North East Norfolk is an attractive place to live, with a great coastline and gentle countryside surrounding unspoilt villages. It is set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has access to the Norfolk Coast Path and is also close to the Broads National Park.
It has none of the hyper fashionable thrusting air of, say, Holt or the Burnhams, but is family friendly, with sandy beaches and safe swimming, thus offering a more authentic lifestyle.
Mundesley is one of its larger villages and is a quaint seaside resort, with a very relaxing, unassuming air. Not too far from Cromer, it became popular in Victorian times when the town boasted its own railway station which is sadly no more. But it did leave the village with some wonderful Victorian architecture - look out for the Manor Hotel - and plenty of lovely parks and open spaces such as The Lees which overlook the beach and are just the spot for a picnic.
The Blue Flag beach is easily accessible and there are colourful beach huts to rent, and a great cafe, under newish ownership, where fish and chips are surely a must.
The village has several cafes and pubs, with the Ship Inn offering good views out to sea from its great beer garden alongside local, seasonal food.
There are several independent shops including a butcher, deli, fishmonger plus that vital post office. There are three churches, infant and junior schools, a doctor’s surgery and lots of clubs - Mundesley Players have a very good reputation.
Children enjoy the crazy golf, skate park, amusement arcades and ice cream parlours, and many of the shops sell those beach essentials - buckets and spades, body boards and more. Various water sports are available in season, and the village’s golf club is very popular.
One attraction not to miss is Mundesley Maritime Museum, in an old coastguard lookout point, which might be one of the smallest museums in the county, but it offers an insight into the area’s nautical heritage: the shipwrecks, fishing industry, smuggling past and more.
Just south of Mundesley is Happisburgh, well known for its red and white banded lighthouse which you can visit. In true Norfolk fashion, you actually pronounce it as Haze--bruh! The village has a strong community spirit, a great school, a new village shop with lots of local produce, the historic church of St Mary’s and a pub, The Hill House, which has very good real ale choices thanks to its own microbrewery. The beach is stunning and is perfect for dog walkers who can stride out to Smallsticks cafe at Cart Gap to enjoy an all-day breakfast.
The beach continues to Sea Palling, another great family-friendly resort with safe swimming for children and a wide range of water sports on offer in the good weather. There is a good selection of cafes and fish and chip shops, with Reefs Bar as the central point, plus amusement arcades and very good freshly made doughnuts. There are also essentials like a village shop and post office and the Great Barn at next door Waxham is well worth a visit, especially if Dunes Cafe is open.
