Autumn Walks in North Norfolk
Discover dazzling autumn colours with
the National Trust’s top walking trails in Norfolk
Image©National Trust
“This autumn there’s a beautiful display of seasonal colours waiting to be discovered across breath-taking landscapes looked after by the National Trust in Norfolk.
Autumn is full of opportunities for adventures and is one of the most stunning seasons of the year for exploring, with hundreds of walking trails to choose from. The conservation charity is inviting walkers to escape into autumn and enjoy days out together. Whether you’re looking for a colourful woodland walk or a bracing coastal hike, there are plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and connect with nature.
Witness nature’s colour palette in its full glory – from beautiful browns and fiery reds, to vibrant oranges and golden yellows. As well as trees putting on their annual display of autumn colours, walkers can enjoy pathways bathed in golden sunlight, strolls along fruit-laden hedgerows, misty morning walks, afternoons spotting weird and wonderful fungi, and watching for wildlife in beautiful landscapes.
To celebrate the season and inspire days out together, the National Trust has picked out the top places and pathways for the best autumnal walks in Norfolk.
Blickling Estate
Blickling’s breathtaking Jacobean mansion and ancient yew hedges sit at the heart of a magnificent garden and historic park in the beautiful Bure meadows. The dazzling displays of autumn colour are abundant throughout the gardens and estate from the oak, beech, lime and sweet chestnut trees. Enjoy the 3 km Lake Walk to see their colours reflected in the calm waters, or head out on the accessible multi-use trail through the parkland and into the Great Wood in search of weird and wonderful fungi, taking a detour to see the impressive pyramid shaped Mausoleum on your way. Pick up a trail sheet from visitor welcome and follow the route to discover some of the magical properties of trees in the parkland.
Head into the House to see the newly restored Corbridge map, the only known historical plan of the estate dating to 1729, on display in the Lower Ante. As you walk through the rooms, discover the legend of Sir Henry Hobart and Blickling’s Black Shuck.
At the end of your adventures, head to the Stables Café for a belly-warming soup made with produce harvested from the walled garden. Wheelchairs, Mountain trike push all-terrain wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available. See website for bike hire opening times. Dogs welcome in the parkland and Muddy Boots Café.
Learn more about the Autumn Magic and Folklore event at Blickling: Autumn Magic and Folklore | National Trust
Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate
Surround yourself with the colours of autumn on Felbrigg Estate and explore 520-acres via waymarked trails, buggy-friendly paths or lesser trodden routes.
Wander up the Victory V avenues, where the branches of towering beech trees create a tunnel of colour overhead. These majestic and peaceful avenues are a living monument to both the Allied victory and the last squire’s brother, who died in the Second World War.
Stretch your legs on the 2.6-mile church and ice house circular route, meandering through Felbrigg’s Great Wood and parkland, where you’re likely to find fantastic fungi specimens of all shapes and sizes, as well as a hidden lake. Free to visit from dawn to dusk, the estate’s diverse habitats provide animal spotters the chance to catch a glimpse of owls, stoats, deer and hares.
An all-terrain Tramper and powered mobility vehicles are available to book, for use through the woods and Walled Garden, which still contains swathes of later flowering tender perennials, stunning architectural plants and a new pumpkin arbour, arching over a path and dripping with vibrant ‘Turk’s Turban’ squashes.
Dogs are welcome across the estate, in the Squire’s Pantry tea-room and shop and can get a stamp in their Pooch Passport towards a special treat from National Trust partners, Forthglade.
Plan your autumn visit at Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate | Norfolk | National Trust
Horsey Windpump
Horsey Windpump is an ideal location from which to explore this varied corner of the Broads, bringing together waterways, low-lying grazing marshes, heritage buildings, and the beach at Horsey Gap. Pick up a trail map from the National Trust visitor welcome and choose from three circular walks, ranging from 3 to 4.5 miles.
Two of these routes take in the nearby dunes and beach. Alternatively, you can follow the tranquil loop that takes in Horsey Village and the Horsey Estate. Enjoy the autumn light bouncing off Horsey Mere and take in sites of historical interest including Horsey Staithe Stores, Brograve Mill, and the Saxon All Saints church with its thatched roof and round tower. As you loop around Horsey village, keep an eye out for grazing deer in the fields and cranes overhead.
After your walk, treat yourself to some well-earned refreshments from the café and make your way up to the top of the Windpump for spectacular views of the surrounding area. Balcony open Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays (weather-permitting).
Plan your autumn visit at Horsey Windpump │ Norfolk | National Trust
Morston Quay
Experience the expectant air of autumnal change sweeping over the shingle beaches, sand dunes, and salt marshes of the north Norfolk coast. This is the time of year when grey seals begin to gather on Blakeney Point, in readiness for seal pupping season. At the same time, the wide-open autumn skies are filled with the sights and sounds of flocks of pink footed geese and other migrating birds.
Morston Quay, on the Norfolk Coast Path, is an ideal base for exploring local walking routes – trail maps are available from the black Lookout Building, which is also where you can the café for your pre- or post-walk refreshments. From Morston you can follow the coastal path or head inland for a circular walk, taking in the salt marshes and picturesque villages of Morston, Stiffkey, and Cley.
Plan your autumn visit at Morston Quay | Norfolk | National Trust
Oxburgh Estate
The ancient trees across the estate at Oxburgh provide a spectacular display of autumn colour. The beech trees in The Wilderness are especially beautiful, turning a gorgeous shade of coppery orange just before they fall and offering a spectacular backdrop in the mist of early autumn mornings and evenings and in the low, golden afternoon sun.
As the fruits of the orchard ripen the deep, dark red of the Harry Baker crab apple trees, and yellow quince mingle with the reds, green and golden hues of our East Anglia heritage apples to put on a magnificent show. It’s the perfect spot for a moment of quiet contemplation and the perfect introduction to the many walks around the woods and streams across the parkland.
Plan your autumn visit at Oxburgh Estate | Norfolk | National Trust
Sheringham Park
Embrace the season as you wander freely through Sheringham Park or follow a trail celebrating Humphry Repton’s landscaped parkland, designed in the early 19th-century. Don’t forget to look up and discover the boughs of ancient and remarkable specimen trees, such as the golden larch and smooth Japanese maple. Climb the Gazebo tower and be rewarded with stunning views out to sea.
Closer to the ground, scattered through the leaf litter are weird and wonderful fungi growing in abundance – the unsung heroes of autumn. There are around 100 species of fungi to spot at Sheringham Park, including nationally rare lilac mushrooms and golden bootlegs. Veteran beech and oak trees will often react to drops in temperature to provide a golden display in the Wild Garden.
Families can pick up an autumn activity booklet from the welcome team and spot signs of the season before warming up with hot drinks from the Courtyard Café. Powered mobility vehicles and an all-terrain Tramper are available to hire. Dogs are welcome in the woodland, parkland, clifftop areas café.
Plan your autumn visit at Sheringham Park | Norfolk | National Trust “
The above is a press release from the National Trust.