Holt (approx 15 min drive) is a popular traditional town.  The town has great shop, cafes and restaurants.  The famous Byfords is situated in the centre of the town.  Holt is a fantastic place to wander and people watch.  At Christmas the lights and firework display are magical.

There are lots of attractions nearby which are great for families.  Amazona Zoo at Cromer is great for a morning or an afternoon activity.  There is also ROAR dinosaur park, BeWILDerwood and Pensthorpe nature reserve which are great for children of all ages.  All these attractions have indoor and outdoor play areas.

Cromer (15 min drive) is a Victorian style coastal town and a firm favourite with families.  The pier has fantastic shows and is a great spot for fishing and crabbing.  There is a museum, RNLI lifeboat, pubs, shops, galleries and cafes.  There are lots of good eating options including Bucket List (loaded chips) and the best fish and chips from No 1.  If it is a rainy day the cinema has lots of charm.

Going west there are many more coastal towns and places to visit.  There are many stately homes including Holkham Hall which is an impressive Palladian Hall.  It has a large play area for children, high ropes course, bike hire, tractor tours, exhibits, walks, boat trips in the summer and a beautifully restored walled garden.  And we must not forget to mention the special beach at Holkham which is famous for featuring in many films.  It is 4 miles in length and has pure white sands and rolling sand dunes.  The long driveway called Lady Ann's Drive takes you to this unspoilt stretch of beach.

The Royal Estate of Sandringham is also a great place to visit.  There is another large play area, beautiful formal gardens and grounds which you can explore, the house and tea rooms are also well worth a visit too.

Houghton Hall is another famous Palladian style house and a walled garden which are open to the public.  The surrounding parkland are home to a herd of white fallow and exotic deer.

Morston is a great place for seal trips via boat.  There are lots of companies which offer trips from either Morston or Blakeney Quays and the boat will take you along to see the colony at Blakeney Point.  This a great activity for all age groups.

 

 

There are lots of opportunities for sports in the area.  There is a varied range of golf courses including Cromer, Sheringham, Mundesley, Royal Norwich and many others nearby.  The area is also well known for the range of water sports on offer including surfing at Cromer, sailing at Blakeney and Morston, stand up paddle boarding on the Broads and at the coast (Sheringham, Cromer and many others).

The Broads offer a great opportunity to hire a day boat, kayak or canoe.  There are lots of providers which can hire equipment.  Collitshall (20 min drive) is a good base to start exploring the Broads National Park.

 

Lots of beaches and coastal towns are very close by.  

Sheringham (15 min drive) is a vibrant traditional coastal town with an array of shops, cafes, galleries, amusement arcades, fishmongers, butchers, bakeries and pubs.  There is a promenade which runs the entire length of the town shore with a RNLI lifeboat house and museum, pretty colourful beach huts and a wonderful beach which is great for families.  Some of our favourite places to visit are Whelk Coppers Tea Room, Guac a Mole and Fat Teds streat food.  The Little Theatre has lots of shows throughout the year including a wonderful pantomime in the festive months.

In the summer months both Cromer and Sheringham have their carnival weeks.  For 2023 the dates for Sheringham Carnival are 30 July - 5 August and Cromer Carnival are 12 August - 18 August.  However there are events all year around including fireworks on New Years' day in Cromer so always look to see what is going on.

There are lots of other beaches nearby including Weybourne, Mundesley, Overstrand and West Runton (which is great for rock pooling).  All these beaches are within 15-20 minute drive.

 

 

 

The coastal settlements of Burnham Market, Thornham, Wells-next-the-Sea and Stiffkey are all attractive places to visit if you travel out this direction.  More closer there is Blakeney, Cley and Salthouse which are wonderful coastal villages on the coast road which have a great selection of pubs and cafes.  There are lots of walks in these areas with fantastic views and great opportunities to see some fantastic coastal wildlife.  The beach at Wells is definitely worth a trip to, but get there early in the summer holidays to get a parking space.