Gunton Park
Flew down to Gunton Park, Norfolk (192 miles) today to check out the airfield and the nearby Gunton Arms for lunches and short stays.
I can honestly say that it’s the nicest airfield with nearby, reputable, foodie establishment I’ve ever flown into; and that includes Glenforsa!
All the details are on SkyDemon but essentially it’s an 800 metre grass strip in superb condition. There’s no landing fee and Sally Martin, the owner, is a lovely, lovely woman to deal with for PPR, she flys her 174 out of there. I warn you though, be prepared to be extremely jealous of her and her husband’s set up, it’s a lottery winning dream for any pilot. The SD pilots notes recommend monitoring the nearby Cromer Microlight frequency but Sally recommends a basic service from Norwich Radar because of the oil rig helicopter traffic which frequently passes nearby and under their control.
The airstrip is located in a deer park with over 1,000 deer to judge your landings, just low pass before landing to avoid issues. There’s a white pyramid navigation marker (like the one on Holy Island) that will help you spot the park as you approach.
Once down, there’s no fences or ditches on the short walk directly across the park, through the deer herds, to the Gunton Arms which is incredibly popular so book if you want the restaurant (the bar is non bookable and generally has space). And on days like today there’s a fantastic outdoor area (see photos).
I did have a cheeky check on the rooms and they’re all first class although the coach house rooms are larger than those in the main building.
So… if you want to spoil the wife, or yourself, get down to Gunton Park, it’s an absolute belter of a strip with great food and rooms on the doorstep. You can thank me afterwards.🙂
