Every Summer since I can remember, we have packed up the car with our buckets, spades and crabbing nets and headed to North Norfolk to spend a day with the sand between our toes. Over the years we have got to know the area for more than just its beaches and grown to love it a little more every time. Here are my 5 reasons to visit North Norfolk this Summer.
#1 Miles & Miles of Beaches
North Norfolk is full of broad, sandy beaches, huge skies and sweeping dunes begging to be explored. From the world famous Holkham Bay often used for TV & film locations, and the quiet and simple 2 mile stretch of shingle covered beach at Cley, to the photographers dream that is Wells-Next-The-Sea with it’s sand dunes and colourful Beach Huts. With a huge array of choice in-between, there is a beach for everyone in Norfolk just waiting to be discovered.
#2 Windmills
Norfolk is home to many windmills and watermills and they really do make an impressive sight. You can even eat and stay in some, such as the beautiful Cley windmill B&B and restaurant. What a perfect romantic getaway! The Norfolk broads are infamous for their windmills, catching the eye of anyone enjoying a boating holiday. They make a superb backdrop to any adventure.
#3 Steam Trains
Described by the Daily Telegraph as one of the UK’s great five heritage railways; The Poppy Line is one of the Steam Trains in Norfolk to choose from and offers a spectacularly scenic ride from Sheringham along the coast to Weybourne and through the heathland to Holt.
In addition to the bigger steam trains, there are also quaint, smaller ones, such as The Wells & Walsingham Light Railway. A 4-mile stretch of track takes you through the Norfolk countryside, clanking over and under bridges, admiring the wildlife as you go. We recently stayed on a fantastic campsite ‘The Midden’ that had its own personal stop for this train, which was a wonderful surprise and the children loved waving to it & receiving a toot as it went past every day.
#4 BeWILDerwood
For anyone who hasn’t visited this amazing adventure park, I can’t recommend it enough. I fell in love with it from the moment we arrived. A unique woodland adventure park, BeWILDerwood is based on the children’s books of local author Tom Blofeld. Set in 50 acres of whimsical woodland, the stories are brought to life with tree top playgrounds based on the homes from the books, story telling sessions and boat rides through the beautiful countryside. There is so much to see at BeWILDerwood you can easily spend an entire day here and have missed something. It is a fantastic day out for every age group – you will all leave with a smile on your face.
#5 Norfolk Broads
A National Park with over 125 miles of navigable lock-free waterways set in beautiful countryside; Norfolk is possibly most famous for the man-made broads. You can hire day boats from companies like this one or have a holiday aboard a bigger boat such as these. either way the children will love cruising around the waterways taking in all the sights. The atmosphere is like nowhere else I have been, it’s so tranquil and you feel like you could be a million miles away from anywhere at certain points. If boating isn’t your thing, you can also hire holiday homes on the waterfront.
If you had to choose a reason to visit North Norfolk, what would yours be? ♥