THE NORTH
NORFOLK COAST haven
of peace and
tranquility land
of
wide-open
land, sea and skyscapes
North
Norfolk is a
unique area in Britain. Its coast
has its unique appeal. It has no major popular holiday resort and is a
haven of peace and tranquility. It is a great area for walking, using
the North Norfolk Coast Footpath. It used to be possible to walk for
hours and hardly meet another living soul- not quite the case today,
but the area has not lost its appeal. It is a coast of big skies, great
skyscapes and magnificent sunsets. In
summer
with a south wind some of the highest temperatures in Britain
may be recorded, but the North Wind can blow straight down from the
North Pole. Even in mid-summer it can be decidedly cold. But given a
quiet day and clear skies, even winter days can feel mild. One
of the
appeals of the area is the flint used in so many buildings,
which give the many coastal villages their unique appeal. Many of these
villages used to be thriving ports, but as the rivers have silted up,
the sea has receded, and today only Wells-next-the-Sea remains a
working harbour. Visit
the
North Norfolk coast and you enter time warp. Life is lived at
a slower pace. Go into a local shop for 'quick' service and you will
find yourself caught up in a lengthy conversation. The
area
is well-provided with eating places (be it the up-market
Titchwell manor Hotel or the Hoste Arms in Burnham Market, or the
homely Three Horseshoes in Warham).
There is a good range of B&B and holiday cottages: some of the
best
are to be found under the management of Norfolk
Country Cousins.
This
stretch of coast (extending just
beyond either edge of the map) faces almost due north. To the west the
coast curves to face into the Wash, and to the cliffs around
Hunstanton; the the east it curves round to face norht-east and again
there are cliffs from Weybourn to Cromer and beyond.
This stretch of coast is without cliffs. To Holkham there are salt
marshes with muddy inlets, and often a narrow sandy strip at the
water's edge. From Holkham to Wells are sandy beaches, then, to
Blakeney a return to salt marshes. East from Blakeney Point the beach
consists of shelving pebble.
HUNSTANTON
Hunstanton
is one
of North Norfolk's popular resorts. The town lies in a relatively
narrwo strip of land between the main A149 coast road and the sea. It
is unique in being an east coastal resorth which faces westward and its
sheltered aspect ensures some of the warmest and sunniest coastal
weather of the UK. It
developed as a resort in the later 19th century, and it was when King
Edward VII vsisited it that it became respectable and
popular.
Much of the older part of the resort, made up of the grander hotels of
the period lies atop Hunstanton's famous 'three-tier'
cliffs of red, brown and white
strata) and which sloped down at
its southern end to the Green, which is still the focal point of
Hunstanton, and the main shopping area lies on the streets which climb
quite steeply upward to the east.
Hunstanton Green
Hunstanton
promenade
As a modern resort, the centre-of-gravity lies south of the green, with
a range of amusement parks and caravan sites, with a long promenade
stretching past the town's limit. Best known in this modern part is
'Kingdom of the Sea', where the visitor walks along tunnel-lie passage
ways, with tanks containing all manner of exotic sea-life. Also popular
are the boat trips to 'Seal Island', which is a strip of sand in the
middle of the Wash.
This
quaint village lies about 1 mile
north of Hunstanton. There is a variety of flora to be seen among its
dunes. It is also a habitat for that Norfolk speciality (and delicacy)-
samphire.
HOLME-NEXT-THE-SEA
Here
the Peddars Way which begins at its
southern end near Thetford reaches the coast: it has been extended
eastward as the North Norfolk Coastal Path.. The village itself holds
little of interest, but has a wide sandy beach. Eastward along the
footpath lies the Titchwell Nature Reserve: there is a made roadway,
but this is for use of members of the reserve alone.
Holme became famous some years ago by the discovery of 'Seahange'.
This is a Bronze Age tree circle some 4,500 years old. Buried under the
sea, it became exposed by a low tide. It has been removed to the
Fengate Museum in Peterborough, where it has been preserved
THORNHAM
Thornham
is a busy village astride the A149 coast road. A narrow road
leads 3/4 mile toward the sea, and is liable to flooding at High Water.
There is a rough-and-ready car-park at the road's end: the coarse may
be reached along the Coastal Path, set high on an embankment. Part way
along this road is the Lifeboat Inn. In the Middle Ages, it was a
hideout for smugglers. Today it is a popular eating-out spot.
Titchwell
is
a small village which seems to consist of pubs and hotels,
among which the Titchwell
Manor Hote l provides some of
the best food along this coast,
though it's not cheap. It is probably best known on account of
Titchwell Marsh, where there is a bird reserve under the sponsorship
of the RSPB
.
Alongside the footpath which leads out to the sandy beach the land is
laid out in sections of varied habitat to attract a wide range of bird
species.
Brancaster
really consists of two parts which are about 1/4 mile apart.
Brancaster
village is a typical
North Norfolk village with an imposing
medieval church and toward the sea a Gold Course. There is an excellent
sandy beach, which can be dangerous when the tide comes in- which it
can do at a pace faster than a person can run.
Brancaster
Staithe retains its
harbour, mostly used today by pleasure
boats. From the harbour it is possible by a short boat trip to reach
Scolt Head Island, a National Trust reserve which is home to England's
largest colony of Sandwich Terns . At its eastern end, Brancaster
Staithe
Burnham
Deepdale Church
Saltmarshes at Brancaster Staithe
runs
into Burnham Deepdale- the
westernmost of the seven 'Burnhams'. Its church, nestling alongside the
A149 road, has a characteristic round flint tower- this one dates back
to Anglo-Saxon times, and inside the church is a richly carved
norman-period font.
This
is one
of seven 'Burnhams' (Horatio Nelson was born in Burnham
Thorpe). Its main attraction is its quayside (the road leading to it is
one-way east-west). There is a wide inlet, formed where the River Burn
flows out to sea, and a wide variety of birds are to be seen on the mud
flats. The Coastal Path takes you out toward the sea alongside this
inlet and reaches 50-foot high dunes, beyond which is a fine sandy
beach.
Burnham
Market is about
3/4 mile inland from the A149 road and is the largest Burnham. TheGoose
Bec
runs down the centre of the village green and overflows after heavy
rain, which forms the core of this
large, bustling, prosperous village. It is always
busy and
difficult to park a car.. It has a delightful selection of Georgian
houses round the Green with shops for all needs. Many are small
independent businesses, selling anything from bread to vegetables to
health food products to The White House- an excellent bookshop: shoes
may be bought at Shoes on the Green.
It is often known as 'Chelsea by the Sea', on account of its
sophistication!
Art
lovers will find a
delightful gallery
exhbiting
works by a local artist, of very atmospheric, mostly coastal photography
Just 1 1/2 miles to the south-east is the hamlet of Burnham
Thorpe- birthplace of Horatio Nelson. His birthplace was demolished
just after his father's death. The present hamlet surrounds a beautiful
village green.
Holkham
is
not so much a village as an appendage of houses to Holkham Hall
. This stately home
set in extensive grounds was built in the 18th century for Thomas Coke,
who revolutionised British agriculture. He built the Hall to replace a
more modest Elizabethan Manor, as he wanted somewhere larger and
grander to house the many treasures he bought on his many travels to
Italy, France and Germany. The Hall, begun in 1734 was not completed
until 1762 (three years after Coke's death).
The
Holkham estate is extensive and
includes not just the Hall and
grounds but also several square miles of land stretching out to the
coast and as far east as Wells. That much of this land is
agriculturally productive is thanks to drainage carried out by Coke who
also was responsible for a barrier to the sea in the shape of sand
dunes preserved by a pinewood forest.
One
can enjoy either the sandy beach or on
the land ward side the
Coastal path which goes through the pine plantations. From Holkham the
beach may be reached along the Queen Anne Drive (car parking on either
side), with a wood-deck path to the sands. West of the drive is a
secluded residence used by royalty; also a naturist beach.
The current Earl of Leicester has been busy expanding the range of
attractions for the visitor. In the park is a nature trail,
with
28 'stops'. The Bygones Museum contains a history of farming,
there is (an expanded) Pottery Shop and Stables Café, and
Adnams
have a Wine Cellar and Kitchen Store
There
is a wide sweep of
sandy
beach which stretches about two miles
east of Holkham Bay (all part of the Holkham estate), backed by dunes
planted with pines (the work of Coke), and which extends all the way
into:
WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA
With
its
quayside, narrow streets and ancient houses Wells
is
a town of great charm, and a place to explore for hours on end.
It
is still a working port, mainly for
fishing. Behind the quay lies
the shopping street of Wells, Staithe Street, crammed with holiday
makers in the season, and at the end the open green, known as the
Buttlands.
A
bustling town of
2,500 inhabitants, it depends on the summer season when its population
can rise to 10,000 thanks to many holiday makers, many of whom stay at
the Pinelands Holiday camp, a caravan park now under the management of
Holkham estate and being redeveloped and landscaped.. There are many
places to stay in the town (B&B, holiday cottages) and to eat.
Staithe
Street is the shopping centre of
Wells, and in the season is
thronged with crowds of visitors. It is closed to traffic from
10am-4pm.
The
town is 1 mile from its sandy beaches
which may be reached on the
narrow-gauge railway. (There is another narrow-gauge track: the
Wells-Walsingham light railway) At the sea end of Beach Road is a large
caravan and holiday park at
Pinewoods.
Walsingham
is best-known for its
shrine, and attracts a large number of visitors through the year. It is
an attractive village in its own right, situated about 6 miles south of
Wells-next-the-Sea, from which it may be rached by the Wells-Walsingham
Light Railway. It is centred round the 'Common Plain', with the main
village street off this little square, with a host of shops and cafes
catering to the host of visitors. Strictly speaking the main village is
'Little Walsingham' (Great Walsingham lies a mile to the
north).
Common Plain,
Little
Walsingham
Shrine of our
Lady of
Walsingham
The
Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of
Walsingham lies on a road junction 300 yards east of the Plain. Lady
Richeldis de Faverches had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1061, and
archaeologists have discovered remains of the 'Holy House' she erected.
The following century an Ausustianian Priory was erected, but suffered
its fate at the Reformation. The present shrine was built when the
spring source of the 'holy water' was rediscovered early in the last
century
STIFFKEY
Stiffkey
is one of the most attractive of the coastal villages. The
driver on the A149 will not be able to take in the village's charm as
the road is so narrow with barely width to pass oncoming traffic
Stiifkey
(locally 'Stewkey') became
famous when its Rector (Revd Harold
Davidson) was defrocked after his attempts to rescue the fallen women
of Soho.
Go
seaward and you come to Stiffkey
Marshes (National Trust), best seen
in July when the Sea Lavender opens its purple flowers.
A
thoroughly
flint village, bar some brick council dwellings off the
main road. The church tower has an odd patchwork appearance, due to
restoration after a lightning strike in 1743.
Salt
marshes and mud flats stretch out to
sea. Boat trips can be had to
Blakeney Point.
One
of North
Norfolk's most enchanting villages, Blakeney was a working
port up to the early 20th century. The main street (which is narrow)
climbs steeply up from the quayside.
Sitting overlooking the village is
the imposing church of St
Nicholas. Dating back to 1220, it has a tower over 100 feet high which
is a landmark for miles around, and at the NE corner a turret, formerly
used as a lighthouse.
The 'river' which runs out to sea is
actually a loop inlet
(Agar
Creek) from Morston. At the sea end is Blakeney Point- a spit of
shingle stretching 3 miles west from Cley. It is noted for its seal
population, and like Morston, boat trips run from the quay.
Inland
from Blakeny is the Glaven
Valley. This valley runs downto
the sea at Blakeney and possesses
some of the loveliest scenery close to this coast. Three miles
inland is the Centre
for Wildlife
Gardening and Conservation This
is a rare haven of not only
flowers, incluidinf many meadow flowers, but also birds. The nearby
village of Glandford, set above the Glandford Ford, has a shell
museum.
Like
Wells, Cley ('Cly') is no longer next-the-sea. At one time it was
a busier port than King's Lynn, exporting wool to the Netherlands, a
fact reflected in its architecture. The church of St Mary bears witness
to earlier prosperity, being almost cathedralesque in proportions. The
other building of note is the mill, now used as a holiday-let property.
East
of Cley stretch marshland which
is home to a huge range of bird
life, and a gathering site for 'twitchers'. Norfolk Wildlife Trust have
a visitor centre alongside the main road. Cley's busy High Street is
host to a number of speciality businesses and also for the artist,
especially wildlife and seascape there is the Pinkfoot
Gallery
The
village is set back from the main road. There is a lay-by alongside
a large pond, where gather a large number of various breeds of duck-
encouraged no doubt by bread from many passers-by. Inland there is a 1
in 8 climb to Salthouse Heath-from whence there are magnificent
panoramas.
Space
does
not permit a full treatment of Holt- not on the coast, but
at 2 miles inland worthy of mention. A delight of a town, now by-passed
by the A148, it has a thriving main street and many narrow side
streets. Larners
and
Barkers
combine to provide what is essentially a
department store. A feature of the town's shopping is the (welcome)
absence of multiple chains!.Explore this town with its fascinating
by-ways, and visit its '
Picturecraft
' Art Gallery. Enjoy 'Appleyard' with many (snack) eating
outlets, and between there and the High Street a new shopping
development, with a well-stocked independent bookshop, 'Holt Books'
Holt
has a long history. Gresham's School
(founded 1555) escaped a
major fire that destroyed much of the rest of the town in 1708.
Kelling
lies tucked away off a bend in
the A149 between Salthose and Webourne. This lillte village has a
footpath down to the coast, but no way of easy access from the main
road. If you use the car park off the main road, this belongs to the
Kelling Tea Room, which belong to the The Old Reading Room. This in
itself is a fascinating place. You can find second-hand books on any
subject, and there is also a te-room, where you can get hoem-made soup,
mouth-watering cakes and coffee. Kelling along with Weybourne was
important as a startegic defense during the Second World War.
Weybourne- panorama from Sheringham Park
Cliff top at
Weybourne
WEYBOURNE
The
steeply
shelving beach has made this village vulnerable to invasion
from the sea, but has always been successfully defended.. During two
World Wars it housed an Anti-Aircraft Permanent Range. The villages's
military association is evidenced in its Muckleburgh Collection. To the
east rise cliffs which are receding; yearly cliff portions crumble
during winter storms.
Inland
and east lies the National Trust
property, Sheringham Park. This
is an amenity for walking through a large wooded area with a path that
leads alongside the Holt-Sheringham Railway near Weybourn station. (a
line closed by Beeching but since restored to use by volunteers) and
past Sheringham Hall. Sheringham Park is best seen late May-early June
when the rhododendrons are in full bloom.
The
North Norfolk coast strictly extends further round and may be
considered to extend as far as Mundesley.
SHERINGHAM
Three
miles east of Weybourn we reach the town of Sheringham,
which with
some
justice describes itself as 'The prime coastal town of North Norfolk.
From here onwards, the coast is quite different, with a more commercial
feel. Sheringham itself was originally a fishing village, but
made was developed into a coastal resort in the 19th century,
helped along by the advent of the railway. The Beeching cuts saw off
the railway connection, but the line west to Holt has been restored as
the North
Norfolk Railway. The old
town of Sheringham, now a bustling
holiday centre in season retains its old 'Norfolk' character and sits
on top of cliffs, with steep walkways down to the becah, which is sandy
when the tide is out, otherwise it is strewn with an array of shells
and pebbles. It probably owes much of its success to its
combination of having one of the lowest rainfall totals of English
resorts, plus a bracing air, which was one factor making it popular in
the late 19th century. Inland and west of the town is the
attractive aptly named 'Pretty Corner'
Sheringham
Station
(end of the North Norfolk Railway)
Sheringham Town
Sheringham
Cliffs and
Beach
THE
RUNTONS
West
and East Runton sit atop the cliffs between Sheringham and Cromer and
have seen extensive devlopment of camping and caravan sites. An added
attraction in West Runton is its Shire Horse Centre.
CROMER
Cromer
had become a seaside resort by 1800, and its profile was raised by such
visitors as Lord Tennyson, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill not to
mention the German Kaiser. Its has very much the appearance of a genrty
resort. It is one of Britain's few resorts which retains its pier,
and
where summer entertainment takes place. The Lifeboat and Cromer Museums
are both worth a visit (the Cromer and the RNLI). Architecturally it
boasts the splendid church
of SS Peter and Paul, with its magnificentb tower rising 160 feet above
the town. Travel east from Cromer and you pass through numerous village
resorts- Sidestrand and Overstrand till you come to
Cromer
from the east
MUNDESLEY
The
coast west of Mudesley has been subject to major cliff erosion of
recent years. Mundesley,
sitting on its cliff has suffered less, and
has a superb sandy beach which offers safe bathing. It is the ideal
place for a relaxing family holiday, especially if you prefer to be
away from the bustle of resorts both west and east.
Burnham Thorpe Village Green
Staithe
Street, Wells
