There are plenty of things to do and events to enjoy on the north Norfolk coast, all year round. The pretty towns are home to many events, each celebrating the history of the area.
Ariel view of Cromer by Chris T
CROMER
As well as the Deep History Coast, north Norfolk is home to some of the finest beaches with plenty to do from crabbing to surfing to rock pooling. There are six Blue Flag beaches along the north Norfolk coastline; East and West Runton, Mundesley, Sea Palling, Cromer and Sheringham, meaning they are all clean and safe.
Further along the coast is Cromer Blue Flag beach with its Victorian Pier, home to a lifeboat station and Pavilion Theatre, where the UK’s only remaining traditional end of the pier variety show takes place each Summer and Winter. The pier is an enduring example of Victorian architecture, having withstood many storms, tidal surges and even an attempt to blow it up by the Government in WW2 to prevent the pier being used as a landing strip for enemy invaders! Today, take a stroll along the Pier, where you can enjoy ice cream and fish and chips and it’s also a great spot to go crabbing.
The flat sands at Cromer beach are ideal for building sandcastles or try surfing with the local surf school just along from the Pier. From the beach you can enjoy watching the fishing boats coming in from catching fish for the local restaurants as well as the famous Cromer crab.
The Norfolk Coast Path and Deep History Coast Discovery Trail passes through the area offering fantastic scenic walks. During the summer months, a herd of Bagot goats arrive in on the cliffs in Cromer to carry out an important habitat-management role. The Bagot goats graze on rough materials rather than grass, which helps keep plant growth across the area under control. A fantastic and unique sight!
SHERINGHAM
The popular town of Sheringham, also part of the Deep History Coast, is a traditional seaside resort with a Blue Flag beach, steam railway and fantastic walks. From Sheringham, you can catch the North Norfolk Railway to the Georgian town of Holt, passing through the county’s most stunning coastal scenery. Steam trains operate on this heritage railway line between April and October.
Crab and Lobster Festival
Sheringham has many carnivals and festivals all year round including the Crab & Lobster Festival on 15 to 17 May 2020. This famous festival is a lively weekend celebration of two fine north Norfolk coastal towns, Sheringham and Cromer and celebrates their local seafaring heritage, active fishing community as well as towns’ proud crab and lobster delicacies.
DEEP HISTORY COAST
Celebrating the coast’s history and heritage dates back many years and more recently, visitors to the north Norfolk coastline have been able to enjoy a journey even further back in time with the Deep History Coast Discovery Trail.
The unique north Norfolk coast is home to some amazing deep history discoveries such as the UK’s largest mammoth skeleton remains found at West Runton and a 500,000 year-old flint handaxe unearthed in Happisburgh. Visitors to the stretch of coastline between Weybourne and Cart Gap, can now see and learn about the life of early humans in Norfolk and the giants who shared this landscape. Experience history first-hand through a Discovery Trail, events, exhibitions and exciting new technology.
Along the Discovery Trail there are eleven Discovery Points, including Sheringham and Cromer, revealing information about that area. By downloading the free Deep History Coast app, it is triggered at each Discovery Point and you can see the past come back to life before your very eyes! A hominin family can take you on a tour, see the Steppe mammoth in its environment and collect items for your virtual journal - all at the touch of a button.
MARINE LIFE
Reef at Sheringham by Chris T
As well as its Blue Flag beach and festivals, Sheringham is also known for its fishing heritage depicted in murals along the sea defences. When the tide is out, the sands and rock pools of this pebbly beach are revealed. Sheringham actually sits in a dip of the Cromer Ridge, an eight-mile long tideline of sands and gravels left 450,000 years ago when massive glaciers retreated East and the North Sea flooded in. Just offshore, between Sheringham and Cromer, is the largest chalk reef in Europe and the longest in the world. At more than 20 miles long, it lies in the shallows, just 25ft from the surface and is part of a chalk stream that reaches as far as the white cliffs of Dover and the White Horse Hill Carvings in Wiltshire.
Formed during the Ice Age, the reef was created by a vast number of compressed pre-historic fossilised plankton. It is an ideal breeding and feeding ground for the famous Sheringham lobster and Cromer crab, and helps to give them a unique sweet taste.
With so much to see and enjoy, the north Norfolk coast is the natural choice for a visit! For more information, events listing and to book accommodation, go to www.visitnorthnorfolk.com