Great Yarmouth - Traditional Seaside Holiday Resort

By Gary Smithe

Great Yarmouth in the UK is a buzzing seaside resort on the splendid Norfolk coast and has all the perfect ingredients for an enjoyable seaside holiday.

The long stretches of golden beach, indoor and outdoor attractions for people of all ages and the various places to eat with the traditional seaside fish and chips with locally caught fish available too, making Great Yarmouth the ideal holiday destination for all.

The primary element of a holiday at the seaside must be the beach. The long stretch of sandy beach on Yarmouth seafront is about 15 miles, the beautiful coastline between Winterton-on-Sea to Hopton and the famous sand dunes make Great Yarmouth more attractive. You can build sand castles, have a swim in the coastline or just walk near the sea to experience some magical moments at the great British resort at the seaside.

The theme parks at the sea front by Yarmouths piers are sure to offer children an adventure that they would never forget. Great Yarmouth caters to the whole family with everything available you could want from a seaside resort. There are also mini golf courses and facilities to hire a rowing boat or a pedalo boat for a tour of the lake at Fritton Park situated nearby.

There are terrific indoor attractions too. Discover the creatures living in our oceans at Sea World or reptiles at Amazonia. Locally various swimming pools beckon visitors to take a dip and enjoy a swim. Also Great Yarmouth provides an opportunity to go back in time at its latest attraction Yesterdays World museum. Enjoy first class entertainment in a conventional theatre showing comedy acts on the pier at Yarmouth. For those preferring to stay active all the time, there is a bowling alley and ample amusement centres by the sea front. Enjoy some excitement and thrills at the local dog racing stadium or major horse racing events at Yarmouth Race Track.

Great Yarmouth is a holiday destination apt for all months of the year. When the sun sets, Great Yarmouth comes alive as the night time entertainment beckons with casinos, restaurants and nightclubs for you to enjoy a night out.

Be sure to include Greater Yarmouth in your holiday itinerary and get ready for a rekindling of memories of childhood holidays and for a rich experience of British tradition.

Visit Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, East Anglia to experience an amazing British holiday destination that offers many holiday activities. As well as the piers and seafront at Great Yarmouth the surrounding area of Norfolk offers boating opportunities on the famous Norfolk Broads as well as having some of the best coarse fishing in East Anglia. Along the coast from Yarmouth you will find Scratby Caravans Hemsby holiday parks and chalet hire centres all catering for visitors to the Norfolk area. The popular resort of California Cliffs offers close proximity to the sandy beach and many holiday camps including full daytime and nightime entertainment programs for visitors to stay and enjoy the various activities within the Yarmouth Norfolk area.

Cromer Crab - A Taste of North Norfolk

By Kerry Samantha Miller

If you are staying at any one of the main hotels in North Norfolk, there is a good chance you will have Cromer crab on the menu at some stage. This is the seafood delicacy that Cromer is particularly famous for and there are many fishermen from the resort who make a living from catching the crustaceans.

A classic North Norfolk seaside resort, Cromer has a splendid beach, a broad promenade and a traditional pier, with seaside shows at the end of the pier during the summer. Cromer was developed as a resort by the Victorians and is now a place to visit either on a hot summer's day or to enjoy a bracing stroll in the middle of winter too.

Many North Norfolk hotels are open all year round, so finding a place to stay shouldn't be too difficult, even in the low season.

Cromer has all the usual shops where sticks of rock, buckets and spades and rock pool nets can be bought and you can also purchase some famous Cromer crabs from outside the homes of the fishermen. Usually cleaned and dressed in their shells, they can be enjoyed at home or with a picnic on the sand.

Cromer crabs are fabulous, they tend to have a greater proportion of white meat to brown, and their flesh is ever so slightly sweeter than that of other crabs. It can be found on menus of pubs and restaurants and in particular on menus of Norfolk luxury hotels.

You can also try to catch one of these tasty crabs yourself. Every day, scores of people make their way down to Cromer Pier armed with crab bucket, bait, hook and line in the hope of catching a crab. You can join many of the adults and children with their lines hanging over the side of the pier, all waiting in anticipation of hoisting up a crab. Children can be seen proudly showing off their catches but as is the custom, these crabs are then thrown back into the sea.

But if crabbing is not for you, then simply sit and relax on the pier and have an ice cream or a pot of tea.

However, any weekend break Norfolk wouldn't be complete without sampling Cromer crab.

Kerry Miller is a keen traveller who has stayed in many North Norfolk Hotels including Norfolk Luxury Hotels

Visit Hunstanton Cliffs to Experience the Norfolk Coastline at Its Best

The famous red and white striped cliffs at Hunstanton in Norfolk, UK, are an eye-catching attraction. And during a visit to the cliffs you can have fun discovering the history and nature of the area, either by scrambling at the base of the cliffs for fossils or taking a leisurely stroll to view the old buildings perched on the cliff top.

Why are the cliffs striped?
The stripes in the cliffs are caused by layers of different-coloured rock. The main layers are:

• Carrstone. This is the brown layer and consists of sandstone - sand cemented together by iron oxide (rust). In places where the cement is stronger, the rock is darker and less crumbly. There are no fossils in this layer apart from a little fossilised wood.
  
  
• Chalk. The red and white chalk is made of limestone. Limestone forms in warm tropical climates, which suggests that Hunstanton's climate was once warmer than it is today! The colour of the red chalk is due to iron staining.
  
  

Collecting Fossils
During the Cretaceous geological period, between 135 and 70 million years ago, the cliffs were under the sea, and are rich in fossils formed from the dead creatures which fell onto the seabed.
Fossils are found in the chalky layers of Hunstanton cliffs. The safest way to find them is by cracking open the rocks away from the base of the cliffs, where you are unlikely to be hit by a rockfall! All of the following types of fossils have been found at Hunstanton:

• Coccoliths: microscopic plants.
  
  
• Bivalves: similar to cockles and oysters.
  
  
• Belemnites: similar to cuttlefish.
  
  
• Ammonites: similar to nautilus.
  
  
• Brachiopods: similar to clams.
  
  
• Echinoids: sea urchins.
  
  
• Shark's teeth.
  
  

Caution: Rocks may fall out of the cliffs at any time, and hammering the cliffs could cause a major rockfall. So only look for fossils away from the base of the cliffs. Use a proper geological hammer and protect your eyes, as an ordinary hammer could splinter, or rock splinters could damage your eyes.

Other Attractions of the Cliffs
The cliffs are colonised by fulmars - birds which look like gulls but are in fact petrels. You will see pairs of these birds on their nests scattered along the entire length of the cliffs or circling in the air nearby. It is advisable to keep your distance from them as they may vomit a thick oily bile on to you if they feel threatened!
Also, look out for the historic buildings perched on the cliff tops. These include St Edmund's Chapel. This building, now in ruins, was erected in 1272 in memory of St Edmund who landed at Hunstanton in 855 to be crowned King of East Anglia. Edmund led an army against Viking invaders but was defeated, captured and martyred. The area around the chapel is now called St Edmund's Point to commemorate this event. Edmund later became the first patron saint of England.

You will also see the Coastguard Lookout Tower at St Edmund's Point. This box-like building with its viewing platform on the first floor was built in 1907. It was a Marconi listening post in both World Wars, used for gathering military intelligence from wireless signals, and is now a private residence.

Near the Lookout Tower is the imposing Hunstanton Lighthouse. A lighthouse has been here since 1665, but the present lighthouse was built in 1840, although it ceased operations in 1922 and became a private residence.

After looking at the historical remnants on the top of the cliffs, cast your gaze across the Wash to the Lincolnshire coast to see a sign of the future. Looking out to the mouth of the Wash you will be able to see the wind farm offshore from Skegness, generating electrical power for thousands of homes.

The cliffs stretch between the town of Hunstanton and the neighbouring village of Old Hunstanton, and are part of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Put them on your itinerary to experience nature and history set against the stunning backdrop of the north Norfolk coastline.

For more about attractions in the Hunstanton area of Norfolk, see Hunstanton Directory and NorfolkCoast.net.

Visit the Bure Valley Steam Railway on Boating Holidays in the Norfolk Broads

By Dipika Patel

If you're a fan of natural settings and enjoy being close to stunning countryside scenery on holiday, you're sure to find a boating holiday in the Norfolk Broads gives you just the opportunity you're looking for to get close to nature.

England boating breaks in the region are popular among Britons as well as visitors to the country as the area offers 125 miles of navigable waterways in truly beautiful surroundings. The broads are a fantastic location for UK boating holidays because of their lock-free design and close proximity to the rivers Bure, Ant, Thurne, Yare, Chet and Waveney, as well as to rural villages and bustling towns and cities.

Whatever kind of boating holiday in the UK you're looking for, you're sure to find it on the broads. Whether you want to relax and unwind on the water and visit secluded hamlets to explore history and stock up on supplies, or if you prefer being close to the action in thriving cities like Cambridge, the broads have it all.

As you travel across the waterways in the area, you'll come across all kinds of attractions to visit in each of the locations you pass through. A great place to stop off on a day trip if you're looking to enjoy the scenery of the broads is the Bure Valley. Located in the historic town of Aylsham, near the source of the River Bure, the valley is home to one of Norfolk's most famous railways.

Stretching between Aylsham and Wroxham, the Bure Valley Railway is Norfolk's longest narrow gauge steam line and covers 18 miles on a round trip. If it's beautiful scenery you're after, this is the place to find it, as your steam train will carry you through the rural landscape and stop off at three villages on the way.

Between the beginning of April and the end of October, at least three trains run per day - both steam and diesel - while the rest of the year sees the railway operate special events. The attraction is a great place not only for nature lovers and train spotters, but also for children, who will love the diminutive size of the engines as well as some of the events held throughout the year - in particular the trips to visit Santa in his grotto.

There is also a model railway shop on site, so browse the goodies and maybe pick up a treat for a little one who loved the train ride and would like a memento of the journey to treasure forever.

The historic railway was built on the track bed of the former Great Eastern Railway line, which ran between Wroxham and the junction of the Dereham to Wells-next-the-Sea railway at County School. You'll take in the sight of the River Bure as you travel, as well as the footpath that runs directly next to the railway for its entire length.

If you fancy some exercise during your boat holiday, you might decide a walk along the purpose-built footpath is a great way of doing just that while enjoying the countryside landscape. You could even rent a bicycle and ride the whole nine miles if you choose, but if you prefer to keep things more low key, ride to one of the local villages, where you can alight or board the train for the rest of the journey.

If you travel the entire stretch by rail, you'll stop off briefly in the three hamlets - Brampton, Buxton and Coltishall - where people can alight or get off the train. Once you've completed your journey, you might like to visit the villages in greater depth.

Brampton was once a thriving manufacturing centre in Roman times and has a picturesque round-tower church for visitors to admire, so pay a visit to find out more about the area's history. Buxton also has traces of being a Roman settlement and is known as the home of Black Beauty author Anna Sewell. Here you'll also find some stunning 17th century architecture. Meanwhile, Coltishall has a charming thatched village church and a famous RAF base, so explore at your leisure.

Once you've exhausted the railway and surroundings villages, you're likely to be glad to return to the comfort of your boat for the night, where you can plan the rest of your boating holiday on the broads. If you want to call in at thriving cities you'll find places like Cambridge not too far away, while seaside locations like Great Yarmouth are also within reach. Whatever you want to do, you'll find a wealth of opportunities on the Norfolk Broads.

A UK boating holiday is a great way of exploring the Norfolk Broads. And with boating holidays in the Norfolk Broads widely available, you're sure to find something to cater for your needs on an England boating break. Check out Le Boat for a wide selection of boating holidays in the UK.

See the Best of the Norfolk Broads on a Canal Boat Holiday

By Dipika Patel


If you're looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life for a while, you could find canal boat hire in Norfolk affords you the chance to experience tranquillity.

When searching for the perfect location to make your UK boat hire purchase, you might like to consider the unspoilt surroundings of the Norfolk Broads, which is Britain's largest nationally-protected wetland.

The tranquil area boasts many waterways and rivers on which to while away the hours while enjoying the slow pace of life and feeling closer to nature. You can travel through small market towns and boat-building villages, or explore Cambridge down the River Cam, which is popular among punters.

Moor your boat below Jesus Lock on either side of the river or on the western bank near Clayhithe and explore the university city on dry land for a while. Just remember you'll need a navigation licence from the Environment Agency or the Conservators of the River Cam to travel down the river.

If you prefer peace and quiet, you might want to see the sights of Cambridge from the river and journey on along the many waterways, taking in the local wildlife and scenery as you do so.

On a Norfolk Broads canal boat holiday, expect the pace to become slower as you meander down through the area, stopping occasionally at bird-watching stations and gazing in awe at the picturesque setting.

Try setting off from Horning in Wroxhom to benefit from more than 120 miles of lock-free cruising over flat land. The waterways were formed when the sea level rose 700 years ago, causing peat pits from medieval times to fill with water. You might like to stop off at the village of Woodbastwick on the edge of Cockshoot Broad to give your legs a bit of exercise and while you're there, why not sample some local ale at the Norfolk Brewery?

Climb more than 90 steps to the top of the ancient church tower at Ranworth for a cultural experience and fantastic views of the broads and then take in the sights of the local nature reserve, which might be particularly appealing to youngsters as shipwrecks are visible from the windows of the floating visitor centre.

After returning to your canal boat, you might want to visit Hickling Broad next, especially if you have a penchant for sailing. The area is a popular sailing boat location and is also home to a large nature reserve, which houses wintering wildfoul, rare insects, swallowtail butterflies and bearded tits. Meanwhile, if you're feeling up for a challenge, why not try out an exciting watersport such as windsurfing in the area?

Nearby is Barton Broad, which is famous for being the place where Admiral Lord Nelson learned to sail. The seaman fought with the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars before losing his life in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Follow in his historical footsteps and give sailing a go or take part in the annual sailing regatta held every August if you want to try out new experiences during your boat hire trip on the Norfolk Broads.

Next, why not journey down the River Ant's narrow and winding course for eight miles? At the end, you'll reach How Hill, home to How Hill House, which was built in 1904 by architect Edward Thomas Boardman. Explore the building and its beautiful Edwardian gardens, or go for a stroll in the separate woodland area. There's plenty of ground to cover across the 365 acres if you're looking to stretch your legs.

Continue on to Ludham and visit the How Hill Nature Reserve and Toad Hole Cottage, which was once home to a marshman and his family and is now a museum, run by the Broads Authority. Again, there are plenty of walking opportunities in the local marshes and woodland areas.

After a good night's sleep, you can pilot your canal boat down the River Thurne for six miles to reach the village of Thurne. Drink in the countryside scenery on a stroll down Weaver's Way or pay a visit to the round tower church at Repps. And don't forget to call in at the well-preserved drainage mill Thurne Dyke Windpump, which is open to the public, before leaving the area.

What better way to relax and unwind than on a canal boat holiday in Norfolk? Not only are the broads breathtakingly beautiful, offering a wealth of opportunity to explore nature; they are also steeped in history and you'll find plenty of examples of architecture through the ages as well as chances to witness and join in rural living at its best.

A Norfolk Broads canal boat holiday could be a great way of seeing the county and get close to nature. And with Boat hire on the Norfolk Broads widely available you're sure to find something to cater for your needs. Check out Le Boat for a wide selection of canal boat hire and a range of UK boat hire options available in the Norfolk Broads.