Eamonn McCabe
Norfolk
Big skies, sweeping beaches, windswept marshes, meandering inland waterways and pretty flint houses combine to great effect in Norfolk. They say the locals have 'one foot on the land, and one in the sea', and you’re never far from water here, whether it's beside the windmill-framed rivers of the tranquil Norfolk Broads or the wide, birdlife-rich sands of the shore. Inland, the bustling city of Norwich offers a fine castle and a cathedral, a lively market and some truly excellent places to sleep and eat.
Latest Stories from Norfolk
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Norfolk.
See
Norwich Cathedral
Norwich's most impressive landmark is a magnificent Anglican cathedral. Its barbed spire soars higher than any in England except Salisbury's, while the size of its cloisters is second to none. Highlights include the mesmerising ceiling, the ornate roof bosses, and the striking modern features of the Hostry. The 50-minute guided tours (donation requested, hourly Monday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm) are an engaging way to find out more. Work started on the cathedral in 1096 and it remains one of the finest Anglo-Norman abbey churches in the country. The sheer size of its nave is striking, but its most renowned feature is the superb Gothic rib vaulting added in 1463. Among the spidery stonework are 1200 sculpted roof bosses depicting Bible stories. Together they represent one of the finest achievements of English medieval masonry. Similar bosses can be seen in closer detail in the cathedral's remarkable, two-storey cloisters. Built between 1297 and 1430, they are unique in England and were originally built to house a community of about 100 monks. Above the bronze font (which came from a nearby chocolate factory), look out for Censing Angel (2012) – a suspended celestial figure woven out of willow branches by sculptor Joy Whiddett, trailing the words 'peace', 'hope' and 'love'. Outside the cathedral's eastern end is the grave of the WWI heroine Edith Cavell, a Norfolk-born nurse who was executed for helping hundreds of Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. The handsome cathedral close also contains the old chapel of King Edward VI School (where naval hero Admiral Nelson was educated). Today's students make up the choir, which performs in services.
See
Norwich Castle
Crowning a hilltop overlooking central Norwich, this massive 12th-century castle is one of England’s best-preserved examples of Anglo-Norman military architecture. Its superb interactive museum crams in lively exhibits on Boudica, the Iceni, the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings. Perhaps the best bit though is the atmospheric keep itself with its graphic displays on the grisly punishments meted out in its days as a medieval prison. Guided tours (adult/child £3.70/3) around the battlements and creepy dungeons run at least twice daily. The castle's art gallery houses works of the acclaimed 19th-century Norwich School of landscape painting founded by John Crome, and (drum roll) the world's largest collection of novelty teapots.
See
Museum of Norwich
Stay on your best behaviour: 14th-century Bridewell is a former house of correction, a 'prison for women, beggars and tramps'. Displays here explore Norwich’s prominence as England's second city in the Middle Ages and its 19th-century industrial heritage. You can also play games in a 1950s parlour, listen to shoe-workers’ memories, and watch films in a pocket-sized cinema. Look out too for the eccentric, snake-proof boot.
See
Holkham National Nature Reserve
Beach, dunes, salt marsh, grazing marsh, pinewoods and scrub – a high number of habitats pack into 37-sq-km Holkham Reserve. It's easily accessed from the car park at Lady Anne’s Dr in Holkham village. From there, ribboning pathways lead through forests via bird hides and on to an expansive, pristine shore.
See
Blickling Hall
Largely remodelled in the 17th century for Sir Henry Hobart, James I's chief justice, Blickling Hall began life in the 11th century as a manor house and bishop's palace. The grand Jacobean state rooms are stuffed with fine Georgian furniture, pictures and tapestries; the plaster ceiling in the Long Gallery is spectacular. The estate's vast parklands are criss-crossed with cycling and walking routes. Blickling Hall is 15 miles north of Norwich off the A140. In 1437 the isolated house was claimed by the Boleyn family and passed through the generations to Thomas, father of Anne Boleyn. Anne was executed by her husband Henry VIII in 1536 on charges of adultery. It’s said that on the anniversary of her death a coach drives up to the house, drawn by headless horses, driven by headless coachmen and containing the queen with her head on her lap.
See
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
The region's most important centre for the arts is housed in the first major public building by renowned architect Norman Foster. Its eclectic collections include works by Picasso, Moore, Degas and Bacon, which are displayed beside curios from Africa, the Pacific and the Americas. The gallery is in the University of East Anglia's grounds, 2 miles west of the city centre. To get there take bus 22, 25 or 26 (£2.20, 15 minutes). Guided tours (11am and 2pm) of the collections run from Tuesday to Sunday.
See
Cley Marshes
One of England's premier birdwatching sites, Cley Marshes has more than 300 resident bird species, plentiful migrants and a network of walking trails and bird hides amid its golden reeds. Even if you're not into birdwatching, don't miss the (free) visitor centre and cafe where seats and telescopes line up beside vast picture windows with panoramic reserve views. This is birdwatching for softies; sip a latte while enjoying zoomed-in images of marsh harriers.
See
Titchwell Marsh
The marshland, sandbars and lagoons of Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve attract vast numbers of birds. In the spring, listen out for the booming call of the bittern; summer brings marsh harriers, avocets, terns and nesting bearded tits. In winter you'll see more than 20 species of wading birds and countless ducks and geese. Titchwell Marsh is 3 miles west of Burnham Deepdale.
See
Holkham Hall & Estate
Holkham Hall is the ancestral seat of the original Earl of Leicester and still belongs to his descendants. A severe Palladian mansion, it's largely unadorned on the outside but the interior is sumptuous, with a red-velvet-lined saloon, copies of Greek and Roman statues, the luxurious Green State Bedroom, and fluted columns in the Marble Hall. It's set in a vast deer park (open 10am to 5pm daily), which was designed by William Kent. Admission to the hall includes entry to the 6-acre walled garden, which is being restored, and Field to Fork, a kid-friendly exhibition charting the life cycle of crop production.