Manor House Meets the Raj-- Other than an invite from her Majesty to Sandringham Castle, your second best choice is to stay with Viscount and Viscountess Coke at Victoria, Park Road (tel. 01328/711008; www.holkham.co.uk/victoria), in the little town of Holkham, 39km (24 miles) northwest of Norwich. On the grounds of the coastal Holkham Estate, it offers 11 bedrooms in the style of a "manor house meets the Raj" motif. Against a backdrop of beautifully dark wood furniture, each bedroom has its own theme -- in fact, it's hard to imagine that this was once a former run-down pub. With furniture and accessories from Rajasthan, including rugs, hand-carved lattice doors, and velvet and cane day beds, it has a real colonial feeling. The property is still owned by the present earl of Leicester. Bedrooms range from £110 to £140 ($209-$266) and the on-site restaurant is one of the best in the area.
