About

The house at 22 North Drive was built in 1906 and we have been told the story of the house being built as a gift from a local gentleman for an Indian Princess. That could be folklore – but we did find some local history on the Chapman family and their home here – you might enjoy this snip from YouTube: https://youtu.be/z9u0ZOfs1fU?si=Fc7AtE8sHvqln3nx

The House remained a family home until the 1970s when 22 North Drive became a hotel for the first time taking advantage of the heyday of summer in Great Yarmouth. As the Dolphin Court Hotel rooms were divided, a staircase was removed and guests had quite strict rules and regulations when staying. At this time the Hotel had a swimming pool at the rear – sadly this was removed as someone drove their car into it…

Dolphin Court Hotel changed its name to the Knights Court Hotel when the property was bought by David and Norma Knight. The name change came about as there was a Dolphin Court Hotel and a Dolphin Hotel. At this time David also started building the Motel Rooms at the rear of the property – being open for the main Summer Season from May to September meant David could spend time building in the months of closure.

 

Malcolm and James

Malcolm and his partner took the reins of the Knights Court in December 2014 moving from London to be closer to family and for a new adventure. Malcolm is originally from the Midlands and has a background in fundraising and events in the culture sector having worked for Tate Galleries, the Royal Academy of Arts and the ICA London.

They have two dogs – Archie (working cocker spaniel) and Boo (Jack Russell terrier). The Hotel is pet friendly but sadly only for our pets – in our first year we did try to accommodate others’ pets but there were too many disasters for us to be able to take pets… sorry.

There is always something to look at!

The Knights Court seems to always been in a state of renovation – as one guest told us, decorating the hotel is just like painting the Forth Rail bridge… it never ends!!! Over the years we have continued to update the decor and introduce artworks and belongings to common spaces and bedrooms. We can’t quite pin down the aesthetic – it’s somewhere between calm and relaxing, quirky but unique, and a bit like being at home. There is always something to look at!!!

  • Our crockery is a mix of old and new – at last count we have 93 tea and coffee sets that we use. We have one Midwinter dinner range that comprises of 145 pieces including soup terrines!! Our serving ware ranges from original plates from the Toby Carvery in the 1970s to a tomato-shaped terrine that we bought in Berlin! Big thanks to all our families, friends and regular guests who keep adding to our collections!
  • We have a range of artworks across the building that reflect our tastes – this goes from the wonderful Chinese Girl by Tretchikoff (you might know her as the Blue Faced Lady) to a fantastic Damien Hirst print. We have young and old local artists including Ernie Childs, and international artists including Sir Peter Blake, David Shrigley and Chris Offili.

Every element of the team is important to us and we are delighted to call the team our Great Yarmouth Family. Please don’t hesitate to call us and the team will do all they can to help you – whether you want to request a specific room, know more about parking or have a special diet that you need us to be aware of.

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