Things to do in North Norfolk in September

In light of the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, please check ahead with event organisers to confirm the events are going ahead as planned. Venues may also close on the day of The Queen's funeral.

September is a lovely time to visit north Norfolk. The weather is still good, the sea is warm, the countryside is looking beautiful, there’s lots of wildlife to spot, everything is still open and it's much less crowded. It’s the ideal time for a short break or weekend away. Here’s a list of our favourite things to do in September 2022 in north Norfolk.

Heritage Open Days. The annual Heritage Open Days running from 9 to 18 September 2021, is England's largest festival of history and culture. The event offers you a chance to see inside sights of historic and cultural interest, some that are rarely accessible to members of the public. There are lots of great things to see and do across Norfolk, but here in north Norfolk you can see inside some restored pillboxes in Sheringham Park, hear about Benedictine monks and their culinary inventions at St Bent's Abbey, the mechanically minded can get a look inside Cromer's Signal Box or West Raynham's Control Tower, whilst the spiritually minded can see St Seraphim's or the methodist chapel in Walsingham.  The Museum of the Broads at Stalham will host a Wherry on Sunday 18t September for your viewing pleasure and Cromer Museum, Felbrigg Estate and Pensthorpe Natural Park are also hosting events. See Heritage Open Days website for further details.

The North Norfolk Railway 1940s Weekend is taking place on 18 and 19 September 2022. On the railway itself will be an intensive steam timetable and hop on/hop off tickets will be available.  At each station will be re-enactments, live music, refreshments and vintage vehicles. Sheringham will be joining in with the fun, with a parade on both Saturday and Sunday evenings including dances and singalongs, fancy dress and re-enactments. Find out more here.

Star gazing. The third Dark Skies Festival is taking place between Tuesday 20 September 2022 from 12:00pm to Tuesday 27 September 2022 12:00pm. This is the largest star party in the UK, where hundreds of amateur astronomers meet up for a week of dark sky observing at Kelling Heath on the north Norfolk coast. All three fields are devoted exclusively to astronomers, with a strict 'no lights' policy enforced for the whole week. Find out more here.

The National Gallery comes to Cromer. Cromer Artspace has bought 30 lifesize replicas of major works of art from The National Gallery Collection to locations around Cromer.  The collection  include Sunflowers, The Fighting Temeraire, Water Lilies, Setting Sun and works by Botticelli, Constable, Rembrandt and many many more.  Why not start the trail at the North Norfolk Visitor Centre where Cosimo Tura's 15th Century painting of A Muse is on display and pick up the guide to the complete collection. The collection will be on display from 2 September 2022 to 30 April 2023. Find out more here.

Get crafty. The Norfolk Open Studios event takes place between 24 September to 9 October 2022. The free event will see more than 290 artists taking part throughout the county and in north Norfolk, 61 artists will be sharing and selling their work. Artists will be at work in their studios, garages, spare rooms, garden rooms, community spaces and schools sharing how they work. Artists at all stages of their careers will be taking part, from school and college students through to emerging artists and established and professional creators and makers. Visitors will find painters, sculptors, weavers, ceramicists, furniture makers, wood workers, jewellery makers, pyrographers, textile artists and lots more throughout the varied landscapes of Norfolk. Find out more here.

Festival fun. Head to the Deepdale Festival, 22 to 25 September 2022, for a weekend of fantastic food, great live music, spoken word, drum jams and street entertainment, all in a chilled atmosphere. 

** Event Cancelled**. Folk is heading to Overstrand. The team behind the ever popular Folk On The Pier concerts are hosting Folk On The Strand in the Belfry Centre from 16-18 September 2022. The lineup is: Friday 7.30pm - Sally Barker plus The Browns, Saturday 2pm - FleetwoodCave plus Anto Morra, Saturday 7.30pm - Gerry Colvin plus Kevan Taplin, Sunday 2pm - The Shackleton Trio plus Rattlebox, Sunday 7.30pm - Richard Digance plus Joe & Mary. Find out more here.

** Event Cancelled** Greenbuild, North Norfolk's free annual environmental festival returns with a new location.  This year it will be in and around Fakenham town centre on Saturday 10 September from 10am to 4pm. Learn energy saving tips and about sustainable fashion, hear from author and conservationist Patrick Barkham among other speakers.  Or book your free place for an online talk by Chris Packham on Monday 5 September 2022. Find out more here.

Mannington Hall hosts it's annual charity day on Sunday 4 September, There will be a Teddy Bears' Picnic, craft and charity stalls and fashions of yesteryear inside the Hall itself.  Morris dancers and and classic cars will be on display, entertainment n the form of music, games and a hawk and owl display make this a great day out for all the family. Find out more here.

Marvellous museums. North Norfolk is home to many marvellous museums, providing a chance to explore the area’s past and get hands on with history. Head to Cromer Museum and step inside a cosy Victorian fisherman's cottage and imagine what it was like to live in Cromer at the end of the 19th Century; or explore the country's only original Cold War Operations Room at RAF Air Defence Radar Museum Neatishead. Housed entirely in RAF buildings, including the hardened Grade 2 listed 1942 radar operations building, the museum provides a unique window into the history of radar covering the period of WW2 to the Cold War. There are 24 exhibition rooms and over 10,000 display items. A great day out whatever the weather. (Check ahead for opening details and times before you visit). Find out more here.

Delve into the Deep History Coast. With the coastline less crowded, September is a great time to discover the unique Deep History Coast in north Norfolk. This stretch of coast is home to discoveries of some of the world's most significant natural assets. Try fossil hunting, take a walk along the Discovery Trail and see the past come to life through an app! Find out more about this fascinating coastline steeped in millions of years worth of history.

A home away from home. North Norfolk is home to many stately homes, dotted around the countryside. Head to National Trust properties, Blickling and Felbrigg as well as Houghton Hall & Gardens with its gorgeous grounds. Visit Palladian Holkham with a superb estate just a stone’s throw from Holkham beach, and take a look round the Royal Family’s Sandringham. Many of the stately homes have exhibitions such as Field to Fork at Holkham Hall or the Soldier Museum at Houghton Hall, the largest private collection of model soldiers in the world. Find out more here. 

A Taste of North Norfolk.  The North Norfolk Food & Drink Festival is taking place on 3 and 4 September 2022 at Holkham Hall. Featuring an ever-growing team of local food and drink producers who grow, rear, produce, supply and sell food in North Norfolk, the festival takes place in the spectacular setting of the Walled Garden at Holkham Hall. Stall holders will be offering their products for sale including fresh meat and game, vegetables, cakes, artisan beer, bread, tarts, juices, cakes and bakes, chocolates and much more. A dazzling array of concessions offer delicious food for eating on site and entertainment ranges from the ever popular cookery theatre to children’s activities and face painting. Find out more here.

Go boating on the Broads. The Broads National Park is home to more than quarter of the rarest wildlife in the UK as well as 125-miles of tranquil, lock-free waterways. Hire a boat during September and take advantage of the less crowded mooring spots; hire a day boat or for a long-weekend or for a week on the water, rent out a cruiser for a few days.

Wonderful wildlife. September is an ideal time of year to see migrating birds starting to arrive to the area. You may be lucky enough to see arctic skuas, Leach’s storm-petrels and long-tailed skuas. Listen out in woodlands for rutting red deer stags and keep an eye out for otters on the Broads. For underwater wildlife, head to West Runton and see what you can find in the rockpools. You could see velvet swimming-crabs, long-spined sea-scorpions and beadlet anemones. Find out more.

Amazing attractions. If you’re planning to come with little ones, north Norfolk’s attractions are still open. Choose from getting close to nature attractions such as Pensthorpe Natural Park, Amazona Zoo, Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens and Fairhaven Woodland & Water Garden. Swing through the treetops at Bewilderwood, have fun at Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure and have under-water capers at Sealife Hunstanton. 

Sail with the seals. A boat trip at Blakeney Point, will take you out to the largest colony of Common and Grey seals in England. Sail among the seals who bob up to see you. Find out more here.

Beautiful beaches. Explore over 45 miles of unspoilt coastline along the north Norfolk coast and discover award-winning and Blue Flag beaches. Walk along the Deep History Coast where historical discoveries such as the mammoth skeleton, have been made dating back hundreds of thousands of years. Most of the coast is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, meaning it has natural features of exceptional beauty. There are less crowds and if you go early in the morning, you may well have the beach to yourself. Find out more about beaches here.

Stride out. The walking and cycling trails in north Norfolk take in the most stunning coastal and countryside views. There are plenty of trails to suit all abilities from the 63-mile Norfolk Coast Path between Hunstanton and Sea Palling, to short circular trails ideal for an afternoon stroll. Autumn is a wonderful time to take to the trails where you can enjoy nature and wildlife the season brings.