The village of Stiffkey may only be barely a mile long but it is well worth a half hour stop (or more if you fancy lunch or dinner at The Red Lion). Along the main street is a small, eye catching antiques and lamp shop…Read More

The village of Stiffkey may only be barely a mile long but it is well worth a half hour stop (or more if you fancy lunch or dinner at The Red Lion). Along the main street is a small, eye catching antiques and lamp shop (www.stiffkeyantiques.com). The main shop is a narrow, two storey crammed with an incredible array of door handles, latches, hooks, letterboxes and of course lamps. There is also a wide range of fireplace accessories such as grates, guards brushes and pokers as well as other fantastic but pricey antiques for the home. We stopped in late on a Saturday afternoon and swiftly picked up a fireguard and a brush, tray and poker. The one bizarre aspect of the shop is that even all the pieces are under one roof, they are sold by three different people. It turned out that the pieces we wanted to buy are sold by the one person who doesn’t take credit cards so we had to drive to Wells-next-the-Sea and find an ATM to pay cash.

A little further down the road is Stiffkey Stores (www.stiffkeystores.com) The shop and cafe is housed in an old coaching house and is beautifully presented. The cafe backs onto a small courtyard and the cute shop next door sells cakes, books, newspapers, greeting cards, souvenirs as well as regular household goods so if you are staying in a self catering cottage as we were, it’s an ideal place to stock up.

About a fifteen to twenty minute drive from Stiffkey and just beyond Wells-next-the-Sea is the small but perfectly formed Real Ale Shop at Branthill Farm (www.therealaleshop.co.uk). We turned up just before midday on a Sunday (when they’re open 12pm – 4pm) and the doors opened right on time. We took a quick walk around the farm buildings. Apparently the farm is still fully in operation but some of the loading blocks looked like they hadn’t been used in a long time.

The shop is small but claims to offer over fifty ales made by fifteen Norfolk brewers. These include Woodforde’s (served at the Stiffkey Red Lion), and other inventively names brewers including Humpty Dumpty, Why Not and Ole Slowfoot. The Real Ale Shop is located in a malting barley farm and supplies many of the local brewers with their malt.

We picked up a few bottles of local brew to take home although it is also a good place to stock up for your own holiday or to buy a gift box for someone else. They have a useful list at the counter, which provides details on the colour, style, alcohol percentage and their own description of each ale. The Real Ale Shop is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am – 6pm (10am – 4pm in winter) and 12pm – 4pm on Sunday. They are closed on Monday but if you miss out, it is possible to order online.Close

Reaching Blakeney by way of the Norfolk Coast Path, we were immediately greeted by the imposing but beautiful Blakeney hotel. The hotel is on one side of a small horseshoe quay where small boats were beached in the shallow low tide. We walked along The…Read More

Reaching Blakeney by way of the Norfolk Coast Path, we were immediately greeted by the imposing but beautiful Blakeney hotel. The hotel is on one side of a small horseshoe quay where small boats were beached in the shallow low tide.

We walked along The Quay until we reached the end of the high street, where seafood vendors set up shop for hungry walkers and wooden picnic tables are scattered alongside a far reaching car park. It was here that we decided to take a rest stop and take advantage of the fresh seafood on offer. The two stalls open that day sold seafood on the left, and paninis and other less fishy sandwiches on the right for those who with shellfish allergies or aversions.

We took a short walk up the High Street and bought some crisps and drinks at Blakeney Delicatessen before heading back to the quayside for a selection of freshly made sandwiches. I went for a crayfish, rocket and lemon mayonnaise on wholemeal bread but others in our group ordered crab and also prawn, all of which were delicious. My sandwich was about £4.50 so not a bargain but worth it being that it was al fresco and made to order. It’s strange that you can’t quite smell the sea air from Blakeney but having a freshly made sandwich from a trailer by the quay is certainly a lunch to savour. The crayfish and rocket sandwich was delicious and the others looked good too. I also enjoyed the notice at the bottom of the sandwich shack menu. Besides sandwiches, they sell crab bait (50p a bag) and kindly remind buyers that it’s not for human consumption.

After our picnic table lunch we walked up the high street, passing by the bright, yellow Moorings restaurant and the White Horse pub, which had a decent looking menu and like all the buildings in the area, a pretty flint exterior.

Beyond the White Horse is the Delicatessen but then the High Street quickly peters out. Another pub, The Kings Arms is on Westgate Street (which runs into The Quay) so while Blakeney is almost a one horse town, it still caters well to the lunch crowD, even if the weather isn’t kind enough for a picnic lunch. Close

The four mile walk from Stiffkey to Blakeney is part of the Norfolk Coast Path, also known as Peddars Way. While on the map, the route looks like it follows the coast, the name is a little misleading in that you only get distant glimpses…Read More

The four mile walk from Stiffkey to Blakeney is part of the Norfolk Coast Path, also known as Peddars Way. While on the map, the route looks like it follows the coast, the name is a little misleading in that you only get distant glimpses of the coast along the way. The winding inlets and marshes ensure that along this stretch, the sea is always almost always out of sight and reach.

That’s not to say that it isn’t a pleasant walk. It is a flat and easy path to negotiate and even has a snack shop and toilet stop just past the mid way point at Morston Quay. Starting at Stiffkey we walked west along Wells Road until we reached the antiques shop. Here there is a footpath that heads north towards the coast and after tromping through a field, the path splits and walkers can head west towards Wells-next-the-Sea or east to Blakeney.

We followed the path east along the dry, well-kept and well signposted trail. On an unusually sunny September day, we passed a fair few walkers but the trail wasn’t particularly busy. About 2 1/2 miles down the track is Morston Quay. For those looking for a shorter walk, it is possible to park at Morston and walk the last 1.7 miles to Blakeney (it is a National Trust pay and display car park). When we arrived at Morston there were two places selling food, one more of a mini caff selling bacon rolls and the other a little mobile shack selling fresh seafood. Above the cafe is a viewing station with some information on the local fauna.

We had a short rest in the sun and took advantage of the car park conveniences (which were rather clean I thought) and continued on towards Blakeney, which is visible in the distance from Morston. It only took another half hour or so to reach Blakeney, where there is a greater choice of pubs, restaurants and waterside seafood vendors.

From here the path goes on further east to Cley and beyond but we turned back and opted for a ten minute bus ride back to Stiffkey rather than retracing our steps. There is a certain beauty and tranquility here that cannot be found in other parts of England but the landscape is so flat and unchanging on this part of the path that it’s not particular dramatic or dynamic. If you’re looking for a real coastal path where you can see waves crashing, or at the very least, lapping at a shoreline then you should look elsewhere along the Norfolk path. Close

Blakeney is a really pretty seaside village. Flint fishermen's cottages tumble down a steep slope to a picturesque quay with wonderful views over the salt marshes. Beyond the harbour is Blakeney Point, the tip of a 4 mile long shingle spit, a National…Read More

Blakeney is a really pretty seaside village. Flint fishermen's cottages tumble down a steep slope to a picturesque quay with wonderful views over the salt marshes. Beyond the harbour is Blakeney Point, the tip of a 4 mile long shingle spit, a National Trust nature reserve, famous for its seals. You can get there on foot, but it is a lot more fun and a lot less tiring to be ferried in a fishing boat from Morston, a small marshland village about a mile along the coast from Blakeney. A round trip takes one hour.

The boat trips operate with the tides so the times change daily. The boats do not venture out into the open sea, but stay in the harbour, so apparently it is never choppy. After a short boat ride you arrive at the seals basking on the sandbanks. The colony is make up of common and grey seals and there are around 500 of them. The boats sail close to the seals which gives good opportunities for photographs.

The seal boat trip costs £8.00 for adults and £4.00 for children and it is advisable to book in advance. We booked a couple of days before, and you do not pay until you collect your tickets, about half an hour before the trip. They accept credit cards.

After visiting Blakeney, we drove inland to the extraordinary village of Little Walsingham, 9 miles inland.

In 1061 an influential local widow convinced the villagers here that she had seen the Virgin Mary and persuaded them to build a shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham. This out of the way village then became one of the most important pilgrim centres in Europe. It became known as "Nazareth in England."

The shrine was destroyed in 1538 during the Reformation and pilgrimages were brought to a halt. It is said that all the Kings and Queens of England from Henry III to Henry VIII visited the shrine.

In Victorian times there was a revival of Little Walsingham's fortunes, the 14th century Slipper Chapel was restored and in 1897 pilgrimages started again. In the 1930's a new shrine church was built and today the pilgrimage business here is thriving, especially at Easter.

The village retains its charming medieval character with timber framed houses, an old courthouse, a ruined priory and numerous historical and religious relics.

There is a visitors centre where you can watch a short video on the history of the village - very interesting and I would recommend this. You can also wander around the shrine area and visit the church.Close

Cromer is about 45 minutes drive from Wells-next-the-Sea. We parked in the beach / cliff top car park, just before you get into the town. It cost £5.00 for the whole day and although it involves a 10-15 minute walk into the centre…Read More

Cromer is about 45 minutes drive from Wells-next-the-Sea. We parked in the beach / cliff top car park, just before you get into the town. It cost £5.00 for the whole day and although it involves a 10-15 minute walk into the centre of Cromer, it is a good place to leave your car.

Cromer is a charming Edwardian seaside family resort, famous for its pier, succulent crabs and tall church tower. It has long, sandy beaches; landscaped cliff top gardens; Edwardian style promenades; a boating lake; a mini funfair and great fish and chip shops.

Cromer was developed into a significant seaside resort by the late Victorians when healthy breezes were sought, rather than sun-drenched sands. It was a fashionable place for holidays in the late 1800's. Edward VII came here and Lillie Langtry performed at the Town Hall theatre in the summer of 1906.

The church dominates the town and it has the tallest tower in Norfolk. We were feeling energetic and decided to climb the 172 steps to the top of the tower. It costs £1.50 for adults and 50 pence for children. The climb is really hard work and the last section is extremely steep and very narrow and winding. At the top though, you do get a superb view of the beaches, the sea and the town.

We loved exploring all the narrow lanes and alleys. They are crammed with shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes. The buildings are all pastel coloured. The fishing industry might have declined, but Cromer crabs are still as famous as ever, with fishing boats launched from the beach in season, tending to hundreds of crab pots. We found a little old-fashioned family run tea-shop/cafe (there are lots of these) and had Cromer crab sandwiches for lunch - delicious.

The pier is a blast of nostalgia. We sat on the pier eating ice-creams, then walked to the end and saw people fishing for crabs. The Pavilion Theatre is at the end of the pier - apparently the show here, which is on during the summer months, is the only remaining end of pier show in the country. You can also go inside the lifeboat house. There is a viewing area where you can see the lifeboat up close, and they have a nice little shop as well as interesting displays about the lifeboats and their history.

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Holt is about a 20 minute drive from Wells-next-the-Sea. The streets are extremely narrow and parking is fairly limited. We found a parking area just outside the town - about 10 minutes walk away - where it was free to park, and then…Read More

Holt is about a 20 minute drive from Wells-next-the-Sea. The streets are extremely narrow and parking is fairly limited. We found a parking area just outside the town - about 10 minutes walk away - where it was free to park, and then we walked into the centre of the little town.

Holt is a lovely old-fashioned Georgian town of impeccable colour washed houses, gourmet grocery shops, antique shops and picture galleries. We passed a thoroughly pleasant morning browsing around its narrow back streets and watching the world from a cosy tea shop.

Holt is 7 miles from the sea and I read it has been referred to as "the Fulham of North Norfolk".

Most of the buildings are Georgian, thanks to a huge fire in May 1708 that burned down a lot of the ancient buildings.

Holt was mentioned in the Doomsday Book and there has been a church on the site near the marketplace for over 900 years. The current church dates from the 14th century.

The Georgian architecture is best seen from the market place - pink washed, white washed and sage green buildings. A jumble of streets and alleys fan out from the main street, with lots of pubs, galleries, cafes and shops.

The food hall of the department store Bakers and Lamers is worth a look - they have delicious things, we succumbed to temptation and left with a number of gourmet treats.

The famous independent school of Greshams, founded in the 16th century is on the outskirts of the town. Amongst its famous alumni are WH Auden and Benjamin Britten.

We had tea and cakes in a wonderful little bakery / tea shop called The Owl, right next to Greshams Prep School. Inside the decor is quaint and old-fashioned - the seats are pews they got from the Methodist Church! We tried their lemon drizzle cake and chocolate fudge cake - both were heavenly.

Less than 5 minutes drive from Holt is the pretty village of Letheringsett. Here you can visit a working watermill. It was built in 1802 and is the last remaining watermill in Norfolk to produce flour. They mill spelt flour - a speciality wheat. There are regular working demonstrations of milling and you can do a self guided tour of the 3 levels of the watermill on most weekday afternoons (except Mondays). It is open between 10am and 5pm and the cost is £4.00 for adults and £2.00 for children.

Also about 5 minutes from Holt is the Wildflower Centre. We spent a couple of hours here - it costs £3.20 to get in. It is a bit like a huge meadow, full of wildflowers. There is a lovely walk by a little stream and lots of butterflies everywhere. You can borrow fishing nets and fish for creatures in a pond or in a river - our 6 year old loved this. It is a peaceful and calm place and lovely on a sunny, summer afternoon.
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This was where we were based for our week in North Norfolk - it was perfect for us and for a family holiday.Wells-next-the-Sea is one of the most attractive little towns on the North Norfolk coast. It has a long and sweeping beach bordered…Read More

This was where we were based for our week in North Norfolk - it was perfect for us and for a family holiday.

Wells-next-the-Sea is one of the most attractive little towns on the North Norfolk coast. It has a long and sweeping beach bordered by pine woodland, a gentle harbour with small fishing boats where children fish for crabs and generally it is an unspoilt seaside destination.

Architecturally it is lovely with quaint lanes and alleyways, hidden courtyards and traditional flint houses with pantiled roofs dating back to the 17th century.

The area around the town gives opportunities for sight seeing, water sports, bird watching and country walks.

The main street in Wells - Staithe Street - has plenty of shops but there is not a chain-store in sight. The shops are all independent, some are old-fashioned but all are charming and quirky. We enjoyed very much browsing in them one Sunday afternoon. My particular favourite was The Mermaid's Purse - a treasure trove of artwork and quirky souvenirs for the home; handbags and other knick-knacks. There is also a wonderful coffee shop where you get service with a smile. The other shop I especially liked was Normal for Norfolk - stuffed full of hippish clothes and jewellery.

It is great fun to wander through the delightful network of narrow streets, alleys and yards. The buildings are impressive - Georgian and Victorian and many of them are listed.

At the top end of Staithe Street is the Butlands. This is a quiet green lined with lime trees and Georgian and Victorian houses. There is a lovely pub which looks onto the Butlands where they serve great food.

At the bottom of Staithe Street is the fishing quay where you can watch the fishing boats come and go. There is a great fish and chip shop overlooking the quay called French's. It is always busy and there is always a queue, but the fish and chips are worth the wait. We ate ours, sitting on the harbour wall, looking out to sea and watching the sun go down - fantastic!

The harbour is also where children (and adults) fish for crabs. We did this every evening with our 6 year old son - it is such fun and a great way to spend the last hours of daylight.

Wells-next-the-Sea has been a fishing port for 700 years, even though it is a mile away from open water. A handful of fishing boats still go crabbing, shrimping and whelking. You can watch them going about their business and unloading at the quay.

Just off the quay, you can catch the miniature steam train which takes you the mile trip to the beach. It leaves every 15 minutes and costs £1.20 for adults and £1.00 for children for a one way trip. We did enjoy walking to the beach as well - the walkway is raised and you get a lovely view of all the boats. There is also a man selling ice-cream half way along - it is delicious and worth trying.

The beach at Wells-next-the-Sea is a must-do. It is golden and sandy, with pine trees, dunes and a row of colourful beach huts. It stretches for miles towards Holkham and was famously featured in the film "Shakespeare In Love." You do have to be careful at this beach - when the tide comes in, it does so fast and furiously, so you need to keep a close eye on children and be aware of tide times so you do not find yourself in a location that gets cut off by the sea.Close

We stayed in Beach Walk, a mile from the sandy beah at Wells-next-the-Sea and just a couple of minutes walk from the harbour and the centre of the little town.Beach Walk is a 4 bedroom town house on 3 levels. It has a large…Read More

We stayed in Beach Walk, a mile from the sandy beah at Wells-next-the-Sea and just a couple of minutes walk from the harbour and the centre of the little town.

Beach Walk is a 4 bedroom town house on 3 levels. It has a large balcony on the first floor, a little enclosed terrace garden and from the living/dining area on the first floor you have views across open marshland towards the sea in the distance.

It is one of a row of houses on a new and pleasant little housing development. The house is very spacious - the ground floor had a large double bedroom, a bathroom with shower and a garage which had a little snooker table, table football and other games. There was also a laundry room at the back.

On the middle floor was a twin bedroom, WC and washroom and large open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with television and DVD player. The kitchen was well equipped with microwave, dishwasher etc.. There was also plenty of space to relax. On this level there was also a balcony with table and 10 chairs - perfect for al fresco dining. There was also a barbecue in the little garden.

We booked directly with the owner through their website www.nth-norfolk.co.uk, about 12 months prior to our visit. Properties here in August book up well in advance so you do need to think ahead. The cost was £1,040 for a week.

The house had a car parking space just outside the front door and there was space at the end of the row of houses for a further vehicle.

Towels, sheets etc were provided and on our arrival the basics such as milk, tea, sugar etc. were also left for us to use.

There are lots of little independent shops and lovely delis in Wells-next-the-Sea, but there was no big supermarket. The closest one we managed to find was 11 miles and a half hour drive away in the town of Fakenham.

The other slight problem we had with this property was the lack of mobile phone signal. In the house you cannot get any signal at all on a mobile phone - to use our phone meant a walk down to the harbour or the beach where it worked. There is also no WiFi and none of the cafes or restaurants in the town had this facility. This is wonderful if you really want to be unreachable during your holiday - it was a little inconvenient for us, but we managed anyway!

We enjoyed our stay at Beach Walk and would recommend staying here. It is perfect for a family or extended family who require plenty of space and want to cater for themselves. Every evening we had a BBQ which we ate on the balcony, and then strolled the short distance to the harbour and fished for crabs with our 6 year old son.

It is by no means a fast paced place to stay, but to relax, unwind and have a traditional, old-fashioned British seaside holiday - this is the perfect place to stay.Close

* There are lots of places you can cycle. The paths are safe and scenic and it is very easy as Norfolk is predominantly flat. This is a great way to see the countryside.* Animal lovers will enjoy spotting the many seabirds…Read More

* There are lots of places you can cycle. The paths are safe and scenic and it is very easy as Norfolk is predominantly flat. This is a great way to see the countryside.

* Animal lovers will enjoy spotting the many seabirds that stop off along North Norfolk's beautiful coastal creeks as they migrate to and from breeding grounds. You can also often see seals as you walk along the coastal path.

* Summer is the best time to appreciate the huge skies, warm weather and below average rainfall. The countryside is also really pretty in spring and autumn. The North Easterly winds can and do strike at any time, but even then, strolls along the blustery beach are still magical. The winter months are beautiful but incredibly bleak.

* Explore the unspoilt beaches, traditional seaside resorts and coastal creeks.

* North Norfolk has been referred to as Islington-on-Sea, due to the influx of London second home owners. This has raised the bar at many restaurants and hotels. Visit the famous Smokehouse at Clay next the Sea, the food hall in Bakers and Lamers in Holt and the Walsingham Farm Shop.

* Take a ferry to see the common and grey seals at Blakeney Point. Departure times and availability depend on the tides. The ferry stays in the harbour and does not go out to the open sea. They normally depart from Morston Quay.

* Walk along the North Norfolk coastal path from Cromer - it is beautiful.

* Eat the seafood - freshly caught and delicious. Do not go away without trying the Cromer crabs.

* This is a tidal region - you need to be extremely careful in the water and keep a close eye on children. We experienced this particularly in Wells-next-the-Sea - people were playing on the beach when the tide, when, very quickly it came in and was extremely fast flowing.

* The dialect spoken here is soft and rich and sometimes so broad it can be difficult to understand. The people are extremely helpful and friendly.

* The fishing fleets are not particularly large, but their crops can be found in any decent pub or restaurant along the coast. Ask what is fresh before ordering and explore the market towns to find local fishmongers who can tell you all about the fish and shellfish they have for sale.

* Watch out for the Norfolk windmills - the winds from the North Sea blow across Norfolk powering old windmils that pump the marshes or grind corn into flour. You can see a windmill in action at the Cley windmill near Holt.Close

This northern section of East Anglia is one of the most rain shy counties in Britain and is tailor made for family holidays. It offers masses of scope for traditional bucket and spade holidays on uncrowded sandy beaches.With well under 900,000 inhabitants, spread over…Read More

This northern section of East Anglia is one of the most rain shy counties in Britain and is tailor made for family holidays. It offers masses of scope for traditional bucket and spade holidays on uncrowded sandy beaches.

With well under 900,000 inhabitants, spread over an area of 2,074 miles, Norfolk remains largely a rural county. The highest point in the county is Beacon Hill in West Norfolk - just 103 metres above sea level.

Norfolk regularly attracts 5 million staying visitors annually and also lots of day trippers. There are wonderful medieval churches and castles, thatched cottages and pretty villages. The coastline is long with both pebbled and sandy beaches, tiny fishing ports and great seafood. Away from the coast are the Norfolk Broads - a tranquil land of shallow lakes for leisurely boating.

The Norfolk Broads are the flooded remains of ancient peat diggings - 41 shallow lakes linked by 6 tidal rivers. They receive 2 million visitors a year, who come for the beautiful countryside and wildlife.

North Norfolk, where we stayed, stretches for 43 miles along the picturesque and ever changing coast. Three quarters of this coastline is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and many beaches have a history of winning awards for their cleanliness and facilities.

Its coastal towns have grown over the centuries from small, isolated villages into bustling seaside resorts. They have however, kept the character of communities working on the shore - the crab and fishing boats still put out to sea, and the waters and nature reserves are carefully maintained. This is a quiet backwater and is largely unspoilt.

The highlight of this area is the coastline - from the sandy beaches of Sheringham and Cromer to the mudflats of Moreton Marshes. All who love the sea will lose their heart to the North Norfolk coast. The road from Hunstanton to the tourist resort of Cromer runs along a starkly beautiful fragmented coastline punctuated with picture postcard fishing villages, quaint port towns, medieval churches and old windmills that harmonise with the landscape. It is an idyll of rural charm. On a 40 mile drive, you will see a staggering variety of scenery - tidal mudflats, salt marshes, sand dunes, pine woods, inlets and sand bars, dramatic cliffs and golden beaches.

Local Norfolk culture is deeply entrenched, not easily displaced by tourism. You will see plenty of battered old fishing boats and lobster pots amongst the pleasure yachts and windsurfing gear. Come once to this area, and you will be hooked into returning time and time again.

Our highlights on this trip were:

* Wells-next-the-Sea - this was our base - a traditional, quaint, beautiful and unspoiled little place full of quaint lanes and alleyways, quirky shops and a harbour where we went fishing for crabs every evening. It also has a wonderful sandy beach that stretches for miles, framed by colourful beach huts.

* Sandringham - country retreat of the Queen and where the Royal Family spend their Christmas holidays. You walk through the house which is fascinating - as well as treasures and important things, it is full of their own personal belongings. The grounds are magnificient and the little church is also worth a visit.

* Cromer - a charming family resort, where we enjoyed a walk along the pier, ate succulent Cromer crab in a little old fashioned teashop and explored the beautiful cliff top gardens.

* BeWilderwood - close to Norwich, and great fun in a forest for young and old - we explored tree houses, went down zip wires, enjoyed a boat trip and just had a wonderful day out in the woods.Close