This is the most atmospheric part of Norfolk, where the sky and salt marshes meet to create a truly evocative place, offering an ever changing landscape that reflects the season’s moods.
But for all its wintry solitude and summer verve, this is a cosmopolitan part of the region, with luxury shops, classy restaurants and plenty of great social events like supper clubs, festivals and more.
Brancaster Staithe is home to one the area’s best known hotels, The White Horse, which has a wonderful first floor terrace which looks out over the marshes and is just the place for a G&T. There’s also the Jolly Sailors in the village where you might catch the Sheringham Shantymen in action, and the village has several seafood outlets, including Staithe Smokehouse, where you can pick up ultra fresh fruits of the sea. The sailing club draws people together and there are some good tennis courts at the village hall.
Next door is Brancaster, with its popular golf club and simply enormous sandy beach. The Ship Hotel is excellent while Brancaster Village Hall and Stores, with Bar 71, is the big hearted centre of the village - it has a post office too, plus there are tennis courts and a playing field.
Titchwell is another pretty village, with the RSPB reserve indicating that this is also great bird watching territory. And there's the outstanding Titchwell Manor Hotel, with new head chef Oliver Bacon-Hilton, and Briarfields, another luxury hotel - so you won’t go hungry here!
Thornham, about halfway between Hunstanton and Burnham Market, has really bloomed in recent years and is quite the gourmet choice. Thornham Deli goes from strength to strength with its deli, fab homes and garden delights, great cafe and B&B accommodation. Just outside the village is Drove Orchards, with its ever increasing offerings. There’s a great farm shop (the homemade apple juice is first class), a lovely fashion shop, a barber, an interiors shop, and it is also where you’ll find a branch of Eric’s Fish and Chips, his pizzeria in a yurt and East Coast Gelato for a sweet treat. You can have a great day here!
And that’s before we mention three other great places to eat: The Chequers Inn, The Lifeboat Inn and The Orange Tree - all of which have comfy rooms on offer, too.
Thornham Creek is a magical place and, if you stride out over the marshes and creeks, you will reach a near deserted beach where you can easily imagine the smugglers of yesteryear at work.
Holme-next-the-Sea is in the county’s north west corner, where the North Sea meets The Wash. It’s an unspoilt, off the beaten track sort of place, which is quiet but has a lovely pub, The White Horse. There are yet more wide sweeping sands and this is where the Bronze Age find, Seahenge, a tree circle, was discovered in 1988. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve at Holme Dunes has many hides to watch the migrating birds and it’s a special place to feel at one with nature.
Just a couple of miles inland from Holme is Ringstead, where many properties are made from the local carrstone. With the Peddars Way, a 46-mile long distance footpath running from Knettishall Heath in The Brecks to Holme, passing through the village, it’s a good choice for walkers. Add in a very good village shop, packed with artisan produce, and The Gin Trap Inn which specialises in, yes, you’ve guessed it, gin!