The Beechwood makes an ideal touring base for the North Norfolk coast, Norwich and the Broads.
North Walsham is a traditional market town. The flint church next door dates from 1858 and the newly repaired tower of St Nicholas parish church at the top of Market Place can be seen from the Beechwood Hotel. A 2 minute walk takes you to the town centre with its Thursday market and large selection of independently run local shops.
The coast is perhaps the jewel in Norfolk’s crown. Expansive sandy beaches, salt marshes, pine woods edging the sand dunes and historic harbour villages – with houses of red brick and flint construction – are waiting to be explored. The R.S.P.B and National Trust have reserves with important bird species resident, and visits by rare migratory birds cause great excitement amongst the bird watching fraternity. The seal population at Blakeney Point can be visited by boat from Morston and Blakeney, further east the seals can be visited on foot at Horsey. This part of the coast is also popular with small boat sailors.
In any season, the Heritage coast is a wonderful place. In winter, a walk along the edge of the marshes, with bracing sea air is invigorating. In summer, a stroll amid drifts of sea-blue lavender glowing in warm sunshine, stunning sandy beaches and big skies – is both relaxing and uplifting.
A visit to Holt, Burnham Market or one of the coastal towns, Wells, Cromer or Sheringham, with their art galleries, museums and variety of shops, makes for an interesting day. If you like a livelier seaside resort then Great Yarmouth caters for those who seek traditional seaside entertainment.
Norwich boasts some of the finest medieval architecture in Britain, with its cathedral, Norman castle, city walls, half-timbered houses and intricate network of winding medieval streets. The impressive cathedral spire dominates a city with an abundance of things to do and Norwich Castle contains a fascinating museum. The Castle Quarter and Chantry Place shopping centres, together with the traditional shopping streets and the extensive street market make Norwich one of the premier shopping centres in the UK.
A short drive from the Beechwood lies the Norfolk Broads, Britain’s finest wetland. An extensive network of rivers and shallow lakes with small waterside villages, can be visited by car but is best discovered by boat. Day boats can be hired from one of the many boatyards.
Close by are the renowned gardens at East Ruston Old Vicarage, 20 acres of coastal gardens just waiting to be explored.
Sandringham House, the country retreat of the Royal family is well worth a visit and is only about an hour’s drive away.
Norfolk Information
Norfolk Time to Explore
Official visitor website for Norfolk
www.visitnorfolk.co.uk
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Three
nature reserves close by at Cley Marshes and Hickling and Ranworth
Broads. Ranger guided boat trips at Hickling to island bird hides.
www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
The Norfolk Churches Trust
Norfolk has 659 medieval churches, the greatest concentration in the world.
www.norfolkchurchestrust.org.uk
St George’s Distillery
England’s
first malt Whisky Distillery near East Harling. 5 minutes off the A11
in south Norfolk. Café, whisky shop and tour, a great place to break a
journey. A selection of their whisky is available from our bar.
https://www.englishwhisky.co.uk
Stately Homes
Blickling Hall
Magnificent Jacobean house and 4,777 acre estate
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-blickling-estate
Felbrigg Hall
One of the finest 17th-century country houses in East Anglia and 1,750 acre estate.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-felbrigg-hall
Holkham Hall
Grand Palladium mansion and 25,000 acre estate owned by the Earl and Countess of Leicester. Bygones museum.
www.holkham.co.uk
Houghton Hall and Gardens
Impressive
Palladian mansion built in the 1720s by Britain’s first Prime Minister,
Sir Robert Walpole owned by the Marquess of Cholmondeley
www.houghtonhall.com
Sandringham Estate
Country retreat of the Royal Family. The House and grounds are open to the public from April to September, a real jewel in the crown of Norfolk tourism.
www.sandringhamestate.co.uk
Gardens
East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens
Thirty acre exotic coastal garden, home of the unstoppable gardeners Alan Gray and Graham Robeson.
www.e-ruston-oldvicaragegardens.co.uk
Norfolk Gardens Trust
www.norfolkgt.org.uk
The National Gardens Scheme
www.ngs.org.uk
Peter Beales Roses
North Norfolk centre between Antingham and Hanworth.
www.classicroses.co.uk
Heritage Railways
North Norfolk Railway
Sheringham – Holt
Mid-Norfolk Railway
Dereham – Wymondham
Wells & Walsingham Light Railway
Wells – Walsingham
www.wellswalsinghamrailway.co.uk
