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Post by lugg on Apr 8, 2024 19:35:29 GMT
I recently spent a few days on the North Norfolk coast with my daughter, just prior to Easter, and so we mainly avoided the rush to the coast for the holiday. It was my first time actually staying here and exploring, as I have previously only driven through parts of Norfolk, heading for the ferries to Denmark or Holland. Our goals were simple; we went to seek out seals, get lots fresh air whilst walking and hoped to eat the fresh seafood that this part of England is renowned for. Really this is what you will get from the report , just a little of what we found, which barely scrapes the surface of what this part of the world can offer to a visitor. A photo to locate the area in England – we were at the top most part of the red area live.staticflickr.com/65535/53629106322_48d266a404.jpgAs ever I looked for a holiday rental so we could keep costs to the minimum by cooking and eating in, plus we need our own bedrooms! I found a tiny but perfectly formed former fisherman’s cottage. in Wells-Next-the-Sea, at a reasonable price. No small feat, given the popularity of this part of the world, especially as many Londoners have bought second homes here. One village has become known as “Chelsea On Sea.” www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/second-homes-ban-burnham-market-norfolk-b2422215.html… but more of that later. So a few pics of the cottage, situated on a dodgy sounding lane. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619444437_b2484293a4_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619444462_0dc8c4926d_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620654489_0c6ab7d0be_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619444232_94acabdb17_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620767330_3f02efc69f_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620529518_1523cdc94c_c.jpgIt is quite a long drive from Herefordshire, 4 hours , we arrived late afternoon , unpacked our stuff and then headed out to have a look at the village. I really had little knowledge about Wells but I fell in love with it over the next few days . Yes it caters for tourists, but it still has the heart and soul of a community. Fishermen continue to do what they have done for generations, there are lots of independent shops, no fast food chains etc. An added bonus is the pedestrianised high street. We headed to the Quay and wandered around, the tide was high, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620653674_3667e14745_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620529293_60c64a76af_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620319251_8ebbd722a2_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620318736_7b914fc28c_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620764050_5f22dd201f_c.jpgA lovely memorial on a bench to a lifeboat man live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620766325_f8259694f9_c.jpgWells is actually quite some way from the sea itself. In past times heavy horses pulled the lifeboats from Wells out to the sea at Holkham, a distance of 2 miles. A modern day sculpture pays tribute. www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/things-to-do/22610120.wells-next-the-seas-lifeboat-horse-love/When we were there the horse sculpture had not yet been replaced in the sea after being brought out to keep it safe during the winter storms but we did see it on a barge in the quay. I guessed it would be being returned to the sea in the next week or so. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620528813_3b532eff36_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619442887_73e7823eaa_c.jpgAnyway – time to buy a supper of fish and chips; my name is much more common in this part of the world, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620528998_31d3b41087_c.jpgMy surname may be more common here but you cannot take the Manchester out of me, so gravy is obligatory. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620766220_b62c36e2aa_c.jpgWhilst we ate we planned our next day. A long walk was needed. More to follow |
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Post by onlyMark on Apr 8, 2024 20:25:35 GMT
Had a few years as a kid going on holiday camping with my parents at Wells and Hunstanton. Lovely part of the country and I wondered how it may have changed. Nice to see it and a lovely place you've had to stay in.
Excellent dinner too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 8, 2024 21:23:47 GMT
I am excited to see more of what you & your daughter saw. Great stuff so far. Any idea what's with the structure sticking out from the old brick building? The place where you stayed is charming on the outside & looks as though every comfort was considered for the inside. I want to be in Wells eating all the seafood! Speaking of which, I didn't know about gravy on fried fish. Interesting.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 8, 2024 21:46:40 GMT
The flat and the area both look totally delightful. And that's a part of England that I have never seen, so this is great!
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Post by bjd on Apr 9, 2024 6:33:09 GMT
It does look like a nice place for a holiday and your rental cottage is lovely.
Like Bixa, I am wondering what that green thing sticking out of the building is. Some way of loading high boats?
Obviously I didn't live in Manchester long enough -- I wouldn't put gravy on anything.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 9, 2024 7:20:28 GMT
That thing looks like a hoist to me with the hoist part folded in perhaps.
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Post by onlyMark on Apr 9, 2024 12:35:56 GMT
My first thought with that green thing was also for loading boats. Doesn't to me look strong enough for a crane. So curiosity got me looking into it a little. It's a refurbished part of Sowerby's Granary which has now been converted into apartments. Norfolk used to export grain and malt from this quay and it looks like the grain/malt was moved across the gantry by some method, conveyer belt, blown down a pipe or something and then it dropped into the holds of the ships.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 9, 2024 13:50:08 GMT
I should have realised that because there is actually one just like that near where I live on the Canal de l'Ourcq. The building used to be a huge flour mill and now it is super fancy bank offices. Since it is a historic building, they could not change anything on the outside (and probably didn't want to anyway even if it cost them a bit of extra paint for refurbishing).
And there is actually another one at the Lafarge cement works on the other side of the canal.
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Post by lugg on Apr 9, 2024 19:17:48 GMT
Had a few years as a kid going on holiday camping with my parents at Wells and Hunstanton. Lovely part of the country and I wondered how it may have changed. Nice to see it and a lovely place you've had to stay in. Excellent dinner too. Thanks Mark. We did not get to Hunstanton but maybe another time. Any idea what's with the structure sticking out from the old brick building? Mark has explained it perfectly. The structure is a " gantry" So Wells was not just a fishing village but a major port and also home to two shipyards . More here wellsguide.com/about-wells-next-the-sea/history-of-wells/And that's a part of England that I have never seen, so this is great! Me either so all new to me . Obviously I didn't live in Manchester long enough -- I wouldn't put gravy on anything. Not on your roast Sunday lunch or steak and kidney pies ?  |
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Post by lugg on Apr 9, 2024 19:26:58 GMT
Next day we set off on foot to explore the local area further. To give you an idea we walked about 10 miles in total. First we wandered around Wells itself, locating the shops we wanted to go back to to buy dinner later. . It is a very walkable place with lots of small footpaths , alleyways etc. I suspect that, generally, the layout has not changed over the last few hundred years. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620317381_dd1cc8d4d3_b.jpgMany of the traditional buildings and walls are made up of red brick and flint. More about that here, www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/post/flint-building-block-of-norfolkIt a building material that I have rarely seen and I found it quite lovely, (I will revisit flint buildings later on in the report) live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620318476_e233f6b343_c.jpgThere are some rather more grandiose although the name “ Buttlands” may mislead, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620317766_451207f291_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620317601_d2c1ef2a07_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620317771_356d896be2_c.jpgThis small area is served by 2 pubs and another within spitting distance live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620317286_b13d7b9cfe_c.jpgAs an aside North Norfolk is probably the most dog friendly place I have visited in the UK – they were welcomed everywhere , in shops, pubs , restaurants , yes part of the beaches were restricted but still many wide open beaches for them to play on. If you at all interested if you google the menus of the pub above you will find there is even a dog menu ! .. the main street is pedestrianised and it is so pleasant to walk down , lots of independent shops , great food shops too, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620764620_06b85d96e2_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620764525_ecb7a0096f_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620764310_eba639f3a3_c.jpgAnyway off to the beach on a traffic free walkway. Setting off from the quay , the tide was out and more of the mud was exposed and the sun was shining . Is there anything better after a cold, dull, damp and grey Winter? live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619422512_3022d80784_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620746435_cbe58a5a02_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619440582_0952731e17_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619440402_b43cb4f727_c.jpgTidal monitor live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620763915_537454944b_c.jpgThe whole of North Norfolk is a very important site for birds and other wild life. This board guided us in what birds to look out for live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619440182_9320f3d68b_b.jpg live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620650329_cedfc5ec57_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620650169_91383638e4_c.jpgBrent geese were gathering – they will soon return to Siberia to breed, returning again next Autumn live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620746240_48cca5b36a_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620295991_c881155679_c.jpgAs we walked we were excited to see Oyster Catchers and Curlews and some little Ruddy Turnstones, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620634289_e56a72ba6b_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620508718_5041a7f690_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620745560_db4eba4054_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620634164_e370fff12f_c.jpgNearing the beach there was a little harbour, the lifeboat house and a coastguard station but little of the sea to be seen. Warnings posted at many places along the way about the dangers of being cut off if you wander out too far on the expanse of beach at the wrong time live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620632574_1d26c10734_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620507393_a5710d6d5f_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620507323_40c3e32f71_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620523643_64473519fe_c.jpgIt can be so far to the sea that additional equipment is need at this lifeboat station live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620632399_4ce890fc84_c.jpgThe coastguards must need keen eyes and/ or good equipment live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619421552_16b6bb7aaf_c.jpgFinally the beach live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620763335_cd27b318c7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619421552_16b6bb7aaf_c.jpgPretty beach huts line part of the beach, sheltered by Corsican Pines live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620632239_ca2aa5745b_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620507173_7f59844e1e_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620507168_70d1b39852_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620523883_bdf5c8fd52_c.jpgThe sea is out there somewhere, but oh those everlasting vistas, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620507173_7f59844e1e_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620763225_212df2a65f_c.jpgPerfect for flying kites, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620524628_ef5db4a1d9_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619438622_da5444d67c_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620762035_89c56964c0_c.jpgSo after a coffee stop near the life boat station (where I think we were the only people who did not have a canine friend with them) we walked back to Wells where we bought steak, a wild garlic pesto, crusty bread and salad and had a well -earned dinner. (The wild garlic pesto made by the deli owner was just so good) live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619437867_591300b8b8_c.jpgNext day is all about the seals |
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Post by htmb on Apr 9, 2024 20:15:11 GMT
Lovely report!
You walked ten miles? Impressive!
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Post by fumobici on Apr 10, 2024 2:56:44 GMT
Love this, the pictures evoke happy beach memories. Probably a madhouse in the Summer, but it looks about perfect right now.
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Post by bjd on Apr 10, 2024 7:08:13 GMT
Your harbour pictures make me almost smell the sea.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 10, 2024 11:35:14 GMT
I love vast empty beaches, which is why I nearly always visit the sea totally out of season. Your photos display the atmosphere perfectly.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 11, 2024 2:12:02 GMT
Your pictures are so wide and beautiful and clear -- really evocative of the seaside. You captured some magnificent skies, too. I'll bet the air there was a delight. I can see how, when the tide is out, a person might be tempted to walk and walk towards the water's edge, only to meet disaster when the sea comes rushing in. The warning signs are sobering. Looking forward to hearing about the flint & brick construction. Hope mossie stops in for some of that. That picture of the magnolia next to the brick & flint house wall is truly lovely. So many birds -- what a treat! Speaking of treat, your "well-earned dinner" looks delicious. Is the bowl in the middle the pesto? It looks like a chopped salad, but what do I know. You all must have slept really well after that great meal and all that walking. |
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2024 17:30:53 GMT
Thank you
Bixa the bowl in the middle is pasta with wild garlic pesto...I cannot remember the name of the pasta - tiny twists , never had it before but it was lovely.
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Post by lugg on Apr 12, 2024 17:36:13 GMT
Next day we planned to seek out seals and had an early morning boat trip planned, followed by a drive up the coast to an area where you can view seals from the beach. We caught the boat at Morston Quay a few miles down the coast, owned by the National Trust which also owns and runs Blakeney Point the spit where we were heading. In the link below ther is a You tube video which gives a detailed view of the area and is better than anything I could describe/ show in my images.. www.internetgeography.net/topics/blakeney-point-case-study/The crew on the boat were very well informed and pointed out various features / told us about the history as we headed out in the channel that leads from Moreston to the spit. We were heading out on a window of opportunity that is very much dependent upon the tides ( leaving close to high tide) as an hour or two later the channels will have emptied live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620760670_7081e3c112_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619436907_9c659033ab_c.jpgPassing by an old life boat station – now shelter for the NT rangers as they work to ensure seals and birds etc are protected The spit had taken a battering this Winter and had reduced considerably in size. This meant we had to travel further out but then we had a first glimpse of a group of seals. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620312646_938c08cea7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619421287_e22153a863_c.jpgThe boat manoeuvred as close as possible . The seals do not give a fig about motor boats but we were told that for some reason they absolutely hate and get stressed by kayaks and paddle boarders, possibly because they do not hear them approaching and so panic when they are sighted ? live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620768210_b26b5fd9fa_c.jpgThere are two types of seal which make this their home – the common and the grey. At this time of year we were seeing grey seals which had birthed there pups over the Winter months. In the Summer they will be replaced by Common seals live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619444817_39221227f7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620506603_1c20a803f9_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620296636_d1dd0dd13f_c.jpgA zillion photos later we headed back to the quay, an opportunity to notice other things, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620743295_2052804d47_c.jpgAn old lifeboat now in private ownership ( originally from Scotland) live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620297381_16cb60f8ca_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619444787_eeb5968797_c.jpgWe decided that we were not yet sealed out and so headed off in the car to Horsey Beach/ Gap where it is possible to walk on the beaches where the seals make their home. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620312091_06803d23dd_b.jpgHere on the beach there are volunteer rangers that make sure everyone is respectful and keep their distance from the seals .The images below are taken with a considerable amount of zoom, live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620311171_9b9e77e182_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620518903_603c93b1f6_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620741695_d9e46560c5_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620741345_a820614187_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620741375_d52ffba340_c.jpgBut sometimes the seals have other ideas. These two young pups had headed away from the family groups and lay within inches of the pathway. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619434692_0f5df5e56a_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619444707_2c1460fb1e_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620519988_68cd0a4cb0_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620518783_08c9bebaf3_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619419657_3d8fbc1b5b_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53619419307_a26b9d5042_c.jpgOn the way back to the car park I asked one of the rangers about this and if the pups were ok. She explained that they had learned that their best chance of survival was to keep away from the aggressive bulls in the family groups and that humans are a lesser evil. They so remind me of dogs, particularly labs and they do have a common ancestor albeit way back. Time for a hot drink – it looks sunny but oh my it was so blowy. We headed to a café we had spotted on the way to Horsey. We were not expecting this 40s war theme .. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620518778_5cea992ed7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620518708_97611890e1_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/53620320531_86ab4c1aba_c.jpgCalled in to buy fish for our dinner on our way home at Sherringham, a town we agreed was worthy of exploring another time. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53620308951_45a8b23298_c.jpgDinner- We opted for Sea Bass with capers and dill, boy it was so good. Lovely evening chatting, no TV again and sharing the cooking in a tiny space that perhaps only a mother and daughter can do? Maybe oiled by a good white wine. live.staticflickr.com/65535/53619433152_a8a7a8318f_c.jpgLast day to follow |
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Post by htmb on Apr 12, 2024 18:22:18 GMT
Sounds just like my kind of trip! Your photos are fantastic, too!
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 12, 2024 18:25:29 GMT
I always think of seals as being water dogs. I wonder if they would behave that way if they were raised end tended to by people living on the shore. Probably not, because they would always have access to the bounty of the sea and the food in it and should never need to be fed by landlubbers, unlike dogs.
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Post by lugg on Apr 13, 2024 18:18:47 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 13, 2024 19:17:38 GMT
I certainly understand why Londoners were attracted to purchasing holiday homes there. It is really lovely.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 13, 2024 23:55:01 GMT
Oh Lugg! What a glorious trip and report! I've been busy, so only now catching up with this wealth of photography & information. So glad you had that diamond-like weather for your visit to the area. Thanks for the answers to my previous question. Really, you have given us too much good stuff to do justice to it all, but a few comments ~ The spit had taken a battering this Winter and had reduced considerably in size. Do you know if the spit(s) gets artificially built back up again, or is natures left to do its course? An old lifeboat now in private ownership ( originally from Scotland) I can see why someone would want that. It would make a nice little cruiser & a tight little home. That picture of the seal under the wooden wharf just knocks me out, as does the long, infinite perspective one of the concrete steps. They so remind me of dogs, particularly labs and they do have a common ancestor albeit way back. That's interesting! They have always reminded me of dogs, too, but I never dreamed the resemblance was more than coincidence. We were not expecting this 40s war theme ..   The meals you prepared in your home-away-from home all look stellar! I imagine at certain times of the year Burnham could be excruciating, but it's all charm in your pictures. The flint & brick buildings are wonderful. I adore that exterior shot of the old church with its grassy graveyard. It's everything England should be. (Sorry about that remark. If I disappear one day, you'll know they've rounded up the hopelessly sappy Anglophiles and shot them.) When I go to heaven it will be right in front of Gurney's Seafood and the Humble Pie delicatessen. Okay, as enthralled as i was by the old church, Creake Abbey almost did me in. Wow -- just gorgeous and you captured it so brilliantly. As I said, too many wonders to comment on all of them, but I hope you know how very much I enjoyed this report. Can't wait for you to go back! |
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Post by lugg on Apr 14, 2024 18:12:36 GMT
Thank you both, Do you know if the spit(s) gets artificially built back up again, or is natures left to do its course? I believe nature is left to do its course |
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