Norwich Castle, outdoor and wildlife fun, hotel stays, Norfolk’s ‘Downton Abbeys’, and golf breaks. Enjoy Norfolk this winter.
As we say in Norfolk, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. So the summer’s gone but there’s still lots of things to do and see when you visit our county, as you’ll discover as you explore this latest There’s Nowhere Like Norfolk e-magazine.
We think it’s a great time to be outdoors –experience the largest seal colony in the country, the best birdwatching, huge sandy beaches where you might just have a seagull or two for company, epic forests to explore, 125 miles of navigable lock-free Broads to discover.
The big news in Norfolk this year is the reopening of the Norwich Castle Keep after a £28m refurbishment to transform it as Royal Palace Reborn, taking visitors back to the time when William the Conqueror’s son James I came to stay in the city. This isn’t just of national consequence, but international importance, particularly as 2027 is the Year of the Normans and the Bayeaux Tapestry is coming to the British Museum.
If you’re not au fait with Norfolk, we’ll give you some facts about our wonderful county you may not have known, and we’ll bust some myths. Flat? Well, you won’t need crampons and mountaineering ropes, but no, we’re not flat. Gently undulating, more like.
Oh, and to finish where we started, Norfolk is actually the combined sunniest/driest county in the
And we can’t wait to welcome you!
Hunstanton sunset, West Norfolk
Cover image: Swan feeding, WWT Welney
It’s hard to imagine the Norwich skyline without its great Norman castle and keep. It’s there wherever you are in the city, particularly the marketplace, the socalled French Quarter.
A child in Norman costume gets comfortable on the recreated royal throne in the Great Hall of Norwich Castle Keep.
Today, the castle is a popular tourist destination, a fascinating symbol of Norwich’s rich history, and there’s more reason to visit now than ever, after a £28m renovation to bring it to life as Royal Palace Reborn, shining a light on the historical significance of this medieval masterpiece built when Norwich was England’s second city.
The Grade I listed keep, originally commissioned by William the Conqueror, has been completely reimagined as part of the project, bringing Norman England vividly back to life, including a recreated medieval palace with floors and rooms that have been meticulously reinstated and are fully furnished, bringing alive the sights and sounds of the keep.
The refurbishment, which includes The Gallery of Medieval Life: A British Museum Partnership that showcases nearly 1,000 medieval artefacts, makes Norwich Castle the UK’s most accessible castle, with step-free access from basement to rooftop battlements –a first in its 900-year history.
An immersive story to tell
Immersive, multisensory experiences bring the palace to life, tell the story of why East Anglia was so important to the Normans and also how trade and wealth flooded into the city.
Norwich’s new rulers, Vikings by descent, assumed control of a prosperous city sat right in the pivot of the hugely lucrative North Sea trading network.
The Castle, our Box On The Hill, completed by Henry I in 1121, is a symbol of pride for Norwich and East Anglia and its transformation ensures that future generations can explore and appreciate its rich history.
Yet, 900 or so years ago – as it was constructed, partly from massive Caen stones shipped across the Channel on behalf of England’s new masters – it would have had many meanings to a local population reeling in the aftershock of regime change, not least the new Norman regime saying to the people of Norwich: ‘We’re in charge now.’
Following the Norman Conquest and subsequent Norman Occupation of Norwich, a timber framed motte and bailey castle was built to the east of the Castle Mound. More than 100 houses were razed to make way for this massive symbol of Norman power.
Youngsters can get to grips with medieval swords and clubs and dress up as a king or queen.
Construction of a stone keep upon the Castle Mound began in 1095. The Norman stone keep, one of only three stone keeps to be built during this period, took around twenty-five years to complete.
Amazingly the Castle was being built at the same time as Norwich’s other magnificent Norman building, the Cathedral.
The size and scale of the castle is evident from any number of vantage points around the city. But it’s perhaps not until you step inside the keep – which played host to William I’s son Henry I over Christmas 1121, which Royal Palace Reborn recreates
– that you get a true feel for what a huge impact this building would have had on Norwich’s inhabitants.
This cavernous space is filled with any number of treasures: a well that’s twice the depth of the keep, the Bigod arch, which was the original entrance to the keep and described as ‘one of the finest surviving entrances to a secular building in Norman architecture’, The Great Hall with its mezzanine gallery, The King’s Chamber and Chapel, and also the castle battlements, where you can take in magnificent views of the city.
Honest, tasty, and satisfying It’s the simple pleasures that make a pub feel like home – a laid-back breakfast, a bite with a pint and a proper pie
We are open all day, every day, for everything from brunch to afternoon beers and board games There is always a spot waiting for you at the bar Your
15 brilliant things to do outdoors in winter.
Magical countryside, tinged with sparkling hoar frost, beautiful empty coast, nature reserves, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a National Park, all under our huge, never-ending skies. Winter is a wonderful time to explore Norfolk, when you feel as if you’ve almost got the county to yourself. Afterwards find a welcoming pub with a roaring fire for a well-earned pint and a hearty meal, or a friendly café for a warming mug of hot chocolate and piece of cake.
And don’t forget, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!
Winterton Dunes.
1 Head out for a walk
Wrap up warm and brave the great outdoors for a bracing walk. Head to the Norfolk coast and it’s likely it’ll just be you, the shoreline, the sea and sky – and perhaps your partner, the kids and a dog or two! Maybe a seal or two. We recommend the north beach at Great Yarmouth, Winterton-on-Sea, Happisburgh, Wells-next-the-Sea and Brancaster.
There’s nowhere like Norfolk
2 See the seals
Take a Beans Boats trip from Morston Quay to see the seals at Blakeney Point. When the Greys are pupping in the New Year you’ll marvel at the largest seal colony in the country. Honestly, you’ll simply be cooing at their cuteness!
3 Catch the early birds
Get up early to see the migratory birds on The Wash at Snettisham. Watch the geese leave their overnight roost as the light cracks and they fly in skeins overhead inland for breakfast. AMAZING! There’s more than 100,000 of them from their breeding grounds in the Arctic. Above the water you’ll also see waders twist and turn in aerial ballet.
5 Get out on the Broads
Take a trip out on the Broads and get a heron’s view of the world. The birdlife is great and with the vegetation died back, you’ll get a better view than during the summer. (The bigger day boats have heating, galleys and toilets).
4 Go stargazing
Norfolk is famous for its big skies. With little light pollution on the coast, away from Great Yarmouth and the other resorts, you can enjoy dark and wide skies – perfect for stargazing. Wait for a cloudless night, wrap up warm, and get set for a magical natural experience. Enjoy Norfolk’s Dark Sky Discovery Sites at Wiveton Downs and Kelling Heath in north Norfolk and Great Ellingham in the Brecks, or head for the deep countryside of the Broads.
Norwich is a very walkable city. Explore the cobbled streets around Elm Hill, walk along riverside to Pull’s Ferry and through the Cathedral precinct and defo try the chips on Norwich Market, liberally doused with vinegar and salt.
7 Watch migrating birds in the Fens
Head out into the Fens to feed the swans on their annual migration from the Arctic! At WWT Welney on the Ouse Washes there’s activity every afternoon – the sight of hundreds of white swans punctuating the inky black of twilight is something you won’t forget.
8 Explore further just outside our Fine City
A little outside the city take a walk around the inland Broad at the University of East Anglia and enjoy the Sainsbury Centre’s sculpture trail. Another great Broad near the city is at Whitlingham.
9 Go on a deer safari
Book up on a wild deer safari at Holkham Hall – hundreds roam the estate and woods and are an amazing sight! Or take a buggy tour at Watatunga Wildlife Reserve – a unique experience.
Pulls Ferry, River Wensum.
Swan feeding, WWT Welney
Whitlingham Broad.
10 Go surfing!
Okay, Norfolk’s not Hawaii, but we still have ample waves to try surfing. You can learn to surf at Cromer or head out on your own at West Runton, or down the east coast at Winterton-on-Sea or Gorleston-onSea. The coast here is also perfect for windsurfing and paddleboarding.
11 Swim on Boxing Day
Brace yourself… there are Boxing Day swims along the coast, notably at Cromer and Hunstanton.
Cromer surf school.
15 Learn about Norfolk’s Deep History
Discover the Deep History Coast between West Runton and Happisburgh. At the former a 600,000-year-old mammoth skeleton was found, the oldest and best preserved in the world. At the latter, 850,000-year-old human footprints were found, the oldest evidence of mankind found outside the Great Rift Valley in Africa.
12 Go to the woods
Take a bike out into Thetford Forest – it’s a great time for a gentle pedal or a more lung-busting adrenaline thrash through the woods. Or you could just pull on your hiking boots and take a walk in the woods.
13 Get active outdoors
Experience nature at one of our outdoor attractions, at Pensthorpe, BeWILDerwood, Fairhaven or Gooderstone Water Gardens
14 Explore big houses
Take a walk in the grounds of one of our many National Trust properties, such as Sheringham Park, Blickling, Felbrigg and Oxburgh.
Thetford Forest.
In the heart of winter, The Globe Inn, Wells-next-the-Sea, offers a welcoming retreat from the colder months. Step inside and hunker down in cosy corners for dishes made with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and enjoy laid-back feasting with your favourite people
Whether you ’ re dropping in after a chilly beach walk or settling in for a leisurely evening, The Globe offers the perfect spot to unwind Enjoy a glass of something special from the bar and the friendly hum of good company - and four-legged friends With rooms just upstairs, you can linger a little longer and make your stay by the sea a truly restful escape.
Hotel stays by the Norfolk coast.
Is there anything better than time by the seaside, walking on the beach, maybe taking a boat trip to see the seals, and then retiring back to your relaxed accommodation in a nearby hotel or pub, settling in at the restaurant to have a pint of local ale or glass of wine and a sumptuous meal of local produce? We don’t think so.
If you’re of the same mind, here are brilliant places to stay by the coast when you visit Norfolk.
If you want to do a bit of set-jetting and walk in the famous footsteps of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine), Natalie Portman (Annihilation) or Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love) on Holkham beach, then the place to stay is The Victoria, just a few minutes’ walk away. With four stars and two AA rosettes, expect lots of local produce on the menu, much of it from the Holkham Estate
Nearby Wells-next-the-Sea is a picturesque quayside town where you can go crabbing or walk to the beach to count the line of multicoloured higgledy-piggledy beach huts. Arrive at low tide and you’ll
just be able to see the waves a mile away at the beginning of The Run. If you’re staying then head to The Buttlands, a lovely enclosed green a minute’s walk from the quay, where you’ll find characterful pubs with rooms The Globe Inn and The Crown Hotel
If you’re a nature lover, then head for the Blakeney area, where you can jump on a Beans Boats trip to see the UK’s largest seal colony or get some great birdwatching at Cley Marshes. Stay waterside at The Blakeney Hotel. Nestle down by the water meadows of the Glaven Valley at The Wiveton. Or go boho chic at fabulous The Harper
Beach huts at Wells-next-the-Sea.
Shakespeare in Love beach scene, filmed on Holkham Beach.
Over to the west along the A149 coast road there’s brilliant birdwatching at RSPB Titchwell and Holme Dunes Nature Reserve. Bring your binoculars and stay at Titchwell Manor Hotel. Close by is the lovely Briarfields Hotel. The more adventurous could head over to Scolt Head Island Nature Reserve from Brancaster beach, one of the sandiest in Norfolk and home of the wreck of SS Vina. If that floats your boat, stay at The White Horse
Stay at Hunstanton, aka Sunny Hunny, and you’ll be in the only east coast resort that faces west, so expect spectacular sunsets across The Wash. There’s great views from the Le Strange Arms Hotel and The Golden Lion is close by. And it’s the same at Heacham, where if you’re staying at Heacham Manor Hotel you can discover the story of Pocahontas’ visit to Norfolk. From here there’s another chance to see a large seal colony in The Wash with Searles Sea Tours.
If you want to try sumptuous crab or lobster from the world’s longest chalk reef then head to Cromer, where you can take a saunter along the Victorian pier, home of the world’s last end-of-pier theatre. We’re recommending The Grove, The Cliftonville and Virginia Court Hotel. Nearby are the National Trust Sheringham Park and Felbrigg Estate and the East of England’s highest sea view at Roman Camp/ Beacon Hill.
These are great places to stay by the coast when you visit Norfolk –now all you’ve got to do is make a booking.
Norfolk’s history of wealthy landowners means a legacy of magnificent stately homes that are open to the public. Our very own Downton Abbeys include Sandringham, the Royal family’s country retreat, Holkham Hall, Houghton Hall, the home of Britain’s first Prime Minister, and the National Trust owned Blickling Hall, Felbrigg Hall and Oxburgh Hall.
Felbrigg Hall
One of the most elegant country houses in East Anglia, the Hall is a place of surprises and delights, a mixture of opulence and homeliness where each room has something to feed the imagination. From the stained glass windows in the great hall to the nodding mandarins in the Chinese bedroom; from Queen Mary’s teapot in the dining room to the copper pans in the kitchen. Story boxes for the children help explain some of the history of the house. Outside, the decorative and productive walled garden is a gardener’s delight and inspiration, providing flowers for the hall, with the allotments in the walled garden providing fruit and vegetables for the community.
Felbrigg Hall sits within a rolling landscape park with a lake, 520 acres of woods, and waymarked trails, making it a great place to explore nature and wildlife on this bountiful estate.
Led by our expert guides, you’ll see parts of a working theatre you wouldn’t normally see. Learn about what stood on the ground before the theatre and how it was transformed. Visit our costume department, step into the wings, sit in the green room and tread the boards.
Come
Sandringham
The Royal Family’s private country house, all the main ground floor rooms used by them are open to the public. The Ballroom displays a different exhibition each year, and there are more family possessions displayed in the museum including vehicles ranging from a 1900 Daimler to a half-scale Aston Martin used by Princes William and Harry. There are sixty acres of informal gardens, six hundred acres of country park and the Sandringham Church which the Royals attend at Christmas is worth a visit.
Nobody forgets their first sight of Blickling, run by the National Trust. The breath-taking red-brick mansion and ancient yew hedges sit at the heart of a magnificent garden and historic park in the beautiful Bure meadows. The landscape with its hedges and narrow tree-lined lanes has changed little over the centuries and is quintessentially Norfolk. Explore the house, with its nationally important book collection, and hear the real voices of the servants who once worked ‘downstairs’. Hire a bike or grab a map of way-marked walks and head out into the park. Keep your eyes open for lost buildings, stunning views and wildlife who call it home.
Oxburgh Hall
Step back in time through the magnificent gatehouse into the dangerous world of Tudor politics. Home to the Bedingfield family since 1482 this stunning moated red-brick house charts their precarious history from medieval austerity to neo-Gothic Victorian comfort. As well as early Mortlake tapestries in the Queen’s Room, Oxburgh houses beautiful embroidery by both Mary Queen of Scots and the famous Bess of Harwick. Panoramic views from the roof look out over the Victorian French parterre, walled orchard, kitchen garden and a Catholic chapel. Run by the National Trust.
With its domed corner towers, this is one of the finest Palladianstyle houses in England, built and furnished between 1722 and 1735 for Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister. Its sumptuous Stone Hall, Marble Parlour, Cabinet Room and Salon are just some of the parade of state rooms, all lavishly endowed with pictures, statuary and fine furniture. There is also the Marquess of Cholmondeley’s collection of 20,000 model soldiers and militaria. The Hall is surrounded by parkland, home to a herd of white fallow and exotic deer, and there is a restored walled garden.
Roses feature throughout, especially in the walled Heritage Rose Garden and Modern Rose Garden reflecting changing tastes in gardens and roses. Also lake, shrubs, trees, follies, scented garden, wildflowers and extensive walks. Lovely country walks with marked trails open every day of the year. The hall itself is only open by appointment or for special events.
Hindringham Hall
Tudor flint house nestling at the bottom of a river valley, surrounded by a moat known to date from 1250. It originally enclosed a number of wooden medieval buildings and a community working for the Prior of Norwich to produce fish from the adjacent fish ponds. The south east wing dates from the 15th century (Henry VII) and the remainder is Elizabethan (16th century). It is virtually unchanged from when it was enlarged by Martin Hastings in 1562.
Holkham Hall
Steeped in history, Holkham Hall, a spectacular example of English Palladian style in local yellow brick, has the perfect location, surrounded by acres of rolling parkland rich in wildlife and the nearby north Norfolk coast with its stunning beach. Take in a spot of culture with a visit to the magnificent Palladian mansion and step back in time in the Bygones Museum. Discover more with cycle and boat hire, or explore the 18th Century walled gardens, the Grand Tour statuary and art collection, restored Victorian kitchen and the immense entrance hall, with deeply coved and coffered ceiling supported by towering columns and panelling of English alabaster, is perhaps one of the finest classical rooms in England, modelled directly on ancient Roman buildings. Children will love the woodland adventure play area.
Holkham Hall’s 3000 acre park contains a mile-long lake with a nature trail, a herd of fallow deer as well as estate buildings left by the 18th century farmer ‘Coke of Norfolk’.
Holkham Estate.
Fiftieth Finale, Oct 25 - Nov 2
Join us as famous visitor “Britannia” comes to visit!
Travel during the week and enjoy a return trip hauled by the special guest, or go totally loco on Nov 12 with unlimited trips all day!
Norfolk Lights Express, Nov 14 - Jan 3
Enjoy an immersive, wintertime experience aboard our illuminated train! See colourful displays along the line and discover the north Norfolk countryside in a whole new light.
Santa Specials, Nov 22 - Dec 23
Relax and enjoy festive treats and entertainment aboard one of our historic steam trains before stopping off at Santa's Grotto to receive a special gift.
See website for full information www.nnrailway.co.uk 01263 820800
Top 10 winter wildlife to discover.
Norfolk has some of the best natural life in the country, and Winter is the best time to see some of it! Why not head out on a trail to see how many you can spot…
Birdwatcher at WWT Welney .
1 Pink-footed geese
One of the great Winter wildlife spectacles to enjoy is huge skeins of pink-footed geese. More than a third of the world’s population of this species spend the Winter in Norfolk with peak numbers present in January and February. These geese are very noisy both in flight and on the ground. They roost together at night in huge numbers on remote parts of the coast and their dawn and dusk flights between inland feeding areas on farmland and these coastal roosts are an amazing wildlife sight. You can enjoy watching pink-footed geese at RSPB Snettisham on The Wash, Holme Dunes, Cley Marshes, Hickling Broad and Martham Broad nature reserves
RSPB Snettisham, The Wash.
2 Rutting deer
One of nature’s seasonal spectacles is the late year deer rut, when male deer (stags or bucks) lock antlers in competition for female deer (hinds or does). See them at Holkham Park and Watatunga Nature Reserve, or from the windows of The Gunton Arms – where they’ll be on the menu!
3 Marvel at mammals
Winter is a good time to be on the lookout for mammals. With autumn gales having swept the trees bare of leaves, the fields ploughed and crops still low, winter is the best time to spot many species. Grey squirrels will be active on sunny Winter days retrieving their autumn nut and acorn caches. Hares if they choose can cast their cloaks of invisibility even in a bare ploughed field, but on the move they are easy to spot loping across open farmland. Woodmice and voles may be attracted to bird feeders in hard weather, look for them foraging on spilt seed beneath your garden feeders.
Deer, at Holkham Estate.
4 Bird roosts
The coldest days of winter are also the best times to enjoy the spectacle of birds gathering to roost communally. Hickling Broad nature reserve has a wonderful sunset wildlife spectacle which can be viewed from near Stubb Mill. Up to one hundred marsh harriers fly in at sunset to roost on the reserve and with luck you will see hen harriers, barn owls and perhaps even Chinese water deer while you wait. This is a top site for spotting common cranes which also regularly roost on the reserve.
5 Snow buntings
Snow buntings are special. These small birds breed further north in the Arctic than any other small perching birds and they seem to bring a touch of arctic wildness to Norfolk shores each winter. In flight they look mainly black and white with large white patches on their wings and tails, with dark wing tips. The shingle ridge between Cley Marshes and Salthouse Marshes is one of the top spots to see them.
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Migrating swans
Bewick’s and whooper swans roost in thousands on the Ouse Washes at Welney where they can be viewed under floodlights at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre. Try and be there for feeding time.
Woodlands are brilliant places to visit in winter. The woods are laid bare and it is time to explore the architecture of trees: the twisted, deeply grooved trunks of sweet chestnut, the smooth elegance of beech and the wiry tangles of hawthorn. As you walk through the woods you may be accompanied by a mixed flock of tits and finches. Long-tailed tits are often the core members of the group, and the noisiest, though usually there will be blue tits, great tits and chaffinches too.
8 Grey seals
Grey seals have their pups in the middle of winter – December and January are peak times for females to give birth in Norfolk. Unlike the smaller common seals which give birth in the summer, grey seal pups are suckled for three weeks by their mothers and remain on the beach for much of this period. The best place to see them is at Blakeney Point with a Beans Boats trip
We don’t usually associate flowers with mid-winter but you can enliven any winter walk by seeing just how many plants in flower you can spot. Even in December you are likely to spot species such as red and white dead nettle, dandelion, daisy, yarrow, chickweed and ground ivy with flowers. By January the very first snowdrops, celandines and even marsh marigolds may start to flower if the weather is mild.
10 Approaching spring
Look out for signs of spring approaching: While February can be the coldest month of the year there are always signs to spot that spring is around the corner. Along hedgerows and road verges the first primroses and celandines may be seen. On mild days towards the end of the month these early flowers may even attract emerging queen bees. As the days lengthen birds begin to sing. In the garden listen for song thrushes, great tits and dunnocks and perhaps even the drumming of great spotted woodpeckers. In the countryside cock pheasants begin to gather their harems and you may spot the males fighting noisily; this is also a brilliant time to look for the first hares boxing.
Great golf breaks in Norfolk.
Some people when thinking about golfing holidays might bring to mind Scotland or Wales, but Norfolk has some of the finest golf courses in the country in wonderful destinations, with fabulous accommodation and lots of things to do nearby.
No matter how long you’re visiting Norfolk for, your golfing handicap or budget, there’s a Norfolk golf break for you.
Coastal courses always provide a slightly different challenge, and you’ve a few to choose from when you visit Norfolk.
King’s Lynn Golf Club
Close to the Norfolk coast is King’s Lynn Golf Club. Stay at Congham Hall, The Farmhouse at Fincham or Knights Hill. King’s Lynn is an historic Hanseatic port and well worth a walk around and close by is Royal residence Sandringham
Heacham Manor Hotel is a Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house that has been converted into a charming 52-bedroom hotel with championship-length golf course. Look out for the mulberry bush in the garden that was planted by Pocahontas
King’s Lynn Golf Club.
The Royal Cromer Golf Club
This golf club has spectacular clifftop views, with sandy hills, bracken and gorse, and the town itself is a Victorian gem with railway station and pier. Make sure you stay a few days at The Grove or Virginia Court.
If you’re looking for something else to do nearby try National Trust Felbrigg Hall or Sheringham Park
The North Norfolk Railway is a lovely steam-driven journey from seaside Sheringham to Georgian market town Holt. Not far away is The Links Country Park Hotel at West Runton – it offers seasonal breaks and excellent leisure facilities.
Hotel golfing breaks
A golfing break at Dunston Hall Hotel or Barnham Broom Hotel gives you the opportunity to spend time in beautiful Norfolk countryside but you’re also on the doorstep of historic Norwich, with its Norman cathedral, recently upgraded castle, and superb shopping and culture.
Main image and above left : Cromer Royal Cromer Golf Club.
There’s nowhere like Norfolk
Eaton Park Crazy Golf and Putting
Of course, if you like your golf to be a little ‘edgier’, try the Crazy Golf and Putting at Eaton Park in Norwich. The Georgian Townhouse is a great place to stay in the city.
Caldecott Hall Golf and Leisure Club
There’s crazy golf at Great Yarmouth too, but if you’re a purist then Caldecott Hall Golf and Leisure near Great Yarmouth is the place for you. Although, for a bit of fun, the surrounding Caldecott Country Park also has Rugby, Foot and Disc Golf!
Potters Resort
Further along the coast at Hopton is Potters Resort which has a par 3 and mini golf for residents.
Mattishall Golf Club
Close to Dereham, home to the Mid Norfolk Railway which goes through lovely Norfolk countryside, is Mattishall Golf Club. Why not stay at Greenbanks or Park Farm Hotel
Diss Golf Club
By the River Waveney on the Norfolk-Suffolk border is heathland Diss Golf Club, close to the market town with its historic mere. Bressingham Steam Museum and Gardens is a good local attraction to visit.
Swaffham Golf Club
Swaffham Golf Club is built around woodland and heathland in the Brecks, a unique landscape that has Oxburgh Hall, Grimes Graves and Thetford Forest as some of its attractions. College Farm B&B is a great place to stay nearby.
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Norfolk facts… not a lot of people know these.
It’s said that for an ‘outcomer’ to be accepted in Norfolk, they must have lived here for 25 years. But you can accelerate that by gaining the Norfolk equivalent of the London Cabbie’s Knowledge – just learn all these Norfolk facts and you’ll be one of us within three swishes of a dickey’s tail. If you don’t know that a dickey is a donkey in Norfolk, then you’re not there yet…
1 The invention of bowler hats can be attributed to the Holkham Estate in north Norfolk. In 1849, Holkham gamekeepers kept having their top hats knocked off by low branches and damaged, so William Coke (pronounced Cook), a nephew of the first Earl of Leicester, commissioned his hatter James Lock to design a close-fitting, lowcrowned hat. Lock’s chief hatter got the job. His name? Thomas Bowler!
2 Famous British actor Michael Caine was evacuated to North Runcton near King’s Lynn during the Second World War with his mum and brother Stanley.
3 Norfolk people were the ‘north folk’ of East Anglia, that’ll be us, and Suffolk people were the ‘south folk’ of the Anglo Saxons, the Tractor Boys down the road.
4 The county was hit hard by the Black Death and subsequent episodes of plague – a third of the population of Norwich died in an outbreak in 1579. Norfolk is one of very few counties where the population is lower today than it was in the early 14th century.
5 The villages of Little Snoring and Great Snoring had a newsagent called Mr GotoBed (but no sleeping policemen to decelerate traffic).
Burgh Castle.
Holkham Hall bowler hats!
6 The original Nosey Parker was a Norwich man. Archbishop Matthew Parker was asked by Queen Elizabeth I to make sure there were no plots against her, a task he did by sticking his nose in to everybody else’s business.
7 The Industrial Revolution passed Norwich by, because of its lack of fast-running water. That’s why it retains so much original history and heritage and is the best-preserved medieval city in northern Europe.
8 The Thames used to run through Norfolk – it was fed by an extinct river called the Bytham from the Midlands, and that was even larger!
9 Thetford Forest was only established in 1922. Which makes it considerably younger than the New Forest in Hampshire – that was established as a Royal Forest by William the Conqueror in around 1079.
10 California near Great Yarmouth owes its name to the discovery of some sixteenth century gold coins on the beach in 1848, at a time when the California gold rush had captured the attention of the world.
11 When the Romans came to Norfolk in AD46, Great Yarmouth didn’t exist – it hadn’t yet been established by longshore drift. Now its beaches are a great place to go roamin’. Visit the remains of their flint fort at Burgh Castle.
12 At Grime’s Graves, you can visit the only Neolithic flint mine in the country that you can still descend! The Brecks were the flint capital of the country, and the remains of mines can be seen in the undulating nature of much of the landscape.
15 Norfolk could quite easily be an island. The River Waveney leaves land on the south east of Norfolk, below Great Yarmouth, and the River Little Ouse leads to the Ouse which flows into The Wash near King’s Lynn. Their sources are just a few miles apart behind Thetford! So, if we built a dyke for those few miles Norfolk would be an island. Then we could claim independence! Maybe issue passports. Our own coins. But, of course, we wouldn’t become a Republic… His Majesty King Charles III lives here, for goodness sake!
13 Blickling Hall Estate has its own pyramid, a 45-feet high mausoleum for the 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire, who died in 1793. The pyramid is made of 190,000 Portland stone blocks.
14 The earliest evidence of mankind found outside The Great Rift Valley in Africa, 850,000 year old footprints, were discovered in Norfolk at Happisburgh by archaeologists from the Natural History Museum. Which means Norfolk is the cradle of British civilisation and the first destination ever arrived at by overseas tourists!
16 Norfolk’s (and indeed East Anglia’s) highest point is Beacon Hill (also known as Roman Camp) near West Runton, between Sheringham and Cromer, 338 feet above sea level. And who said Norfolk’s flat? Oh yes, it was Noel Coward in Private Lives.
17 Harold Davidson, the Rector of Stiffkey, was known as the Prostitute’s Padre. Defrocked, he was killed by a lion in 1937.
18 David Bowie mentioned the Norfolk Broads in Life on Mars? ‘See the mice in their million hordes, from Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads.’ Well, he could have used Norwegian fjords, couldn’t he? And while there are many mice in the Broads, the area is better known for birdwatching.
Blickling Pyramid Mausoleum.
19 Norfolk is one of the very few counties that doesn’t contain any stretches of motorway but it does have over 6000 miles of roads. If you have difficulty navigating north Norfolk by the road signs it might be because they were all turned around during the second world war to confuse Nazi spies and haven’t been changed back. But that might just be apocryphal.
20 The prosperity of Norfolk meant that more than 1,000 medieval churches were built across the county, 659 of which still survive – the highest concentration in the world. Norfolk has 125 round tower churches – more than any other county in Britain.
21 The Broads has over 125 miles of lock-free navigable waterways To put that into perspective there are just 30 miles of canals in Venice and 60 miles in Amsterdam. There are 41 Broads in Norfolk, the largest being Hickling at 141 hectares.
Wroxham Broad, Hoveton Great Broad.
Happisburgh Beach.
Fake news! Here we bust a few Norfolk myths.
There are a lot of misperceptions about Norfolk, not least that the county is flat, far away and the weather isn’t great. Read on and we’ll debunk them all…
Norfolk is as flat as a deflated balloon
Au contraire, we say. The Norfolk countryside is nicely undulating, perfect for cycling and walking, and in north Norfolk we have the Cromer Ridge – the highest point in all of the East of England. That said, with no mountains to get in the way, you get to experience massive skies, perfect for mindfulness and a bit of blue sky thinking, and also exquisite sunsets.
Norfolk is a cultural backwater
No, we don’t all secretly want to live in London or Manchester. Why would we? Our county capital Norwich is a hotbed of creativity, galleries, theatres, museums and music. There are also festivals and events across the year, not least the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, the oldest single city arts festival in the UK.
And if we were a cultural backwater, answer this: which university has the highest percentage of students who remain in the local area after graduation? Why it’s only the University of East Anglia at Norwich. Youngsters come here and fall in love with Norwich and Norfolk, realising it’s the perfect place to live, work and play.
Skelding Hill, Sheringham.
Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
Alan Partridge is our local hero
No, he’s not. He’s a fictional character who’s a blinkin’ albatross around our necks and no more belongs to Norfolk than an Ipswich Town supporter. Frankly, we prefer turkeys, one of our top Norfolk foods, to Partridge.
The weather’s not great
Norfolk isn’t the sunniest county or the driest, but if you aggregate those measures we’re up there. In fact, Thetford Forest and the Brecks in Norfolk have the best overall climate in the country, owing to the fact that it’s in a bowl. Yes, it makes for cold nights (perfect for snuggling up) but it also makes for very warm days.
You’ll get stuck behind a caravan (or a tractor)
Well yes, it’s not impossible, but have you been to the West Country recently? We’re hardly on a par with that. Our advice? Why not try Norfolk in the Autumn or Winter when it’s less busy. The weather will probably still be great.
We’re not in the back of beyond
That would be Alice Springs. Or Timbuktu. And we’re not at the end of the world’s longest cul-desac. And we weren’t set in aspic in 1953. That said, the Industrial Revolution did pass us by (no fastrunning water) so we’re beautifully preserved. King’s Lynn has more Graded buildings than York and Norwich with its stunning Norman Cathedral and Castle is the bestpreserved medieval city in the country (but a happy combination of modern too). And if you explore the man-made Broads National Park, you’ll step back into a time when Norfolk was the richest county in the country and Norwich the most populous city after London.
We’re not all farmers
Nope, we’re not and we don’t all drive tractors either. Nonetheless we have a lot of beautiful countryside that’s managed by farmers, so we have a lot to thank them for.
In April and May, look out for beautiful fields of yellow rape and mustard, and wheat later in the Summer. Oh, and not to forget barley – we have the best malting barley in the country because it enjoys salty sea frets and is grown at height. See, not flat at all!
Norfolk is difficult to get to
Since the A11 was fully dualled on the Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border over a decade ago, visitors haven’t got stuck at Elveden. Which means there’s pretty much at least dual carriageway or three lanes from most parts of the country into the heart of Norfolk. Norfolk is actually the largest county without a motorway, but we do have 6000 miles of A and B roads to explore. Slow down, you’re on holiday!
We speak funny
It’s true that if you get into some of the quietest corners of Norfolk you might happily experience the Norfolk dialect but trust us, it’s perfectly understandable and it sounds nothing like someone from the West Country. We don’t say, ‘Alroit my luvver’ like they do in Wiveliscombe. But we might say, ‘Oim gonna roide my boike downa Carra Rud’. Talking of which, we’re so laid back, we don’t even mind being relegated from the Premier League… gives someone else a chance. It’s just the kind of people we are.
We’ve all been invited to tea with the royals
As if! They’re very busy people you know, although it’s true we’re very proud to be a Royal county with the family having their personal country home at the Sandringham estate, where the Prince and Princess of Wales also have a house.
Norfolk’s dull
Possibly, if you’ve got no imagination. Norfolk has 90 miles of coast to explore, brilliant beaches, stunning countryside, fabulous visitor attractions, superb cultural activities, festivals and events, seaside resorts at Great Yarmouth, Cromer and Hunstanton. We could go on, but we’d rather you came and experienced Norfolk for yourselves…
