh harriers and a visitor centre, where you can learn more about your surroundings.

Built during the 17th century, Blickling Hall is one of Britain's finest Jacobean houses, reputedly the birthplace of Anne Boleyn. One of its greatest features is the magnificent Long Gallery, which includes the National Trust's most important collection of rare books. There's also a secret garden and woodland dell.