FREE Days out in Norfolk

Are you watching the pennies? Holidaying in Norfolk on a budget? Don’t panic, there are plenty of things to see and do for free in the county.

Norfolk has long stretches of beautiful coastline, stunning inland waterways, large parks and ancient woodland, intriguing museums and the historic city of Norwich, with its cathedral, castle and cobbled streets that are all waiting to be explored. You don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy a day out in Norfolk.

Here are some of the best FREE places to visit in Norfolk:

Redwings Horse Sanctuary - Aylsham

Located in the pretty Norfolk countryside, Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Aylsham is free to enter and home to many rescued animals including horses, ponies and donkeys. Meet the residents and hear about their stories and how they ended up at Redwings. Facilities include disabled parking, disabled toilets, free parking, gift shop, children’s play area, picnic area and café. Dogs on leads are welcome. Whilst entry to the sanctuary is free, donations are very welcome.

Please visit their website to find out opening days and times, as these vary throughout the year.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary – Aylsham, Spa Lane, Aylsham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR11 6UR

Tel: 0870 040 0033

https://www.redwings.org.uk/get-involved/visit/aylsham-visitor-centre

Redwings Horse Sanctuary - Caldecott

Redwings in Caldecott, Norfolk is currently home to more than 110 ponies, horses, mules and donkeys and is completely free to enter.  Get up close to their residents, hear their stories and find out about the work Redwings does. There is a café, gift shop, disabled parking, disabled toilets, free parking and picnic area and dogs on leads are welcome. Donations to the sanctuary are most welcome.

To find out more, check opening days and times, please visit their website.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary - Caldecott Hall, Beccles Road, Fritton, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 9EY

Tel: 0870 040 0033

https://www.redwings.org.uk/get-involved/visit/caldecott-visitor-centre

Out There Festival - Great Yarmouth

Saturday 14th - Sunday 15th September 2019 – FREE entry

The Out There Festival of International Street Arts and Circus Entertainment comes to Great Yarmouth in September 2019. It promises to be an action-packed weekend full of circus and street entertainment with comedy, juggling, theatre, circus, acrobatics, dancing, storytelling, music and more. Visit Great Yarmouth the weekend of the festival and enjoy loads of free events in the town with family and friends. Don’t miss out on all the action around the town including St. George’s Park, Trafalgar Road, The Drill House, Dissenters’ Graveyard and in the Market Place.

To find out more about all the events and performances, visit their website.

https://seachangearts.org.uk/out-there-festival-2019/programme/

Norwich Cathedral and City Sights

Norwich Cathedral - Visit Norwich’s beautiful Cathedral, the most complete Norman Cathedral in England and one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Discover over 900 years of history and explore the breath-taking Cathedral building with its stained-glass windows, vaulted ceiling and very own peregrine falcons swooping above. A visit to Norwich isn’t complete without going inside this awe-inspiring building. Free to enter, although donations are most welcome.

Norwich Market - centrally located in the heart of Norwich city centre, wander around Norwich Market and discover an eclectic mix of food, crafts, flowers, produce, services and more. Take in the aromas of freshly cooked cuisine from all corners of the world in one of the oldest and largest outdoor markets in the country.

Elm Hill - meander down this historic cobbled street in the heart of the city, close to Norwich Cathedral and take in the architecture and get a feel of how life used to be as you step back in time for a moment or two.

City Walks - take a walk around Norwich that include views of the River Wensum, Elm Hill, Tombland, Norwich Castle, a number of bridges and historical buildings such as Pull’s Ferry, Cow Tower and Norwich Cathedral.

For further details about walks around Norwich, please use the following link:

https://www.norfolk-norwich.com/norwich/discovering-norwich/city-walks.php

Henry Blogg Museum - Cromer

The Henry Blogg Museum is free to enter and is in the seaside town of Cromer, on the north Norfolk coast. It celebrates the most decorated lifeboatman in RNLI history, who served for 53 years on Cromer’s lifeboats. Henry Blogg, along with his crew saved an astonishing 873 lives from the North Sea before retiring in 1947. Located right on the promenade in Cromer, visitors to this family friendly museum can see Henry Blogg’s impressive collection of medals, old movies, model lifeboats, photographs and paintings as well as enjoy lots of hands on activities. Although the museum is free to enter, donations are most welcome.

Between 14th - 22nd September 2019 there will be an exhibition of paintings, sculpture and crafts by members of EastCoastArtz, inspired by life on the coast and its surroundings.

Between 26th -27th October 2019 there will be an exhibition of works submitted for the 10th Annual COAST Open Art Competition.

To find out further details, including events, exhibitions and opening days and times, please visit their website or give them a call.

Henry Blogg Museum - The Rocket House, The Gangway, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9ET

Tel: 01263 511294

www.rnli.org/henryblogg

Dad’s Army Museum - Thetford

Entry is free to the Dad’s Army Museum in Thetford, Norfolk, and each year thousands of visitors make their way here to see where the popular series was filmed and to learn more about one of the most enduring comedy programmes ever produced. Independently run by an enthusiastic and dedicated group of volunteers, the museums opening days and times vary throughout the year, so please check their website for current opening hours before visiting. Donations and dogs are welcome!

To find out more about the Dad’s Army Museum, go to their website.

Dad’s Army Museum - Cage Lane, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2DS

Tel: 07470 165795

https://dadsarmythetford.org.uk/

Diss Museum - Diss

This award-winning community museum in the Norfolk market town of Diss has something for everyone and admission is free. Anything that has happened within 6 miles of the town, or any relevant object used in that area, is of interest to the museum. Situated in the Market Place in a building called The Shambles, which were formerly two butchers’ shops, the museum is centrally located and easy to find. Discover a variety of displays that are frequently changed and learn about the history of the town and the surrounding area.

To find out further details about the museum, including events and exhibitions and opening days and times, please visit their website.

Diss Museum - 1 Market Hill, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 3JZ

Tel: 01379 650618

https://www.dissmuseum.co.uk

Peter Coke Shell Gallery - Sheringham

A stone’s throw from the beach at Sheringham, on the north Norfolk coast, the Peter Coke Shell Gallery is small and interesting and worth a visit when you are next in the town. It’s free to enter and full to the brim with intricate and elaborate shell art. Donations are welcome to cover the upkeep of the building. Run by volunteers, the shell gallery is not open all year round – please check the following website for further details and opening times:

Peter Coke Shell Gallery - 10 W Cliff, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8JT

https://sheringhamsociety.com/peter-coke-shell-gallery/

Seething Control Tower Museum - Seething

Located in the restored control tower of the former RAF Seething, 9 miles south east of Norwich, Seething Control Tower Museum is a fascinating place to visit and is free to enter. The airfield was once home to the 448th Bomb Group of the United States Air Force, but today visitors can view exhibits, photographs and memorabilia all associated with the airfield and the 448th Bomb Group. There are personal stories and diaries of the airmen that provide an interesting insight into the part Seething airfield played during the Second World War. Take a look inside a Nissen Hut where more exhibits are housed and visit the memorial to those who served there. Opening times vary throughout the year, please visit their website for full details including opening days and times. Although Seething Control Tower Museum is free to enter, donations are most welcome.

Seething Control Tower Museum - Toad Lane, Seething, Norfolk, NR35 2EQ

https://www.seethingtower.org

The Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History - Fakenham

The museum is housed in the town’s former gasworks, which ceased production of gas from the heating of coal in 1965 following the discovery of natural gas in the North Sea. Visit the museum for an insight into our cultural, social and industrial heritage, with displays of heating, lighting, cooking and domestic equipment. The only surviving town gasworks in England and Wales, complete with all equipment used for the manufacture of gas from coal, the museum offers visitors a glimpse into the past where one man, William Murdoch changed everyday living, bringing light to the darkest of corners. Run entirely by volunteers and members of “The Friends of the Museum”, entry is free, but donations are welcome.

To find out further details, including opening times and days, please visit their website.

The Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History - Hempton Road, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 7LA

Tel: 07909 890484

http://fakenhamgasmuseum.com

Norfolk Lavender - Heacham

If you just want to visit the main site at Norfolk Lavender it is free, there is a charge for the animal gardens and play area and guided tours. Discover the National Collection of Lavenders, the Herb Garden and take a look around the shops free of charge, 3 miles south of Hunstanton on the main A149 road.

For further details, including opening hours, go to their website.

Norfolk Lavender - Caley Mill, Lynn Road, Heacham, Norfolk, PE31 7JE

Tel: 01485 570384

https://norfolk-lavender.co.uk/

Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve - Titchwell

Titchwell Marsh is on the north Norfolk coast, between the picturesque villages of Thornham and Titchwell. Its diverse habitats that include saltmarsh, reedbeds and freshwater lagoons attract an abundance of wildlife, including avocets, bearded tits, bittern and marsh harriers. There is a wide sandy beach not far from the visitor centre and extensive views across The Wash and many popular walks. The facilities at Titchwell Marsh include a visitor centre, accessible toilets, baby changing, café, picnic area, viewing points, nature trails and shop. The only expense is the car park which currently costs £6 per car for non-RSPB members. You can stay for as long as you like, take a picnic and walk for miles in this beautiful part of Norfolk. And if you can catch a lift there, it can be a completely free day out!

To find out further details about Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve, visit their website.

Titchwell Marsh, Main Road, Titchwell, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE31 8BB

https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/titchwell-marsh/

A day at the beach

Take a picnic, bat and ball, kite, cricket set, football, rug and collapsible chairs, and enjoy a day at the beach – weather permitting. Norfolk is blessed with an abundance of beautiful beaches, from soft sandy stretches to shingle beaches and rock pools. It’s always a good idea to check high and low tide times before heading off, as sometimes there is no beach at all, depending on where and when you visit. From quiet uncommercialised beaches to busier coastline with a host of amenities, Norfolk has it all. A day at the beach can be fun for the whole family and doesn’t have to cost a penny.

Please use the following link to find the beach that best suits your needs:

https://www.norfolk-norwich.com/news/some-of-norfolks-best-beaches.php

Parks in Norwich

Norwich has a great variety of parks and open spaces where you can spend the day, weather permitting. Take a picnic, rug and some outdoor games and spend the day outside in the fresh air with your friends and family – it doesn’t have to cost a thing!

Please use the link below for further details about parks in Norwich:

https://www.norfolk-norwich.com/norwich/discovering-norwich/parks-and-gardens.php

Do you know of any other upcoming events or other attractions that are FREE to enter in Norfolk? Please get in touch with the details.