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There is nowhere like north Norfolk to experience the natural world. Famous for its seal colonies, unique birdwatching, fields full of Norfolk poppies, gardens and parks, fantastic nature reserves, the Broads National Park and wonderful walks and woods, exploring natural north Norfolk is a real delight.
North Norfolk has such a varierty of wildlife habitats. The ancient woodlands, chalk rivers, fens, broads, farmland, heathland, marshes, wetland and sandy beaches means the area is home to many fish, birds and mammals.
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Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a protected landscape covering 450 km² of coastal and agricultural land, the stunning north Norfolk landscape and flora changes throughout the season making each visit special.
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Unique to Norfolk is the Broads National Park, home to over a quarter of the rarest plants and animals in the UK and is Britain's largest protected wetland. With its many nature reserves, the Broads is an excellent place for birdwatching. There are 230 nationally important invertebrates in the Broads, such as beetles and moths including the Fenn's Waistcoat and reed leopard, and enjoy the darts of colour of dragonflies and damselflies.
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Also unique to north Norfolk is ‘Britain’s Great Barrier Reef’, the Cromer Shoals Chalk Bed on the Deep History Coast. Created in the Mesozoic Era when dinosaurs roamed, it is the longest chalk bed in the world at 20 miles long and you can see it by swimming out and snorkelling. Marine life is abundant with over 30 species of sea slug, shoaling fish, blue mussel beds, harbour porpoises, seals and occasional sightings of basking sharks. The purple sponge was found here, a species new to science discovered in 2011.
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The changing seasons bring different visiting animal and bird life, making natural north Norfolk, a magnificent place to visit all year round.
Spring in north Norfolk sees carpets of snowbells and bluebells especially at Walsingham Abbey, Pensthorpe Natural Park and Sheringham Park. Take a trip to one of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s ancient woodland nature reserves where you will be treated to the spectacular sight of colourful wildflowers including the amazing carpets of bluebells. Keep an eye out for brown hares in fields of spring wheat and barley, heathlands and coastal marshes.
Summer brings dancing dragonflies and clouds of male silver-studded blues flying over heather. Warmer weather sees the famous Norfolk poppies come into flower as well as saltmarsh sea lavenders which turns stretches of the north Norfolk coast a shade of delicate scented purple.
In Autumn, you may catch sight of otters, often spotted at dawn and dusk along the Broads or at NWT Ranworth. Wandering through the woods is a treat with the stunning array of colours as leaves begin to turn from their summer green and sweet chestnuts and conkers start appearing on branches. NWT Holme Dunes nature reserve is a good place to see butterflies before they hibernate, such as small coppers, brown graylings and mottled greys.
Winter is wonderful for wildlife! One of the most impressive spectacles is large skeins of pink-footed geese. Over a third of the world's population of this species migrate to Norfolk for winter, mainly in January and February. Roosting together at night, the geese are very noisy and their dawn and dusk flights to inland feeding areas, are an amazing wildlife sight best seen at NWT Holme Dunes, NWT Cley Marshes and RSPB Titchwell. Winter is also when the seal colonies are well worth a visit. Snowdrops also make an appearance from late January and there are plenty of places to see this amazing sight. Find out more here.
Taking a boat trip is the safest and best way to see the unique north Norfolk seal colonies. Blakeney Point is home to Common and Grey seals and is one of the biggest colonies in winter in England, with around 2500 pups. Grey seals have their young, born with white coats and large black eyes, between November and January and common seals have their pups between June and August. Boat trips go from Morston Quay and Blakeney harbour or take a ride on The Wash Monster amphibious boats, from Hunstanton. Often you can see seals bobbing around and basking in the sun in Wells harbour and Sea Palling or on the sandbanks at Holkham.
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Whatever time of year you visit north Norfolk, the nature and wildlife experienced in each season is truly fascinating.
Number of results: 56
, currently showing 21 to 40.
Hickling
Nature reserve beside the largest area of open water in the Broads. Dykes, marshes, fens and woodland, with a visitors centre and water trail. Wintering and resident birds.
Quay Road
One of Britain's foremost Nature Reserves, a 3.5 mile sand and shingle spit with colonies of breeding terns and seals.
Norwich
In the heart of North Norfolk stands an exquisite Palladian masterpiece, a home woven deeply into Britain’s history. Welcome to Wolterton.
Norfolk
A nature trail and conservation centre with displays showing history and wildlife. Gallery with telescopes and binoculars overlooking the Ranworth Broad Nature Reserve. Guided wildlife boat trails are available.
Hunstanton
Rolling chalky landscape with wonderful views.
Thursford
Come and visit us at The Pumpkin house, set within farmland we are fun for all the family. If you are looking for things to do in Norfolk, we offer seasonal family fun activities throughout the year. Based in Thursford, just 6 miles from the North…
Cromer
Dick Buck's Burrows is a mature wood of oak, sweet chestnut, sycamore and beech two miles southwest of Cromer.
Norwich
Come and explore - there is something for everyone to enjoy!
Stiffkey, which is situated just across the water from Blakeney National Nature Reserve, is home to one of the country's richest saltmarshes for wildlife.
Sheringham
Incredibly tranquil gardens with traditional hedge maze in 10 acres of which includes tearooms and plant nursery.
Morston, Holt
Blakeney Point seal trips with Bishop’s Boats. See the Blakeney Point seals in their natural environment, basking on the Blakeney Point or swimming freely around the boat.
King's Lynn
This is one place to witness two of the UK's great wildlife spectacles. On big tides, as the water covers the mudflats, tens of thousands of wading birds are pushed off their feeding ground and settle on inlands in front of the RSPB hides.
West Runton
Explore West Runton and Beeston Regis Heath and you'll discover expansive sea views and a landscape teeming with wildlife, from nightjars and badgers to adders and white admiral butterflies.
Hunstanton
One of the North Norfolk Coast's most attractive landscapes, with a tangible air of fragility. It's location makes it an important bird watching site and 320 species have been seen.
Norwich
Mannington Estate is one of Norfolk’s hidden gems, surrounded by ancient woodlands which, together with its lakes and rivers, provides varied habitats for wildlife in a charming setting.
Bacton Wood is just north of North Walsham with orienteering and walking trails.
The Broads
Accessed via a boardwalk through atmospheric woodland and reedbed, NWT's floating Broads Wildlife Centre offers impressive views over the water.
Norfolk
The largest ancient woodland in the county (320 acres) with three nature trails existing around the site. The wood is well used by naturalists, the general public and schools.
Norfolk
Holkham is the most extensive, diverse and dramatic nature reserve on a coastline famous for nature reserves.
East Ruston
An exotic garden in an exposed prairie landscape by the North Norfolk coast.
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