Holt is a delightful Georgian market town just four miles inland from the picturesque North Norfolk coast UK.

It retains a unique, old-fashioned charm, which leaves a lasting impression on its many visitors.

The town has enjoyed a long and varied history since Saxon times, its name being derived from the Saxon word for 'wood'. Holt is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a manor passed to the de Vaux family after the Norman Conquest. It was recorded as a market town and this market continued for 900 years until 1960. Today the wide swathe of the Market Place reminds us of its earlier size and importance.

The town owes its predominantly Georgian character to a disaster that occurred in 1708. On Saturday 1st May a raging fire, which started near Shirehall Plain, rapidly destroyed many of the buildings of the town including the church. It was reported to have spread so swiftly that the butchers did not have time to rescue their meat from their stalls. After the fire the town received many donations from all over the country and the task of reconstruction began. Many of the fine Georgian buildings, which were then built, still survive to this day. Certainly pictures of Holt taken at the beginning of the 20th century show that little has changed over the last 100 years.

		Holt today
Holt at the turn of the century

Today Holt is a Mecca for visitors and tourists who come to explore the busy high street and the courtyards and alleyways that lead off. They come to visit the many and varied shops and a unique collection of pubs, cafes and restaurants that make up this town. Many visitors are astonished with the range and variety of goods and services available within such a small town. In the summer months it is a riot of colour with hanging baskets and planters full of flowers decorating the fronts of shops, hotels and offices. Many cafes provide outside tables and chairs giving a wonderful continental atmosphere. Visit in the winter and see the town transformed into a fairyland with thousands of Christmas lights adorning the entire High Street and Market Place.