North Norfolk Notes

Earlier this week I returned from a very enjoyable holiday in a surprisingly sunny North Norfolk with Laura and 10-month old Henry. For posterity and in case it’s useful for those with a similarly-aged baby/toddler, here are a few of my highlights.

Days out

• Snettisham Park: working farm with calves, piglets, lambs, goats, rabbits and other pettable animals you can also feed, plus a deer safari. Cafe, good toilets, etc.
• Holkham Hall: large country estate with excellent facilities for visitors. Good for a long fully-paved walk, cake and tea.
• Sea Life, Hunstanton: Perfect for the one wet day we had. Plenty of wide-eyed, wide-mouthed reactions from Henry to the fish, sharks, alligators, seals and penguins.

Beaches

• Old Hunstanton Beach: sandy, quiet with a cafe and paid parking seconds away.
• Brancaster: large paid car park nearby, superb sandy beach. Easy to carry toddler and bags.

Eating

• Lifeboat Inn: Tucked away near the historic Coal Barn, the Inn has superb seafood and a sunny courtyard.
• Chequers: Friendly, recently-renovated pub with interesting pizzas. I enjoyed the devilled Wells crab with salt and pepper.
• Eric’s Fish and Chips: smart restaurant/takeway with excellent haddock and chips.

We stayed in Gardener’s Cottage in Thornham, an attractive village not far from Hunstanton with pavements suitable for a pushchair. Quiet, comfortable and well-equipped, the cottage had plenty of space for our family of three.

Most of the list above was easily accessible by car in minutes along the fast A149 which stretches along the coast. No windy, single-track roads with grass down the middle. We were probably lucky with our hot sunny weather in September, but in my opinion it’s a worthy alternative to a long trek down to Cornwall from the South-East.