Over a century ago, the Blakeney Hotel welcomed its very first guests. The Blakeney Hotel was the dream of entrepreneur Walter John Elsden and Sir Henri Deterding, an eminent international businessman. By 1900 Blakeney was undergoing a transformation from a commercial port to an elegant seaside destination. The hotel was built in a spectacular position right on the quay on the site of the Crown and Anchor Inn.

Looking back to the middle ages, Blakeney was home to one of England’s important harbours, famous for being a commercial port supported by fishing and the wool industry and various other trades. In addition, pilgrims travelling by sea from Europe landed at Blakeney on their way to Walsingham. Towards the end of the 19th century, ships became too large for the narrow approach channel. Trade gave way to Edwardian holiday-makers liberated by the advent of the motor car.

Designed by the architect Geoffrey Fildes, son of the British painter and illustrator Sir Luke Fildes, the Blakeney Hotel was built in an Arts and Crafts style in 1923, celebrating local materials, particularly flint and decorative brickwork. The hotel, right on the picturesque harbour, became a retreat for the new generation of mobile tourists seeking a quiet, luxurious break in the healthy environment of North Norfolk. The area has a group of important Arts and Crafts buildings designed by Lutyens, Prior and Baillie Scott. Fildes must have been inspired by these local examples as well as his father’s own London house designed in the 1880s by the most fashionable architect of the day, Richard Norman Shaw.

The new Blakeney Hotel was an upmarket destination that drew in an attractive crowd.  It had unusual features for the time, with its smoking lounge, writing room, outdoor swimming pool and accommodation for the chauffeurs and other staff of guests.

Following the outbreak of World War II, the hotel became host to military officers, many from the Eighth United States Army and British Air Force. Over the years some interesting historical documents have been found during restoration works. For instance, hidden in the cavities of the walls, forms were found, stamped with On His Majesty’s Service 1942 and instructing that “all messages must be sent in cipher if liable to interception or to fall into enemy hands”.

Another point of wartime interest, only discovered in 2017 following a shift in tides, was the finding of the wreckage of a twin-engined German Heinkel which had made a crash-landing at Blakeney Point.

After the war the building returned to civilian use as a holiday hotel. In 1983, Norfolk-born Michael Stannard bought the hotel. He had always loved the North Norfolk coast, and Blakeney in particular. With the help of his wife Annabel, Michael modernised the buildings, keeping the style of Geoffrey Fildes. This involved improvements to the spacious public areas, rationalising the layout, with the addition of many new bathrooms, contemporary furnishings and decoration. The Blakeney Hotel remains in the family; Michaels’s daughter, Emma, who has helped with the hotel since 1999, is the current owner.

As in 1923, the hotel still has the best panoramic views of the North Norfolk coast. With its comfortable, modern and fresh interiors, it continues the tradition of providing exceptional friendly service in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere – a brilliant base to explore the coastal landscape and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on its doorstep.