A country cottage on the Norfolk coastline in March springtime - what’s not to like? Angela Cole headed for the small seaside village of Mundesley for a weekend break and found the only downside was the less than spring like weather.

When I found out I was going to be spending the weekend staying at Sweetpea Cottage in Norfolk, I had images of a quaint, picture postcard home cottage nestling along a tiny country lane.

It would have a cosy sitting room with a fire, a rustic kitchen and the plumpest pillows and duvets on such comfortable beds you’d feel the least you could do would be to have a lie-in. And even if the wind was howling outside, and sleet and snow were hammering at its tiny windows, you’ wouldd feel as snug as a bug in a rug indoors.
So it would be fair to say Sweetpea Cottage was under a fair amount of pressure. It was also a three- and- a- half- hour journey from Maidstone, in Friday rush hour traffic, which included getting hopelessly lost in deepest, darkest Norfolk, which meant that if it had not at least gone some way to living up to my expectations I might have been inclined to turn round and drive straight home when I arrived.

So the fact that it utterly ticked every box demonstrates what a knock-out it was.
OK, it was small – you had to breathe in slightly to get around the dining room table, and my son Luke likened his small bedroom to Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs – but it really was perfectly formed. Beautifully appointed, with sumptuous bedding and tasteful décor, Sweetpea Cottage, along a little lane in the village of Mundesley, was like a hotel with a sitting room and kitchen thrown in.
Situated along a It genuinely was along a little lane in the village of MundesleyAnd , which luckily my small Fiesta could squeeze along nicely, and the locals were all incredibly friendly, from the lady in the Spar who called my seven-year-old daughter “sweetheart” (making her day) to the chip shop owners who chatted on about the unseasonal snow which battered the village and beach throughout the weekend we were there.
Sadly, there was no real possibility of exploring the area, as the weather was just too poor, although I did brave the sandy beach which proved nicely sheltered once I made it down the steep steps as the galeil force winds whistled past me. You could see that on a sunny day in the summer, it is probably a beautiful spot to make sand castles and walk along the shoreline.
But to be honest, none of us minded not getting out much – all we wanted to do was curl up indoors.
Had we come in the summer, we wouldn’t have had the time to appreciate the home comforts. Sweetpea Cottage was the equivalent of a duvet day on a blustery, snowy weekend.

Sweetpea Cottage is one of the Kett Country Cottages properties around north Norfolk.
It sleeps five people, although some properties sleep up to 10, and welcomed children – with a host of board and card games available – although not dogs.
Some properties do accept well behaved pets.
The self-catering property cost £340 a week.
Its owners David and Geraldine, who had left a bottle of wine and homemade cake as a welcome, also had details of plenty of local activities and days out next to the visitors’ book to give you ideas of where to go while there.
It was a five minute walk from plenty of shops, including coffee shops, a pub and, of course, the beach.
We drove to Cromer during the weekend, which took only around 20 minutes.
Kett Country Cottages was established in 2003 and now has some 150 properties on its books.
It is also a member of the East of England Tourist Board., as are many of the property owners.
For details visit www.kettcountrycottages.co.uk or to book call 01328 856853.