Visitors to Pensthorpe nature reserve can look forward to changes at its café after an application to extend it was approved.

The proposals for the Courtyard Café also include new cladding, windows and doors for better light in the dining area.

Ben Marshall, the applicant on behalf of the 700 acre site, near Fakenham, said the existing site was no longer fit for purpose because the kitchen and servery are too small.

The new extension was approved by North Norfolk District Council.

The café at PensthorpeThe café at Pensthorpe (Image: Ian Burt) Pensthorpe was built after a gravel extraction in the 1980s to offer a diverse wetland for waterbirds. 

Bill and Deb Jordan, the current owners, took over the property in 2003 and in August, Pensthorpe was named one of the best places to visit for families in the UK.