Of course, we want you to come… in fact, we can’t wait to welcome you. But, you know, we may not be for everyone. So here are our top ten reasons why you shouldn’t visit Norfolk…
If you want to climb mountains
You won’t need carabiners and crampons when you visit Norfolk. That said, bring a bicycle or walking shoes and you’ll be rewarded with gently undulating coast and countryside and enormous skies. In Norfolk it’s easier to see the horizon. See if you can find a location where you can’t spot a church tower. That said, you can still get high in Norfolk!
The photo here is of the Cromer Ridge on the north Norfolk coast. Looks fabulous, doesn’t it? It’s actually one of the highest points in the East of England. Yes, really!
If you want bad weather
Of course, it is sometimes inclement in Norfolk, when Scotland, Wales or Cornwall send their rain clouds our way. Otherwise, Norfolk has one of the best overall climates in the country, with more sun than most destinations and more drier days. In fact, Thetford Forest, set in a bowl to the west of the county, has the warmest Summers. Oh, and if it does rain, don’t worry, there’s still lots to do.
If you don’t like coast and seaside
We’ve got 90 miles of it, 93 when the tide’s out, and all of it has something fabulous to do, from the seaside resorts of Great Yarmouth, Cromer and Hunstanton, to huge beaches at Brancaster, Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham, which is often voted the best in Britain. There are secret beaches too, and plenty of pubs and restaurants to enjoy the freshest fish and shellfish. And don’t forget the famous and eponymous crab in Cromer. Delish!
If you don’t like wildlife
Norfolk has some of the country’s Premier League birdwatching reserves, not least Cley Marshes, Snettisham on the estuarine Wash and Titchwell. The Broads is a great place to birdwatch too – see if you can hear the boom of a Bittern. In the Autumn see rutting stags, and our seals are best seen in the Winter, when the Greys have their pups.
If you don’t like history and heritage
We’re steeped in it, not least the 850,000 footprints of the first people to arrive in this country when it was still joined to the Continent. So yes, the UK’s first tourists came to visit Norfolk. That’s part of our Deep History Coast. And with no fast-running water, the Industrial Revolution passed us by, which is why Norwich is the best-preserved medieval city in England.
We’ve got lots of museums, castles, stately homes and King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth are both historical ports with great stories to tell. Oh, and it’s a Norfolk man we have to thank for Americans speaking English and our greatest ever naval commander was born in Norfolk.
If you like motorways
We don’t have any. In fact we’re the largest county in England without one. But we there are two or three lane roads from pretty much anywhere all the way to Norwich, Norfolk’s county city. After that you’re on 6000 miles of quieter roads which reflect the pace of life here… slower, more relaxing, more mindful.
If you like motorway service stations
Stands to reason doesn’t it, if we haven’t got motorways. But who needs a BLT with limp lettuce or something delivered with the ping of a microwave echoing in your ears when you can enjoy quality local produce at roadside pubs, restaurants and farm shops? In the Spring and Summer you could get fresh asparagus, samphire, seafood, raspberries and strawberries from layby shacks. Or pick your own. Much better than a Ginsters!
Barley, beer and breweries in Norfolk
If you don’t like being outdoors
Being outdoors is one of the key reasons you come to Norfolk – to cycle, walk or just enjoy being in wonderful countryside. We’ve got some of the best birdwatching in the country too and lots of nature reserves. And let’s not forget the Broads National Park, 125 miles of navigable, lock-free waterways. And would you believe, they were actually man-made.
If you want to speak a different language
Some of us pick destinations to practise our foreign languages, but if that’s you, you won’t have any luck in Norfolk. We do, however, have our own dialect and our own place name pronunciations. Have a go at Costessey, Happisburgh or Wymondham. And here’s how we pronounce them.
If you don’t like culture and arts
Oh oh, we’ve got loads of that. Oodles, in fact. The Norfolk and Norwich Festival is the oldest single city arts festival in the UK, celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2022. Great Yarmouth has the Out There festival of performing and circus arts. Thursford Christmas Spectacular is the biggest festive show outside London. The Sainsbury Centre of Visual Arts is a must visit, as are the galleries at Norwich Castle. And there are brilliant theatres, museums and galleries to enjoy as well.
