Norfolk guide: Where to eat, drink and stay in a county of birds, boats and endless skies

England’s fourth-largest county by area, and yet not even in the top 20 by population, Norfolk is one of the country’s most rural and diverse regions. With landscapes varying from the unique and beautiful wetlands of the Broads – East Anglia’s only national park – to the beaches and marshlands of the north Norfolk coast, not to mention Norwich, one of the country’s most historic cities, you really could spend a very happy few weeks here discovering it all.

Most people don’t have that long, however, so you need to be selective – and this guide will help. Be sure to explore the long and varied coast (and not just in the north), which is home to some of England’s best sandy beaches as well as thriving colonies of grey seals. And don’t miss the unique network of rivers and lakes that make up the Broads – home, incidentally, to 25 per cent of Britain’s rarest wildlife species – while leaving time for the woods and heathlands of the Brecks, officially England’s driest region.

The best time to travel to Norfolk

When to visit depends on where you’re going. The north Norfolk coast is honestly better outside of peak summer, a time when the main road through the region can be gridlocked at times. The Broads can get super busy in summer, but it’s usually easy to escape the crowds, especially in the lesser-visited southern Broads.

The Broads cover an area of more than 300 square kilometres

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Norwich is a joy at any time of year, but livelier during the annual Norwich & Norfolk Festival each May. Prices all over Norfolk drop considerably during the winter months, which happens to be a lovely time to experience the region’s beaches, especially in December and January when the seal pups are born.

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Where to stay in Norfolk

An elegant and very peaceful small country-house hotel just 10 minutes from King’s Lynn, providing just the sort of relaxed, weekend-in-the-country feel you might be looking for. The handsome Georgian manor house has 31 rooms and suites, divided between the main house, a dozen or so rooms grouped around a courtyard garden, and five sumptuous cabins (each has a private terrace looking out over the orchards). The spa lays on lots of treatments and has a lovely pool surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, together with a steam room, a sauna, and an outdoor hot tub.

A few miles from picturesque Blakeney and just footsteps from Morston Quay in north Norfolk, Morston Hall sits surrounded by beautiful gardens, an oasis of calm in what can be a busy spot during the summer months. The rooms are very comfy indeed, divided between the main house and an annexe in the garden, and you can tuck into the on-point cooking from chef-patron Galton Blackiston’s locally sourced menu, which is different every day.

Looking out over the salt marshes of the north Norfolk coast, Titchwell Manor is one of the best places to stay – and to eat – in an area that’s not short of contenders. Divided between a main building, a cottage annexe and a stable block, it houses 26 boutique rooms, featuring super-king beds, private patio areas and freestanding baths. A couple even have their own terraces with private hot tubs, but if that’s not quite private enough, you can always opt for a shepherd’s hut in the garden, with its own shower room, living area, hot tub and woodburner. Work up an appetite on the Norfolk Coast Path before dining at the hotel’s renowned three-AA-rosette restaurant – or just pick up some fish and chips from its sister business, Eric’s.

The best beaches in Norfolk

Horsey beach, where you may spot seals floating in the water

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Most people namecheck Holkham Bay when discussing Norfolk beaches, and who can blame them? It’s a vast sandy stretch backed by a fragrant pine forest, and is also within walking distance of one of the county’s nicest seaside resorts in Wells-next-the-Sea.

A personal favourite is Winterton-on-Sea on the eastern coast (not far from Great Yarmouth), which is dog-friendly all year round and backed by an impressive set of dunes all the way to the seal colonies of Horsey and Waxham, where there are more great sandy strands. To the south of here, Great Yarmouth is one of Norfolk’s trio – with Hunstanton at the other end of the county and Cromer in between – of “kiss-me-quick” resorts, all of them pleasant places in their own right.

Where to eat

The Bure River Cottage restaurant in Horning, at the heart of the Broads, may be a few miles from the coast, but it’s the best fish and seafood restaurant for miles around. In Norwich, you should try the food at Benedicts in Norwich’s Lanes, a relaxed yet high-end venue run by chef Richard Bainbridge, who used to work with Blackiston at Morston Hall – itself home to one of Norfolk’s few Michelin stars (the other is in the possession of another former Morston Hall chef, at Meadowsweet in Holt).

The Ingham Swan in the Broads, a former pub with rooms that makes a great place to stay, also impresses, as does the excellent Duck Inn in Stanhoe, north Norfolk.

Where to drink

Norwich used to have a pub for every day of the year, and still has one for at least every week. Going around the county, some of the best are Brisley Bell, west of Norwich, which is sited right on the village green and is a great place for a drink, a meal or an overnight stay. Similarly, the Gunton Arms, north of Norwich on the way to the coast, is set on a private estate where you can stop for a tipple and amazing meals cooked over an open fire. It also has rooms if you want to stay over, plus a collection of British contemporary art.

In the Broads, call in at the Woodforde’s brewery tap, The Fur & Feather, while down in the south the Locks Tavern in Geldeston is right on the Waveney River, which forms the border between Norfolk and Suffolk. Best reached by ferry from the town of Beccles, it’s a much-loved community pub in the middle of nowhere, known for live music and other events.

Where to shop

There’s nowhere better to shop than the Norwich Lanes, a set of narrow streets in which you can browse interesting stores, buy a gift, or window-shop for designer outfits, as well as grab a good cup of coffee or a bite to eat. Norwich is also home to the country’s largest and longest-running open-air market, and one of the best independent bookshops you’ll find anywhere, the famous Book Hive (a favourite of author Margaret Atwood).

How to get around

Norfolk is a large county, and its distances are usually best covered by car. There are two useful train lines: the Bittern Line, which connects Norwich and Sheringham via Cromer, and the Wherry Line, which connects Norwich with parts of the Broads and runs to either Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft. Otherwise, buses link Norwich with major towns in the vicinity, and the county as a whole is of course a tremendous destination to tour by bike – nice and flat, with quiet roads and lots of good pubs along the way.

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