Norfolking around
In September we treated ourselves to a week’s holiday on the north Norfolk coast in a cute little cottage in Blakeney. This was my first visit to Norfolk and it was love at first sight. Blakeney is a beautiful little village on the edge of the Blakeney marshes, surrounded by water, wildlife and the biggest skies. Cobblestone houses and flowery alleyways are really delightful to explore. Norfolk is the most dog-friendly place I’ve visited, and our chow chow Frida had a fantastic time on long walks and paddling in the rivers and sea, she was welcomed everywhere we went - she’s a bit of a walking tourist attraction herself! There is a thriving colony of grey and common seals in Blakeney Harbour, and it was amazing to see them relaxing with their pups on the shore and playing in the clear water.
The beaches we visited were extraordinary - so wide and stretching on forever, with incredible soft sand. When the tide is out it is really out! Wells-Next-The-Sea (NB it's actually miles away especially at low tide) has the loveliest beach huts I’ve ever seen, and a mediterranean forest of corsican pines behind the beach. We had a lovely day reading on the beach and playing with Frida who found a big hole in the sand to cool off in, before taking the tiny tourist train into the town to get fish and chips for lunch. We came back again in the evening to watch the sun set over the sea.
Cley-Next-The-Sea is another pretty little cobblestone village (also not that close to the sea any more!) with a beautiful windmill which is available as a wedding venue and B&B. We visited the local fish smoker (OMG the best smoked prawns and mackerel) and pottery, and bought a very tasty local gin at nearby Salthouse.
St Benet’s Abbey in the Broads was really interesting - it is the only Abbey that wasn’t dissolved by Henry VIII and is still an active part of the diocese apparently. The only part of the Abbey left standing is the Gatehouse, into which a mill was built in the 18th Century - it’s a stunning spot - miles away from the crowds, so peaceful and beautiful.
I really hope that we can go back again one day when hopefully there will be fewer restrictions due to Corona - many of the sites we wanted to visit were closed, although we still managed to pack so much into a week’s trip that we need another holiday already to recover!
