Top 10 things to do in Norfolk

By Jess Shanahan

Go crabbing off Cromer Pier

Cromer’s crabs are world-renowned for their sweet taste and this is all thanks to the chalk reef that sits just of the coast. During the summer months you can see plenty of people dangling buckets over the railings to catch crabs. You can pick up a bucket and some bait from the entrance to the pier.

Explore the castle

Find out more about Norwich’s Anglo-Saxon and Norman beginnings. Explore the old keep, tour the battlements where you’ll get fantastic views of the city, or head down to the dungeons for an insight into the castle’s gruesome past.

Norwich Castle

Walk or cycle Weaver’s Way

Pick a starting point and go for a walk, there are also plenty of points where you can hire a bike if you’d prefer to cycle.

Go and see the seals

A trip to Blakeney is a lovely thing in itself but a visit should always include a boat trip out to see the seals. There are a number of companies offering seal tours – usually from Morston Quay – but it’s worth booking, especially during the summer when lots of tourists flock to this part of the world.

Birdwatch at Titchwell

This RSPB nature reserve is at a point where fresh and salt water meet, leading to a vast array of wildlife calling the site home. The coastal dunes and marshland are great places to see marsh harriers, bearded tits, avocets, gulls, ducks and geese. Look hard enough and you may even see a bittern, too.

Watch the sunset at Hunstanton

Norfolk is well known for its spectacular sunrises over the sea with most of the coast facing to the east but there’s one place where you can get a great view of the sun setting over the water, too. Hunstanton’s west-facing seaside position means you can watch the sun dip below the horizon while enjoying an ice cream.

Tour the Woodforde’s brewery

Norfolk is famous for its fine ales and you can tour one of the larger breweries in Woodbastwick. The Woodforde’s tour will take you around the brewery and will let you taste the beers created with water from the local area, Norfolk barley and a whole host of hops.

Shop for souvenirs in Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is quite an experience, much like a smaller, less garish Blackpool. It’s one of the best places in the county to go if you want to find traditional souvenirs like tote bags, caps, badges and fridge magnets.

Market Row shops, Great Yarmouth

Sample the local food

You might visit a local seafood restaurant to try some samphire or you might go all out and visit a farm shop to pick up lots of lovely ingredients and snacks ahead of a picnic.

Cycle through Thetford Forest

Make the most of this vast forest by hiring a bike from Bike Art, located at the High Lodge Forest Centre. There are a wide range of cycle trails in Thetford Forest to suit all ages and abilities. You could go for a leisurely ride and stop for a picnic, thankful for Norfolk’s flat terrain, or you could go off the beaten path and try a bit of mountain biking through the trees, attempting ditches and taking on small jumps.

Read more about Norfolk