Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk |
How is it that the places closest to home are often the places we forget to visit? We only live about 45 minutes from the North Norfolk coast and yet in recent years we have neglected our beautiful neighbour, usually moaning that the drive along the A17 to get there is slow and frustrating. What sort of excuse is that? When Rory was little we would leave early and spend a day at the beach in Hunstanton, aka ‘Sunny Hunny’. taking bracing walks along the prom and feeding endless 2p coins into the slot machines in the amusement arcades. We would end our day with a bag of chips, sitting on a bench looking out across the vast sky as the day came to a close. Such happy memories.
Since Rory started secondary school and his weekend lie-ins have elongated considerably, our day trips to the coast have dwindled. Last weekend Rory was on a school Geography field trip to Dorset so Dougie and I were able to have a date together, a day at the coast. Whilst Rory was measuring pebbles on Chesil Beach and making up the answers to tourism questionnaires, we spent a gloriously sunny day revisiting our old haunts and discovering some new ones.
‘Shall we have a look at Heacham?’ I asked Dougie. We always used to drive past Heacham in order to visit its livelier neighbour further up the coast. This time, with a very old Reader’s Digest Touring Guide to Britain on my lap, I was keen to explore. We found a car park at the beach, surrounded by mobile homes. It wasn’t particularly attractive and Dougie was muttering about spending £1.80 per hour to park. We decided on the minimum spend and allowed ourselves exactly one hour to walk along the promenade. We walked quickly. But it was here, on a day with perfect blue sky, I captured the photo below which I just love.
Heacham Beach, Norfolk |
We had heard that the Norfolk coast has become very upmarket over recent years but hadn’t really appreciated the difference until we started driving further along the coast to the small village of Thornham. This has become a seriously foodie place: The Lifeboat Inn ( a Marco Pierre White establishment), The Orange Tree and, for a quick bite to tide us over for the afternoon, The Village Deli. We sat in the airy conservatory, and ate a steak sandwich (Dougie) and a frittata (me) watching children making use of the play area in the garden. It was a gorgeous little place. We also picked up some local beer and cider in the delicatessen to enjoy back home.
As we continued our drive we could see how much of a makeover this part of Norfolk has undergone. It was as if a lorry load of Farrow and Ball paint had been dolloped over everything. Signs in pale grey and green with elegant fonts. Friday nights are now apparently ‘sushi and oyster nights’ at one establishment.
My trusty guide book suggested Burnham Overy Staithe as a good place to stop and walk through the tidal creeks and salt marshes (see top photo). Again, the huge skies and endless horizon made this quite a spectacular spot in the afternoon sunshine. Why had we never been here before?
Still Burnham based, we took a tiny road south to Burnham Thorpe, where Lord Nelson was born. We had a look around the church of All Saints where Nelson’s father had been the rector, noticing the cross and lectern had been made from timbers taken from HMS Victory. This reminded us of a purchase we made some years ago on a visit to Norfolk – a table made with some of the oak from the Victory. It was a bit of an extravagant and impulsive buy but we have never regretted having a piece of history in our living room.
The final part of the Burnham trip was Burnham Market, a small, pretty village which Rory would have adored because, despite its size, it boasts a large Jack Wills shop. A sure sign that this area has become the Cotswolds of the East. The well-to-do were sitting outside The Hoste Arms, quaffing Prosecco in the sunshine. We were tempted to join them but instead we returned to the car, drove to Hunstanton and there, on a bench, in the evening sunshine, we had our tea: a big bag of chips.
Some things don’t change.
Hunstanton |
Loved the photos, have visited England many times, but have never been to Norfolk.
The beaches are amazing in Norfolk – vast and empty most of the time. a very pretty county, even if it is flat: that has its charm.
Beautiful photos Trish. How lucky you are to live so close to such a beautiful place. We holidayed in that part of the world a couple of times when the kids were smaller and walked for miles on those beaches….I love flat land and big skies so was always happy there.
I felt quite guilty knowing we had ignored such beauty for such a long time. I had to tell myself that we have visited lots of other places so Rory hasn't suffered from not having day trips to the coast as much as he used to. Great to hear you have happy memories of the county.
And things should not change when they are so perfect! Lovely post, and that second photo is just fabulous. xx
Thank you, Katia. I'm really pleased with the photo. The top one was taken on Dougie's camera. The man who never takes a snap managed a lovely shot with the red and white on each of the boats.
Loving the sound of sunny hunny and totally agree, that we should also do vacays close by as cuts down on the stress of that extra travel. Also in England you get the history and the glorious scenery. Well done you on the "snaps" as my Grandma used to call them
I think we will be doing this more often. It was nice to spend a day away and return home in the evening, without the expense of a hotel.
And you actually feel rested, nothing like your own bed, has to said…
That is a damned god photo. Do ou know we have gone to Walsingham year after year and only this year did we drive the extra mile for a quick walk at the sea. I hadn't even realised it was so close! It is beautiful around that part of the coast if more than slightly bracing.
You're right, there are no sheltered coves, just mile after mile of sky and sea. Perfect for long walks.
Sometimes places of beauty are those right on our own doorstep.
Now I've rediscovered them, we won't neglect them in the future. We will be prising Rory out of bed at some stage or wait til he goes to university (hopefully) and visit as a couple.
We had a holiday at (on/in?) the Norfolk Broads when I was little and I remember thinking it was such a different kind of place, having been used to you know, the wilds of the north east. Sounds like a lovely day.
The Norfolk broads are very different to the North East but the Norfolk coast reminded me of some of our beaches around Alnwick – lots of open space. Only been once to the Broads and that was years ago too, so will have to revisit them.
Love this post. Sounds like a perfect day out and that photo is absolutely brilliant!
You know when you see something and you get a feeling it would make a good shot? It felt just like that on Saturday – the way the groyne was positioned, the angle of the sun etc.
We've had some great holidays as well as days out on that coast, all the way from Sunny Hunny to Mundesley. The only drawback is that awful roundabout just south of King's Lynn that spoils the journey there with its long tailbacks.
The Northumberland beaches are marginally more scenic but the weather much less dependable so I think North Norfolk just wins on points. All over tans available at Holkham beach (official) if that takes your fancy!
It's the slow traffic which discourages us. We were stuck behind a lorry all along the A17 then crawled further on the road past King's Lynn.
Holkham beach? Surely it's a bit nippy for that. I'd want to keep me hat on.
What beautiful pictures! Sounds like a lovely area too! We really do have a beautiful country don't we? 🙂
I think the UK is blessed with some beautiful, diverse places. If only the temperatures were a little higher all year round, we might appreciate them more.
Nelson's county! Or so the signs say. We go mountain biking in Thetford from time to time. I've been to other parts of Norfolk a few times, but not seen all this! I enjoyed the galleries in Burnham Market, but when I was there the Jack Wills wasn't. It was pre-prosecco days, I guess!
Thanks for entering it in the Linky! Glad to have you with us, Trish 🙂
There is so much to see in Norfolk. We could try a different spot every weekend!
Beautiful post, you make it sound (and look!) lovely. This really makes me think we need to get a car and explore England a bit more. xx
The weather made it such a great day,
We are always telling each other we must explore more!
Stumbled upon your posting & I had a little chuckle. We find ourselves in Sunny Hunny often. Now that we live in this beautiful North Norfolk Coast, we try to enjoy it to the fullest. Transplants from the US/The Netherlands – and the kids are enjoying our almost two years here.
Thanks for stopping by. We really must visit the county more as it has so much to offer. So pleased you are enjoying your new home.