Photo Essay: North Norfolk Rambles

ROADS LESS TRAVELED FROM GREAT YARMOUTH TO THE WASH

Only a small percentage of American travelers make their way to East Anglia, and most of those head for the wonderful medieval cathedral city of Norwich. Less than 25 miles north of Norfolk’s county town, though, lies the North Sea and the beachfront town of Cromer. East to Great Yarmouth stretches the network of 300 miles of navigable rivers known as the Norfolk Broads. West along the coast on the A149, unspoiled villages punctuate some of the most beautiful sea vistas in England.
Let’s take a ramble through this largely unfamiliar landscape of painters’ sky and pristine waterways.

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The tidal flats near Holkham Bay seem to stretch for infinity. Strolling the sands at low tide is a popular local exercise; more serious hikers are following the North Coast Path.[/caption]

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2015 Pier of the Year, Cromer Pier is a hangout for fishermen and crabbing for Cromer crab. Catch the end-of-pier show at the Pavilion Theatre[/caption]

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At Potter Heigham, the medieval stone bridge over the River Thurne keeps larger boats
from accessing the upper river reaches and Hickling Broad. [/caption]

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At the Herbert Woods boatyard, you can rent a picnic boat for the day and pass the bridge north, or a Broads Cruiser sleeping 10 for a week on the water and head south toward Great Yarmouth at 4-6 m.p.h., while grebes, coots and ducks follow in your gentle wake.[/caption]

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Great Yarmouth boasts a working harbor servicing fishing vessels and North Sea oil tenders, and is also Norfolk’s popular kiss-me-quick seaside playground.[/caption]

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Folks have been holidaying at Great Yarmouth’s broad beach since the 1800s. Charles Dickens wrote a part of David Copperfield while staying at a waterfront hotel, and set part of his story on the strand. Traditional donkey rides on the beach date back to Victorian times as well. [/caption]

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The American-themed diner near Britannia Pier dates from a little later than Victorian times.[/caption]

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A horse-drawn carriage ride along Great Yarmouth’s three-mile seafront makes a wonderful way to see all the sights without taking a six-mile walk.[/caption]

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A few miles southwest of Great Yarmouth’s harbor where the Broads river network meets, I crossed the River Yare from the south at Reedham Ferry. The only remaing chain-drawn ferry in East Anglia, and one of only two in England, it pulls one or two cars at a time across the river—and occasional bikers and foot passengers as well.[/caption]

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On the north bank of the Yare, moor up your Broads Cruiser at Reedham Ferry Inn for lunch or overnight, typical of Broadlands pubs in villages and hamlets throughout the river system. The hospitable Inn provides showers for boaters, good pub fare and local ales—as well as local color. [/caption]

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Along the A149 coast road west of Cromer, the sea dominates life, and diet. At Sheringham, these chippies each stand on a different corner of a street crossing near the waterfront.[/caption]

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Not far from Sandringham, Norfolk Lavender grows 100 acres for its essential oil.[/caption]

Additional Photo Gallery:

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