Walking holidays in Norfolk
You’re never far from water when walking in Norfolk. The Norfolk Coast Path unfolds along 90 miles of shoreline, revealing birdlife-rich salt marshes, rolling sand dunes, flint fishing cottages, and handsome harbour towns. Add in Norfolk’s status as an Area of Outstanding Beauty and it’s easy to see why we’re so smitten with this rural county.
Dive deep into Norfolk’s maritime past
North Norfolk is a region drenched in maritime history. Take a walk from Brancaster to Holkham Gap and discover how it was the birthplace of British naval hero, Horatio Nelson. With credentials like these, it’s no surprise that boating holidays on the backwaters of the Norfolk Broads are a real crowd pleaser. Watch canal barges glide effortlessly along a sprawling network of lock-free waterways lined by riverbank pubs, villages, and prime wildlife-spotting territory.
Discover a haven for rare birds and wildlife
Norfolk has nature reserves in plentiful supply. Twitchers flock to Holme Dunes and Cley Marshes where tidal creeks and freshwater pools created by The Wash estuary meeting the North Sea act as a magnet for migrating birds and rare species like the pied avocet.
Equally visit-worthy is Holkham Bay – the star of Holkham National Nature Reserve. This beachy stunner is all sweeping sand dunes and skies that seem to stretch on forever. Follow pine forested footpaths across marshy grazing grounds and you’ll have nothing but the sound of tinkling cowbells and chirping birds for company.
Have some old-fashioned seaside fun
Norfolk is as bountiful as it is beautiful. The traditional flint cottage fishing village of Stiffkey is famous for its hand-picked cockles known as Stewkey Blues. After a clifftop walk over Skelding Hill to enjoy photo-worthy views from the old coastguard tower, drop down into Sheringham to sample locally-caught crab and lobster, often lauded as some of Britain’s best seafood.
Elsewhere, few places outshine Cromer when it comes to a day by the British seaside. Pastel coloured buildings line the shorefront, a Victorian pier reaches out to sea, and on sunny days, miles of golden sand beckon. When the British weather is less than flattering, however, there are plenty of pubs and cafes ready to welcome you with a warming brew and some seriously good fish and chips.
