Take a look inside one of Norwich’s best known boutique bed and breakfasts - on sale for £675,000

Number 17 (Image: Archant)

Catching sight of the roaring open fire through the windows at the front of Number 17, it is not hard to see just why passers-by are tempted in.

The bed and breakfast on Colegate in Norwich has been serving afternoon teas from Thursdays to Sundays, and in recent weeks its cosy interior has been enticing people to step inside.

But, although the establishment is gaining a reputation for its new offering, it is its overnight accommodation that it is best known for as this is one of the few bed and breakfasts right at the heart of historic Norwich.

Launched and run by Jim and Glynis Clark, who have now decided the time has come to retire, Number 17 is on the market with Brown & Co at a guide price of £675,000.

Inside number 17 Colegate, Norwich. Photo: Courtesy of Brown & Co (Image: Archant)

Set within the city's Cathedral Quarter it offers a total of nine bedrooms and suites, within a stone's throw of some of Norwich's best known attractions.

Number 17, which can accommodate a total of 21 people, is set within one of the many historic buildings this part of the city is so famous for.

Grade II Listed and believed to date back some 400 years, the original house and its outbuildings were renovated and restored by the couple who, working carefully with the planners, went on to transform the place into a stylish bed and breakfast.

'We bought the building 10 years ago in January,' Glynis remembers. 'We previously ran a pub with letting rooms and were looking for another project. It was the building itself that really brought us here – and we felt this could be a prime location for a B and B.'

Spacious and modern bathroom at 17 Colegate, Norwich. Photo: Courtesy of Brown & Co (Image: Archant)

The history of Number 17 is not clear; while some sections are thought to be hundreds of years old, others are likely to be Victorian, according to the couple.

'We believe it might well have once been part of one of the old shoe factories that this area of Norwich was known for,' says Jim. 'When I was working on the building I discovered some old shoe leathers.

'At one time the barn at the back was a scout hut and more recently it had been used for commercial purposes by a sign-writing business.

Today, however, the property is an inviting place to stay and for many years it was also a cosy and comfortable home to the Clarks who lived in a suite on the top floor of the building: 'We now live elsewhere and this part of the building is also let out to guests,' Glynis adds.

Living area at number 17 Colegate, Norwich. Photo: Courtesy of Brown & Co (Image: Archant)

Following a lot of hard work, Number 17 opened for business just over eight years ago. Bookings had already been made by people who had watched it progress and were eager to stay.

'This meant we hit the ground running right from the beginning,' she says.

Today the property, which is for sale with all its fittings and furnishings to allow new owners to step seamlessly into running the business if they wish, offers a spectrum of accommodation.

At the back, detached from the main house, the former barn has been converted into two sumptuous family suites.

Another guest bedroom at number 17 on Colegate, Norwich. Photo: Courtesy of Brown & Co (Image: Archant)

A mirror image of one another, these each have a high vaulted ceiling, with exposed beams, above a generous open-plan bedroom and living area: the suite also includes a large bathroom, featuring both a bath and a shower, and stairs leading up to a mezzanine level, with twin beds and space for a cot.

Adjoining the main house but also accessed from the courtyard behind Number 17 is a row of three twin bedrooms. Each of these has an en suite shower room.

The ground floor of the main house comprises the kitchen, dining area and customer cloakroom, together with a long corridor giving guests access to Colegate without having to pass the tables.

The kitchen, where Glynis cooks breakfast for her guests is fitted out for catering to the required level.

Spacious garden at number 17 Colegate, Norwich. Photo: Courtesy of Brown & Co (Image: Archant)

'This is also where our daughter prepares the afternoon teas,' says Jim. 'And we do have a licence so we can serve alcohol on the premises.'

The dining room, with its open fire, wooden floor, beams and windows to the front, has an inviting, character-filled appeal which complements the attractive interior design of the bedrooms.

The first floor of Number 17 houses three bedrooms (two doubles and one single), each with its own shower room. Another set of stairs leads up to the top floor where the couple's former quarters can be found in the form of a wonderful, open-plan suite.

At one end is the spacious bedroom area and at the other the sitting room and kitchen. A luxurious en suite bathroom with a shower and free-standing bath is adjacent to the bedroom.

The window at the back overlooks the courtyard garden, where Jim and Glynis have positioned tables so their guests can sit out in the summer. There is rear access to two off-road parking spaces and the couple have a private arrangement to use four more parking spaces in the car park behind.

• Number 17 on Colegate, Norwich, is on the market with Brown & Co at a guide price of £675,000. For more information call 01603 629871