Short Of Holiday Cash? Take The Kids To Norfolk!

Our guest blogger Ryan shares why Norfolk could be the place for your summer break.

I’m from Norfolk myself and I’m first to hold my hands up and say that it’s got its drawbacks.

It’s in the middle of nowhere for one. The roads are terrible and for six months of the year, the county may as well not exist as it hibernates.

But for anybody living in an urban area like Brighton (we’re on Brighton Mums after all), Norfolk is absolutely the most awesome place in the summer months to leave behind the hustle and bustle for a bit.

It’s cheap too. You’ll do well to spend any serious cash because almost every activity is absolutely free.

I’ll tell you how proud I am. Or sad. We holiday in Norfolk and we’re from Norfolk. That’s how good it is.

Don’t get me wrong, we venture to the far reaches of Suffolk from time to time, but nothing beats Norfolk.

I’m joking. We’re a standard family who like to get some sun once a year or so, but sometimes I’m left disappointed because it doesn’t live up what Norfolk has to offer.

There are nearly 100 miles of highly diverse beaches along the Norfolk coast and each one is different from the last. I should add at this point that I’ve got no affiliation with the Norfolk Tourism Board, if such a thing exists, I just genuinely think you’re missing out if you haven’t come to visit us yet.

Just compare these two beaches for example. The top one is Gorleston (my home town) and the one below is Holkham, which is up the coast.

In terms of coastal variation within a small area, I can’t think of any more prevalent examples than Norfolk.

It’s not just the beaches that are brilliant, though. We’ve got the Broads!

Just as a historical side note, the Broads were a man-made innovation, not originally intended as a mode of goods transportation – and certainly not for leisure.

Back in Medieval times, many Norfolk monasteries excavated the peat to sell as a form of fuel for burning. Sea levels then rose and flooded the excavated broads and connecting pathways originally dug out by the monasteries.

There’s no way the contemporary monks could have known that they were building surely the most beautiful setting in the UK. But they did. And all of us North Folk would like to say thanks!

We took a family holiday on the Broads a couple of years back and our aim was to get from Lowestoft (just in Suffolk) to Stalham towards north Norfolk.We had three days to do it. The journey can be done in two days without too many stops, but we fell short by quite some distance because there was too much to see and do along the way. Even though I’ve navigated most of the broads (there are 125 miles of navigable waterways), there’s always something new that catches your eye and you end up stopping for an hour or two. And, if your husband or partner is anything like me, they’d probably be delighted to hear that there are nearly 200 pubs dotted along the broads – all of which have moorings.

Maybe that’s why we didn’t complete the journey.

The broads and the connecting waterways are two different things. The broads are large areas of open water, the areas dug out by the monks all those centuries ago.

On the broads themselves you can take part in all kinds of activities including:

 

• Canoeing (you can also do this on the connecting waterways)
• Windsurfing
• Jet skiing
• Kayaking (also available on the waterways)
• Speed boating
• Parascending
• Water skiing

 

I can’t recommend a holiday on the broads highly enough. Plus the locals here are so friendly and laid back, you can’t fail to have a great time.

Something that I can’t extend the virtues of is a caravan holiday in Great Yarmouth, largely because I’m from a suburb of Great Yarmouth. It’s ok for a day trip but I would advise against a week there in a caravan. You’ll get bored and overrun by oversized families shouting at their kids.

A day there can be great fun, especially when the sun is shining as the beach (along with Gorleston) are regularly blue flag beaches – award winning beaches.

The arcades are a good little novelty for the kids (and big kids) and you’re sure to find a greasy burger or ten. Maybe even a spot of mini golf. Basically everything you would expect from a British seaside resort.

But that isn’t Norfolk. Well, it is Norfolk, but you know what I mean.

The real Norfolk encapsulates the beaches, the scenic walks, the quaint little villages (most of them still even have Post Offices!), the peacefulness, the broads, the people and just a different pace of life.

The only expenses are the petrol getting here, wherever you decide to stay if not on a boat and food. The intrinsic beauty of the county is completely free. You’ll often find offers on daily deals websites too if you’re familiar with them, which brings the costs down further. Voucher websites like Groupon, Wowcher, Voucher Cloud, My Voucher Codes and so on are great for finding half price breaks in our fine county.

In regard to your child’s safety, it’s extremely rare that you’ll hear of any casualties on the broads as it’s the law to wear a life jacket, so the kids will be perfectly safe.

Kiddies love the beach too and you’d have to spend a year here to see them all, so you’re covered in terms of keeping them entertained. Get down to Sea Palling if you get a chance – that’s a fantastic beach.

If you’re an active family the walks on offer are some of the most scenic in the country. Because we’ve got no hills here, you can see for miles. Just pick a windmill and head in that direction.

I’m sure you’ll find loads of ideas on the Brighton Mums ‘Out and About’ page, but it’d be crazy not to even consider a little trip to Norfolk. You won’t find a local who’s not proud to be from Nelson’s County, so come and say hello.

 

“At’d be roit good to see yer boy!” (gender irrelevant).