North Norfolk towns and villages
Looking west from the top of Happy Valley – Image by George Baker 1960 © Norfolk Museum Service. The image is not of the best quality but it shows Cromer’s Happy Valley as it was in the 1960s. Notice how open it is with the shelter at the bottom – now demolished. Growing up in Cromer long before computer games and smartphones became the primary source of entertainment for young people, I spent most of my free time outside in…
Flood tide at Morston Quay North Norfolk I visited North Norfolk’s Morston Quay recently and found that the National Trust (NT) had affixed an explanatory display board to the side of the lookout building detailing the Trust’s controversial plan to build a new visitor centre on the eastern edge of what is now the car parking area. The NT’s plans have prompted strong opposition from Morston residents and the sailing fraternity, who feel that the ancient harbour should not…
Cromer Beach North Norfolk’s beaches have performed well in a new comparison of water cleanliness for summer swimming. UK travel site Holiday Park Guru analysed Environment Agency summer water quality data from hundreds of beaches. There are seven water testing areas in North Norfolk, and all are ranked as either ‘excellent’ (three stars) or ‘good’ (two stars). The three-star resorts are Sheringham, Cromer, West Runton, and East Runton, while the two-star resorts are Wells-next-the-Sea, Mundesley, and Sea Palling. Overall, though, Norfolk…
Working with North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), Leeds Building Society has decided to restrict granting mortgages to those wishing to buy properties in North Norfolk to be used as holiday lets. The scheme will run for a 12-month trial period. The society states that it is seeking to balance local housing needs with the economic benefits tourism can bring. Will this move help local people buy or rent a home in North Norfolk? I am sceptical, but it is…
The North Norfolk port town of Wells-next-the-Sea has been named as being one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times. In its supplement on the 28th of March the newspaper described the location of Wells-next-the-Sea in North Norfolk: “This bewitching stretch of coast has charms of its own – golden sands, creeks and marshes bathed in ethereal light, endless horizons and wondrous wildlife.” Wells Maltings arts centre also came in for praise as did…
Sailing Craft on the River Thurne The year 2020 was when Mother Nature gave humanity a resounding kick up the backside. The coronavirus has reminded us that even though we are the head of the food chain on the planet, she will always have the upper hand. Fortunately, the UK government’s lockdown rules to control the virus’s spread did allow us to leave our North Norfolk homes to take exercise. That got me thinking about how I could do something…
I have written about the Norfolk Coastal Path on the site but I recently found these two excellent videos and thought I would share them with you. Unfortunately, I cannot credit the maker because I can’t identify him other than he is Simon – A bloke in the Woods. Anyway, thank you Simon for the information. I am sure it will inspire visitors to Norfolk to walk part if not all of the coast path. If you are a keen…
Memories of growing up on the North Norfolk Coast at Cromer.
Overstrand on the North Norfolk coast is an ideal location for quieter family holidays. The beach is sandy and is never overcrowded. Local amenities include an excellent village stores, a public house, a cafe, a sports club with a bar open to the public, a shop where locally caught crabs and lobsters can be purchased, a holiday park and a hotel.
Stiffkey in North Norfolk is a pretty village with houses lining each side of the main coast road, the A149. Unremarkable now, the village was nationally in the public eye in 1932 when the rector of the parish, Harold Davidson, was accused of immorality by a Consistory Court convened in Norwich. The charge related to Davidson’s work as a counsellor and carer for London’s prostitutes. This caused a great scandal and the court’s decision was that Davidson should be defrocked. Many thought the decision wrong and his friends and followers supported him to the end of his life. He is buried in Stiffkey churchyard. Approximately 3000 people attended the funeral.