In Explore

With its 45 miles of coastline, stunning countryside and tranquil gardens, there are plenty of places to be explored in north Norfolk. Many are hidden gems so you can avoid the crowds while finding something new to see and do. Escape the everyday by planning a visit to discover your new north Norfolk!

Gooderstone Water Gardens, West Norfolk near to Swaffham.
Stroll around six acres of enchanting gardens and come across a natural trout stream, ponds, waterways, bridges, mature trees and shrubs, colourful borders, a nature trail, kingfisher hide and grass paths. To help you find your way round, the bridges are numbered and when you have walked enough, rest on one of the many benches provided and take in the tranquillity.

Gooderstone Waterfall
Hindringham Hall and Gardens, between Holt and Little Walsingham.
Hindringham Hall really is a hidden gem with its pretty little moated manor house and medieval moat and fishponds. The moat dates from 1150 and is one of only a handful of complete moats in Norfolk. Visitors can enjoy seeing the working walled vegetable garden, formal and informal borders wrapped around a brick and flint Tudor Hall. It looks like its straight out of a story book! In fact, Hindringham Hall was shortlisted for the Historic Houses Garden of the Year 2020.

The gardens are open on Wednesdays 10-1 and Sundays 2-5 from 1 April to until end of October (restrictions permitting).

Hindringham Hall
Broads National Park.
Hire a boat or cruiser or take a boat trip around the man-made Broads which winds its way through the stunning Norfolk countryside; it is home to over quarter of the rarest plants and animals in the UK. There are over 125 miles of lock-free waterways with pretty towns and villages along the way so you can find your own quiet spot and watch the world go by.

Broads National Park
Holkham Estate Ropes Course.
The newest adventure at Holkham Estate! Take to the trees with the new ropes course, run by the team from Norfolk Adventure. Get your harness on and begin your trail of discovery through the treetops, finishing with a descent down two zip lines. You’ll be looking down over the woodland and seeing Holkham from a completely new perspective, whilst tackling wobbly crossings, swinging bridges and zip wires!

Holkham Ropes Course
Cromer Pier and Surfing.
Fancy taking to the waves right next to the iconic Cromer Pier? Well head to Glide Surf School on the East promenade where you can enjoy daily surf & SUP (stand up paddle-board) lessons or if you’re used to the waves, you can hire equipment and do your own thing. And afterwards, take a stroll under the Pier then pop up again to enjoy a bite to eat as the sun goes down.

Cromer beach
Cockthorpe Circular Walk.
North Norfolk is well known for its stunning walking trails but if you want to get off well-trodden tracks, try Cockthorpe circular walk. Starting from the National Trust’s marshes at Morston, this 5.5 mile (8km) walk weaves its way away from the coast along the Norfolk Coast Path National Trail, through woodland adjacent to a babbling river to the village of Cockthorpe. Standing on a ridge of high land, Cockthorpe offers stunning views all around.

Cockthorpe Walk
Cycling at Kelling Heath.
Take to your bike or hire a bike at Huff & Puff Cycles at Kelling Heath Holiday Park and you can enjoy picturesque cycle routes, all starting and finishing at Kelling Heath. There are rides for all abilities through leafy tracks, colourful heathland and woodland trails and alongside stunning coastal views. You can visit many points of interest including Baconsthorpe Castle ruins and Letheringsett Mill, or try the unique 'Huff and Puff Trail', which includes a steam train journey on North Norfolk Railway. Or explore the other many trails and find a route just right for you. 

Kelling Heath
Upper Sheringham and Sheringham Park.
Upper Sheringham village lies on higher ground and is about a mile away from the town of Sheringham. It is home to All Saint’s parish church which is famous for its 15th-century bench ends including a mermaid; legend has it that the mermaid sought refuge in the church from a storm at sea.

Nearby National Trust Sheringham Park is a fine example of Humphry Repton's garden designs offering fabulous scenic countryside paths, and amazing views from the gazebo towers. There are colourful displays of rhododendrons and azaleas in late spring, but all year round you can see mature woodlands, with rare trees and shrubs. 

Sheringham Park
Happisburgh.
The historic village of Happisburgh, on the Deep History Coast, has a secluded sandy beach; from here you can walk as far as Sea Palling taking in wonderful views along the way. Happisburgh has a a deep history where discoveries have included evidence of humans being present in Britain at least 150,000 years earlier than had previously been thought. Flint tools found here and early fossilized human footprints dating back at least 850,000 years signified the oldest evidence of humans in Northern Europe and the oldest human footprints outside of Africa!

The constantly changing coastline, 18th century lighthouse and 15th century church makes Happisburgh a fascinating place to explore.

Milky Way behind Happisburgh Lighthouse
Overstrand.
The beach at Overstrand, on the Norfolk Coast Path, is a quieter beach just along the coast from Cromer, offering a more peaceful and less crowded day out. You can access the beach via a long slope and if you look east, you can see Cromer Pier in the distance, and west you can see the beach and cliff tops stretched out, towards Trimingham. Check tide times before going because when the tide is in, you are only left with the promenade.

Make sure you stop off at the Discovery Point on the Deep History Coast Discovery Trail, where you can find out more about the area’s past as well as use the free mobile app to bring the past back to life! 

Overstrand beach

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