Blue Flame Glass Studio

The first thing that hits you at Blue Flame Glass Studio is the heat. Even before you properly step inside, you feel the blast from the furnaces where glassblowers are actively working their craft. It's somewhere just outside Norwich, and frankly, it's the sort of place that could easily get overlooked if you didn't know to look for it.

What you get here is a proper working studio, not some sanitised visitor attraction. You watch artisans shape molten glass in real time - it's hypnotic stuff. The furnace glows orange, the glass bends and twists, and within minutes you've got a vase or bowl taking shape. If you're lucky, you'll catch a demonstration; if you're keener still, some studios offer hands-on sessions where you can have a go yourself.

It's excellent for anyone with even a passing interest in craft and making - families with older kids do well here, though under-tens might find the standing-around-watching bit tedious after thirty minutes or so. Jewellery makers and ceramicists especially tend to find it absorbing; there's something about watching another material come alive that resonates.

Allow an hour or so unless you're doing a workshop. Check ahead on opening times and whether you need to book, as working studios sometimes close for production days. Staying at one of the nearby sites like Top Farm Campsite or Bylaugh Country Park gives you a decent base for exploring the Norfolk countryside between visits. It's the kind of detour that makes a holiday different - not essential, but genuinely worth the petrol.