Recreate Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s fishing experience right here in Norfolk. Spend your days at a local fishing lake and join a local brewery tour, enjoy Mexican Stew around the campfire or a meal in a country pub and sleep soundly after a full day of adventuring in our luxury accommodation. The recipe for a ‘reely good break’!

Fishing Lakes in Norfolk - Credit Federico Giampieri Unsplash

Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Accommodation

In 2018 Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse spent 2 nights in our yurts at Round the Woods’ while filming an episode of their hit fishing programme in Norfolk. We were featured in episode 1 of Series 1 in the BBC series Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

They rented both yurts, with Bob staying in Hazelnut and Paul spending the nights in Oak Tree. Their days were filled with fishing in some of the many local lakes and in the evening they returned to cook heart-healthy food around the campfire and enjoyed our lovely local pub The Fox at Lyng.

Both having undergone complex heart surgery, Mortimer and Whitehouse, friends for 30 years, decided to take to the outdoors together in search of a healthier lifestyle. Paul, being a keen fisherman, convinced Bob to tour the country's best fishing locations to help recover from his triple heart bypass.

Bob took control of providing heart healthy food as well as selecting interesting accommodation and of all the options available to them, they chose to stay in luxury yurts at Round the Woods during their Norfolk adventure. Discover more details about their stay in our accommodation in this blog.

Your Norfolk Fishing Adventure

We want to help you recreate the experience right here at Round the Woods - let’s see if you also have luck catching a much sought after Tench, which Bob and Paul eventually succeeded in on their last day here.

Enjoy free range fried eggs on toast for breakfast to power you up for a day of fishing. And then head to one of a selection of local fishing lakes. Refuel in the evening with a heart healthy Mexican stew around the campfire, making use of the “cowboy” cooking pot over the flames.

Fishing Lakes

Whilst the fishing lakes that Bob and Paul spent their days at have been kept a secret they chose to fish in the Wensum Valley in Norfolk because it is a well known location with many lakes surrounding the River Wensum.

Here is a selection that all enable you to purchase day tickets for a fishing adventure during your stay in Norfolk.

Catch 22

Catch 22 is a 21 acre day fishing lake, previously a gravel pit, and claims to be one of the Uk’s best carp fishing lakes. In the 1990’s 2,000 carp were released into the day fishing lake, with commons, mirrors, leathers and linears as well as Tench, Bream, Pike, Roach and Perch. A day ticket costs £7 or £10 for carp, covers 2 rods per person and needs to be booked in advance. https://catch22fishingcentre.co.uk/

Billingford Fishing Lakes

Billingford Fishing Lakes is a 150 acre site with 11 fishing lakes and ponds including one that’s 7.5 acre and stocked with large carp up to 35kg+. Fish include Roach, Perch, Eels, Tench and Bream as well as Common and Mirror Carp. £10 for a day ticket for 3 rods per person. Tuition is available as well as equipment hire https://www.billingfordlakes.co.uk/fishing/

Norfolk and Suffolk Fly Fisher’s Society

Norfolk and Suffolk Fly Fisher’s Society based at East Tuddenham, with 2 spring fed lakes covering 6 acres. These lakes are regularly restocked and allow you to catch and keep up to 4 fish on a day ticket for £25. No rod license is required to fish here. https://www.norfolkandsuffolkflyfishers.org.uk/

Note - You’ll require a UK rod license from the Environment Agency to fish at many of these lakes. https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence from £6 for a day.

Brewery tour

Real Ale brewed in Norfolk - Credit Jonas Jacobsson Unsplash

The award winning beers at Woodfordes Brewery are known throughout the country, with the brewery beginning in our nearby Drayton over 40 years ago before settling in Woodbastwick in the Norfolk Broads. They have maintained a strong connection to Norfolk, of which they are proud and own 2 Norfolk pubs - Fur and Feather in Woodbastwick, The Lord Nelson in Burnham Thorpe.

The Wherry is their most well known ale but they also have Norfolk Adder cyder and a selection of craft beers under the name FIFTYTWO° NORTH.

A Woodforde Brewery Tour begins with setting the historical context as well as why Norfolk is essential to the brewing process. You’ll be guided through the difference stages of making beer and end your tour by sampling this well loved local beverage. Tours take 1.5-2 hours and cost from £15 per person.

https://www.woodfordes.com/brewery-tours/

Mexican Stew Recipe

With a crackling fire and a cooking pot bubbling over the flames, a campfire feast is the ideal way to end a good day of fishing. Here is our version of the Mexican stew which Bob and Paul enjoyed at Round the Woods (scar show and tell is optional!). This recipe can be enjoyed with chicken but is equally delicious if you would prefer to swap out the poultry with beef or vegetables. The campfire cooking kit onsite (available on request) contains a dutch oven pan, tripod for over suspending over the fire as well as a campfire grill and pie iron (perfect for delicious cheese toasties!).

Campfire Cooking - Credit Melody Ayres Griffiths Unplash

First light the campfire and prepare the tripod frame for hanging the cooking pot over the fire. The fire will need a while to get hot enough to cook on so light this first and then prepare your ingredients.

Ingredients:

Chicken thigh fillets or breasts - chopped
Seasoning - 2 tablespoons chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper or use a ready made Mexican seasoning
Oil
Rice
1 Pepper - chopped
1 Onion - chopped
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
Tinned black beans (drained)
Tinned chopped tomatoes
Chicken stock - twice the quantity of the rice

Instructions:

Begin by frying the chicken in oil in the cooking pot, add the seasoning as the chicken cooks. Fry until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Fry the onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes
Add the rice and garlic, stirring for 1 minute
Add the chicken stock, beans, chopped tomatoes & more seasoning if preferred, stir well and place the lid on to allow it to all cook
Meanwhile shred the chicken and just before it’s finished stir the chicken back in and cook for a further 5 minutes to allow the chicken to heat up
Serve with tortilla wraps, avocado, lettuce, sour cream, grated cheese, coriander, lime juice and chipotle sauce if desired and enjoy

A fishing adventure at Round the Woods provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy time by the water as well as giving you a welcoming space to return to in our two yurts or strawbale cabin. With a roaring logfire, immensely comfortable beds and hot showers you’ll feel relaxed and refreshed.

Watch Series 1 Episode 1 of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing and enjoy a stay in their chosen accommodation.

Recreate the Mortimer and Whitehouse Experience