Norfolk

Palmers Mill Wind Pump - Photo: Gareth Hughes CCL

This is a pretty village on the edge of the Norfolk Broads which has had a regular market since it was granted a charter as far back as the 13^th century. Its splendid Church of St Edmund King and Martyr - which boasts a round tower and a thatched roof - is 900 years old. Acle is a good location for further exploration. It has windpumps used to pump excess water from the nearby Broads.

Perfectly situated close to Cromer, Great Yarmouth and Norwich, this small coastal holiday resort has a sandy beach and a number of caravan sites. Its church of St Andrew stands on a hill near the ocean. Nearby are the ruins of Bromholm Priory (also known as Bacton Abbey) which was founded by a Cistercian order in 1113 as part of Castle Acre Priory. The building is mentioned in Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’ and was visited by Henry 111 in 1233. A number of man-made concrete sea walls guard the coastline.

Bacton Beach - Photo: Kim Burton CCL

Banham Village Green - Photo: Ron Strutt CCL

This interesting village dominated by the Church of St Mary the Virgin has a tree-lined village green and ancient thatched houses with overhanging upper storeys. However, it is best-known as the site of Banham Zoo, home to more than 1,000 animals and birds from across the globe. The wildlife park sits in 20 acres and includes a woodland walk, deer park and ‘jungle island’ for primates.

Most of the old houses in this fascinating village on the River Waveney were burned down in fires during the 16^th and 17 centuries but were replaced with superb Georgian buildings in a variety of subtle colours. Many of the roofs are made from black glazed tiles so typical of this picturesque area. St Michael’s Church dates to the mid-14^th century. Its detached, four-storey bell tower added in 1500 stands nearly 100 feet high and was sold to the local council in 1977 for the princely sum of one penny.

River Waveney - Photo: David Medcalf CCL

Remains of Norton Friary Gatehouse dating from the 14th Century - Photo: Graham Hardy CCL

Nearby Burnham Thorpe was the birthplace of Horatio Nelson, son of a local rector, in 1758. He learned his sailing and navigation skills here on the North Norfolk coast. All Saint’s Church has a lectern made from HMS Victory’s timbers as well as flags flown at The Battle of Jutland.

This one-time Roman port is dominated by the tower of a 13^th century church and was first established as a fortified camp. The biggest attraction here is a moated castle with a 100ft tower built in the 15^th century by Sir John Fastoff, later immortalised in three of Shakespeare’s plays as Sir John Falstaff. The real Sir John commanded the English archers at the momentous Battle of Agincourt. The castle is now home to a motor museum, which boasts the largest private collection of motor vehicles in the country. These include the first ‘real’ motor car, the 1893 Panhard at Lavassor.

Caister Beach - Photo: Martyn Davies CCL

View East taken from above the Pier - Photo: Gary Reggae CCL

This interesting fishing port was transformed into a holiday resort in the 19^th century after it was unwittingly popularised by wealthy landlubbers from places like Norwich. A little later the journalist Clement Scott described the area as ‘poppyland’. The local lifeboat museum adds atmosp and provides plenty of evidence of sea-going interest. Outside is a statue of Cromer’s real-life local hero, Henry Blogg, who won three RLNI gold medals, equivalent to the Victoria Cross.

Not far from Cromer stands Felbrigg Hall near the small village of Felbrigg. The Jacobean mansion was built in the 17^th century and its beautiful estate landscaped by Humphrey Repton. Now a National Trust property, it has fine paintings, a stunning library and walled gardens.

Fellbrigg Hall - Photo: Christine Matthews CCL

Church of St. Nicholas - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

This picturesque market town with an unusually wide main street dates back to the founding of a nunnery in the 7^th century by St Withburga. It has a number of important old buildings, including the 19^th century Corn Hall and a museum housed in a cottage once owned by 16^th century cleric Bishop Bonner, chaplain to Cardinal Wolsley. A windmill stands nearby. St Nicholas’s Church has a detached bell tower and in the churchyard is the burial place of the poet William Cowper (1731-1800) who spent the last few years of his life here. Writer George Borrow (1803-81) was born close by in the village of Dumpling Green.

Although it has a galaxy of fine old buildings dating from the Middle Ages through to the Victorian age, the real delight in Diss is a six-acre mere which stands at the centre of this small market town. In fact the town’s name derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘standing water’. Lying on the River Waveney, the town’s church stands at the head of a triangular market square. The nearby Tudor mansion Gissing Hall, set in five acres of beautiful countryside, is now holiday accommodation.

Diss Centre - Photo: Ron Strutt CCL

Downham Market Victorian Clock Tower - Photo: Rodney Burton CCL

Oxburgh Hall - Photo: Christine Matthews CCL

Eight miles from here is magnificent Oxburgh Hall, a 15^th century moated mansion, while in the nearby village of Denver is a tower windmill, a 13^th century church and a cast iron clock tower with a glass chandelier.

Pensthorpe Waterfowl Park - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

Situated on the babbling River Wensum, this is an interesting market town with a 15^th century church and a number of notable Georgian buildings. Nearby is Pensthorpe Waterfowl Park - one of largest of its kind in the world with over 200 acres of woodland, meadows and waterside walks. A few miles south stands Raynham Hall, former home in the 18^th century of Viscount Townshend who invented a unique style of crop rotation, earning him the nickname Turnip Townshend. Meanwhile, East Barsham Manor is a sumptuous, red-bricked Tudor mansion that was once home of the Bee Gees house.

The Tall Ship Prince William entering port - Photo: Sarah Maidment CCL

The town has numerous museums ranging from the Tolhouse Museum – a former jail - housed in Yarmouth’s oldest building and the 16^th century Elizabethan House Museum, a Tudor merchant’s house. Its parlour witnessed the signing of Charles 1’s death warrant. Other places of interest include the seafront Shipwrecked Sailors Home, with lots of memorabilia, and 13^th century Greyfriar’s Cloisters.

A medieval model village has a model railway while nearby is the Norfolk Rare Breed Centre and Farm Museum and the seafront Butterfly Farm.

Brittania Pier - Photo: Gary Reggae CCL

Berney Arms Windmill - Photo: Pete Chapman CCL

This tiny, attractive village with a handful of thatched buildings stands within the Broads National Park and is perhaps best-known for the 19^th century Berney Arms Windmill, a magnificent 70ft working marsh windmill - Norfolk’s tallest. Originally used to grind cement clinker, it later pumped water from the nearby marshes, now part of an important nature reserve. The nearby pub is the remotest tavern in Britain and can be reached only by boat or rail! The long-distance Weaver’s Way walk runs through the village.

With a selection of Georgian houses and a weekly market, Harleston is typically East Anglian and a good base from which to explore the surrounding area. It lies on an attractive stretch of the River Waveney. There are many other villages nearby, including Bungay which has a Druidic stone said to be 2,000 years old. The Otter Trust at Earsham has one of the largest collections of otters in the world. The painter Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959), a past President of the Royal Academy, was born at Mendham.

Harleston Street and Clocktower - Photo: Ron Strutt CCL

Baconsthorpe Castle - Photo: Christine Matthews CCL

This one of the most pleasing towns in Norfolk with a series of Georgian buildings – built following a great fire in 1708 – forming a queue in the main street. The town is best known for Greshams public school, founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas Gresham. He was a Lord Mayor of London and founder of the Royal Exchange. Horse-drawn buses run the three miles from the Railway Tavern to the North Norfolk Railway at High Keiling.

 Nearby is 18^th century Letheringsett Watermill and the remains of 15^th century Baconsthorpe Castle, a fortified manor with a beautiful moat. Holt’s country park is mostly coniferous woodland. A short drive takes you to picturesque Cley Next The Sea and its 19^th century windmill.

Lying on the shimmering River Bure, Horning is a boating paradise and one of the prettiest villages on the Broads. It dates back to Roman times and a ferry is said to have operated here for 1,000 years close to the present Horning Ferry Inn. An annual regatta is held each August while a Three Rivers Race is held each June. The parish church of St Benedict has a priest’s doorway from the 13^th century.

View East from Horning - Photo: Gary Reggae CCL

Bure Valley Miniuature Railway - Photo: Ken Cosby CCL

Busily picturesque, Hoveton is a favourite spot with Broads’ lovers, many of whom come here to visit beautiful Hoveton Hall Gardens and Grounds, which provide the perfect environment for many woodland birds and butterflies. St John’s Church dates to the 13^th century and has a flint tower and an historic priest’s door. Nearby are broads known as Great and Little and there’s a quaint hump-backed bridge over the River Bure. Another major attraction in the area is the Bure Valley Miniature Railway.

Hunstanton Sunset - Photo: Kim Slater CCL

Stripey Cliffs at Hunstanton - The Cliff comprises 3 different rock strata. Chalk overlies a narrow band of hunstanton red stone which lies on a bas of Carrstone - Photo: Val Vannet CCL

The Red Mount at King's Lynn, also known as the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount was a place of pilgrimage. It was built in the reign of Richard III (1483-85) by Robert Curraunt. It is in "The Walks" park in King's Lynn

The Red Mount - Photo: Rob Farrow CCL

St. Andrews Church at East Lexham - Photo: Church Crawler CCL

Historic Litcham sits contentedly in central Norfolk surrounded by picturesque countryside. The local museum has over 1,000 old photographs dating back to 1860 as well as some Roman artifacts and an underground lime kiln. The Church of All Saints was largely rebuilt in the early 15th century and has a 16^th century rood screen containing 22 painted images of saints. The town is in the beautiful Nar Valley, just a short drive from the spectacular North Norfolk coast. A good base for further exploration, it is close to a number of great houses including royal Sandringham, Jacobean Blickling Hall (once home of the Boleyns) and the superb estate surrounding Palladian Holkham Hall.

Now a centre for boating, Loddon was once a thriving port on the Norfolk Broads and has many interesting features, including properties dating from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, lovely walks and picnic places. The Church of Holy Trinity was built in 1492 by the wealthy Hobart family. Sir James Hobart, who lived in nearby Hales Hall, was Attorney General to Henry VI. Loddon House was once a lunatic asylum. Loddon Water Mill Craft Centre stands on small bridge.

Loddon Church - Photo: Rog Frost CCL

Snow on Mundesley Beach - Photo: Andrew Hornby CCL

First the Romans and then the Saxons inhabited this delightful fishing village enhanced by splendid beaches. The only modern invaders are tourists seeking a seaside experience. Lord Nelson frequently stayed at the Royal Hotel while ‘Cowper House’ was briefly the home of the poet William Cowper in the late 1790s.

With a number of fine Georgian properties, this attractive village north of Norwich has moorings for the beautiful Barton Broad to which it is linked by a narrow, wooded limekiln channel.

Limekiln Dyke - Photo: David Medcalf CCL