Arthur's Cottage
Situated within the grounds of Church Farm Barn (a beautiful thatched brick and flint converted…
Our View
Paston Great Barn NNR is one of the best preserved and few remaining thatched medieval great barns left in England. It also supports the only known breeding colony of barbastelle bats, one of the UK’s rarest mammals, to be found in a building. Look out for the barbastelles as they swoop overhead, hunting for small insects like moths by using echo location. The barbastelles from the colony at Paston Great Barn commute over large distances to reach their feeding grounds. The insect-rich semi-natural grassland along the adjacent coastline is a favoured feeding area for them. In addition to the barbastelles, Paston Great Barn also supports an exceptional community of other bats. Four other species are known to have used the buildings: the brown long-eared, common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle, Nathusius’ pipistrelle and natterer’s bats. In addition, a further two species have been recorded flying around the buildings, the noctule and Daubenton’s bat.
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About the area
Discover Norfolk
The North Norfolk Coast is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and probably the finest of its kind in Europe. Here you’ll find a string of quaint villages and small towns – Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea and Cley next the Sea are 21st-century favourites, while Sheringham and Cromer are classic examples of a good old-fashioned seaside resort where grand Victorian hotels look out to sea. Further round the coast you'll find Great Yarmouth, one of the most popular resorts in the UK and packed full of amusements, shops and seashore entertainment. And let's not forget Norwich, the region's only city.
Norfolk prides itself on its wealth of historic houses, the most famous being Sandringham, where Her Majesty the Queen and her family spend Christmas. Many of Norfolk’s towns have a particular charm and a strong sense of community. The quiet market towns of Fakenham and Swaffham are prime examples, as well as Thetford, with its popular museum focusing on the TV comedy series Dad’s Army which was filmed in the area.
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