North Norfolk Attractions Summer 2019 Events
This summer there’s plenty of attractions in north Norfolk to keep the whole family entertained, whatever the weather! See our round up below of what’s on at attractions over the summer holidays. There's so much to choose from including a dinosaur birthday party, join a wild tribe, go on a train ride, get creative with artisans, watch live shows, have adventures underwater, on the water and in the air and get closer to nature. Don’t forget to check out the discount vouchers so you can have lots of fun for less.
Close to Nature Attractions
Amazona Zoo, Cromer. The zoo is home to more than 200 animals from tropical South America, including jaguars, monkeys, peccaries, otters, owls, macaws, parrots, capuchins, spiders, snakes, flamingos, rheas, guinea pigs, iguanas, caimans, pumas and tapirs. There’s a fantastic outdoor play area, Rainforest Springs and a large, well-equipped indoor play area, Jungle Tumbles, plus a café. A family ticket (2 plus 2) is £35 plus single-entry tickets and concessions are available. Open from 10am.
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens. Explore this wonderful park across a network of walkways, offering magnificent views through the treetops and over animal enclosures. Watch the team of keepers feed the animals and hear their informative talks. Otters, monkeys and leopards will be fed at 2.15pm and tigers at 3pm (times can be subject to change). There is a large play area with a 3D Adventure Maze, climbing frames and an undercover toddler soft play area. Swing through the air at the Tree Ropes play area and there is another maze situated on the front lawn. New for 2019 is a new toddler play area on the front lawn.
SEA LIFE Hunstanton. Something exciting has arrived at Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary - all the way from the world’s Tropical Rainforests. Join the friendly Rainforest Rangers who will show you some of their jungle beasties and let you hold a snake, lizard or a giant creepy crawly from the deepest depths of the jungle. Explore the creature zones where the Ocean Tank holds 187,500 litres of natural seawater and is home to over 30 amazing different species of fish including a Green Sea Turtle. Then head outside to the seal enclosure and enjoy a spectacular underwater view offering a closer look and see them at feeding time. The newly enlarged penguin enclosure is home to Humboldt penguins and Inca Terns (birds with magnificent moustaches!).
Pensthorpe Natural Park. If you’re wild about nature, then Pensthorpe Natural Park has the ultimate adventure awaiting families from 25 July to 3 September 2019. Nature’s WILD Tribe gives youngsters the chance to find out more about the natural world of hunting, tracking and following nature around the reserve. Go on a barefoot trail, play hopscotch, build a den, see what is hiding in the maze, try your luck at giant pick-up sticks, play bird songs on wooden chimes and spot bugs. Learn about the importance of pollination, how many spines a hedgehog has, how fast a hare can run, what rarities swim in the River Wensum and much more. New for 2019 is the new mud kitchen in WildRootz, where making a mess is a must!
Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden, South Walsham. During the summer on Thursdays and some Sundays, there’s wildlife canoe trails at Fairhaven. Uncover the secret of these hidden waterways and get up close and personal to the local wildlife with guided explorations of the Broad and backwaters. The tours are for small groups and no experience is necessary. Every Wednesday there’s the chance of a gentle summer evening paddle along Broadland waterways, stopping for a picnic in the reeds, with Picnic and Paddle, £24.50 adult, £14 for children age 5-16. And on 21 July there’s music at Fairhaven with The Classic Dixieland Trio and on 28 July, The Seldom Scene.
Wroxham Barns. There’s family fun, shopping, eating and crafts, with free parking, no entry fee and pay-as-you-go activities. The fantastic funpark is open daily with rides, slides and activities. Junior Farm has new nature-themed daily activities. Buy Super Saving Combo Tickets on the Wroxham Barns website for Junior Farm (valid all day) and unlimited funpark rides, mini golf, train rides PLUS 10% off food and drink purchases in the Farmyard Café. Made By You studio is running activities to create something unique to take home including decopatch, sand art and pottery painting.
Family Adventure
Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure. Join in the birthday games, entertainment, disco dancing and birthday cake at Dippy’s birthday party, which runs between 29 July to 4 August 2019, open daily from 9.30am. Entry to the park is free for children under 90cm, over 90cm £14.95. New for 2019 is a free shuttle bus, running two return journeys, seven days a week from 29 July – 1 September from Norwich city centre to Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure in Lenwade.
Hilltop Adventure. Leap into the summer holidays with Family Adventure Days at Hilltop Outdoor for some action-packed fun. Running throughout the summer holidays, you can try out the Big Zipper, Super Swing, climbing wall, archery, tree top trail and Air Jump. And the parents get to join in too (if they dare!). Join the fun from 29 July to 28 August.
Broads Tours. Join award-winning Broads Tours in Wroxham for a river trip in the Broads National Park. For fun on the water, try 'Reach For The Stars’ and Boogie on the Broads this summer aboard the Vintage Broadsman. The disco experience runs Wednesday and Friday evenings and there’s a bar on board to toast the summer. The ever-popular Norfolk Jazz Quintet, formerly the Norfolk Dixieland Jazz Band, return to Broads Tours for their evening jazz cruises on the Vintage Broadsman, every Tuesday in July and August.
Shopping, Artisans & Studios
Dalegate Market. There are many and varied events over the summer including open-air theatre, glass classes and pop-up shops. The Pantaloons perform their theatre adaptation of Jane Austin’s book, Sense and Sensibility on 3 August, including their own inimitable brand of buffoonery. Get crafty with glass classes for children and adults. Children’s glass classes £25, taster classes £40, full fused class £120. The pop-up shops change every week in the beach huts behind Deepdale Café.
Alby Crafts & Gardens, Epringham. Summer craft fairs are held on the last Sundays of the summer months; 30 June, 28 July, 25 August and 29 September, when Alby’s regulars are joined by more local artists and makers setting up craft stalls for the day. The June, July and September fairs are above the tearoom and accessible only by stairs. The August event will be held in the gardens. The tearoom is open every day until 4pm. If you’re feeling creative, the resident artisans offer one-to-one and group sessions, sharing their knowledge and skills in woodturning, ceramics, fine art sculpture, sewing, bee keeping and flower essences. You will need to contact the appropriate business to book.
Langham Glass. Langham Glass in Fakenham has a visitor centre open all year round, and in the glasshouse you can see a team of glassmakers using age old techniques to create Langham Glass’s well known and collectable finest handmade crystal. During your visit you can browse around the shop and take a break in the restaurant serving homemade cakes. There are glass marking demonstrations on Mondays – Fridays up to 27 October.
History & Exhibitions
Holkham Hall. This beautiful estate has lots to offer visitors this summer including guided walks once a month around the national nature reserve and nearby Burnham Overy Staithe and Burnham Norton. The hall itself has tours entitled Hidden Passages and Servants' Stairs, a rare opportunity to see parts of the hall not normally on public display. An expert guide will lead visitors around the highest tower rooms and attics, revealing what lies behind the beautiful ceiling of the Marble Hall. Find out how the servants managed to flit between the grand state rooms without being seen and how they serviced the state bedchambers, where royalty once slept.
Outside, there’s the Field to Fork Tractor and Trailer Tours until August 6th. See exactly where the local food comes from, travel back in time at the Great Barn and fast forward to the present day and discover the conservation work at the estate. There are also deer and wildlife walks and safaris throughout the summer and early autumn. There’s pond dipping at the estate from July 29 – August 27, hour sessions throughout the day at £3 per child. Outdoor theatre at the hall includes Heartbreak Productions’ Gangsta Granny, David Walliams’ best seller adapted for the outdoor stage. The show starts at 5.45pm, adult £14, child £10, family (2+2) £43.
Bure Valley Railway. Steam into summer with special journies of this little locomotive between Wroxham and Aylsham and enjoy free strawberries and cream at the Whistlestop Café for each fare-paying traveller. A family ticket for two adults and two children is £37. Single trips and rail and cruise tickets are available.
Wroxham Miniature Worlds. For big fun in little worlds, head to Wroxham Miniature Worlds the largest indoor modelling attraction in the UK. The attraction is made up of many zones - model railways, slot car displays, a Lego city, model boat displays and a host of toys from across the decades. Have fun in the vintage Penny Arcade, interactive flight simulators and train simulators.
