Broadland & East Norfolk
East Norfolk is one of the flattest areas of Britain, but certainly does not lack character. Great Yarmouth is Britain’s second most easterly town, after Lowestoft (which is in Suffolk), and is Norfolk’s biggest and busiest seaside resort. It boasts a 5 mile stretch of golden sand, a variety of traditional entertainment including a fun fair, amusement arcades and two piers. The Wellington Pier, which is the larger of the two, is owned by comedian Jim Davison. Throughout the summer months he and other entertainers perform to the visiting crowds. There is also a large leisure centre, a sea life centre and plenty of attractive gardens. At night the seafront comes alive and is illuminated by thousands of coloured lights. Great Yarmouth used to be a big fishing port, and at one point it was said to have over a thousand fishing boats. Today, most of the fishing boats have gone, but it still has a busy commercial harbour.
North along the coast from Great Yarmouth is Caister-on-Sea. With a fine stretch of sandy beach, backed by dunes, it was originally one of the chief towns of the Iceni Tribe. Caister was an important Roman port and remains of the Roman defences, including part of the town wall, can still be seen.
About a mile from the village of Caister-on-Sea stand the ruins of the moated Caister Castle. This was the first brick castle to be built in England and was erected in the 1430’s.
California and Hemsby are north along the coast from Caister. With golden sandy beaches and traditional amusements, they are both very popular with holiday-makers.
Happisburgh - pronounced ‘Haisboro’ - is well known for its red and white striped lighthouse. It was constructed in 1791 to warn sailors of the dangerous sand banks.
Further along the coast is the town of Sea Palling. Once very vulnerable to flooding, the sea defences have been greatly improved in recent years. Sea Palling has a vast expanse of golden sand and is also very popular with jet skiers.
Nearby Waxham was at one time 12 miles inland, but due to coastal erosion, it is now a very pleasant seaside resort.
Next door to Great Yarmouth is Gorleston. It is much quieter than its neighbour, but its excellent beach means it is still popular with holiday-makers.
Ten miles inland from Great Yarmouth is the market town of Acle. The town was granted permission to hold a market in 1272 and, to this day, one is held every Thursday.
The finest holiday cottages & self-catering accommodation in Norfolk.
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Wigeon Cottage
Thornham, Norfolk
This comfortable three-bedroom cottage is in a stunning location just off the Norfolk Coastal path. It enjoys far reaching views across the marshes whilst being close to the centre of the delightful village of Thornham and comes with a fully- enclosed garden.
Hart's House
Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk
Hart's House is a welcoming laidback beach house, just a hop, skip and a jump from the harbour at Burnhham Overy Staithe where you can paddle and swim. Boasting lovely sea views from the main sitting room, kitchen and two of the bedrooms, it also features a spacious dining kitchen, a wood burning stove and is only a one-minute walk to a good pub/restaurant.
Some of the best things to do in Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth is like Marmite – some people love it and some people loathe it. Whatever side of the fence you sit, there is no disputing the fact that it attracts a vast number of visitors each year and is one of the UK’s most popular seaside destinations. Situated 20 miles east of Norwich, Great Yarmouth has been a seaside resort since 1760 and with more than 70,000 bed spaces it accommodates over a third of all visitors to Norfolk each year.
Visit the Grey Seals at Horsey, Norfolk
From late October through to February a large colony of grey seals come onto the beach at Horsey, Norfolk to have their young. It is one of the few accessible UK mainland breeding sites where visitors can observe the grey seals and their pups.
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An independent tourist guide for the county of Norfolk in England, that shows you what places actually look like.
www.norfolkandsuffolkattractions.co.uk
Norfolk + Suffolk Tourist Attractions is the trade association for tourist attractions in Norfolk and Suffolk.
