So we set off in the rain again, but not to be deterred – bulldog spirit and all that!
We knew we had one of our longest journeys ahead of us so far, so were hopefully better prepared. A flask of coffee, a pre-packed picnic and lots of car sweets. I had the new caravan road map on my lap and patiently counted off all of the pages that we drove across – M4, M25, M11, A11 and on and on. We had planned to stop at services to replenish near Bishop’s Stortford but the queue to get in was off putting, so we soldiered on to ‘one of the most famous road cafes in Norfolk’ which was pretty rubbish. Long queues again and parking the caravan was a challenge. So we moved on, eating our picnic on the run.
After 5 hours of driving we eventually arrived at Incleboro Caravan Club site and managed to pitch up between the rain showers.
We are realising that the siting of the caravan pitch needs some careful thought: near enough to the shower block, but not too close so as to gaze on the constant comings and goings of people dealing with their various ablutions! With hedges/trees behind us to offer a screen and some privacy, but not too far under overhanging trees –so that when it rains the drumming on the roof is intensified. Lastly we need to ensure we get optimum sunshine at key times in the day, It just so happens that when we got home I saw an advert for a Pitchpal that determines sun position, so I got one as a little surprise gift for the Man.
The site was nice and clean and well maintained, typical of the Caravan Club, and we were happy to relax in the van with a cup of tea and iced bun.
The evening dog walk was a bit early as we were pretty tired, but I managed to capture a spectacular sunset over the adjoining golf course. A promising end to the day.
Saturday 30th May
We woke up to beautiful sunshine, albeit a bit chilly, but a great start to our day in Cromer.
Cromer is an adorable seaside town. The cluster of buildings clinging to the hillside are a higgledy piggledy hotchpotch of narrow streets, bespoke shops and quaint cottages, all overlooking a pier that accommodatingly allows dogs.
The beaches are vast and sandy, and after a pit stop for coffee and cake, we walked 2 miles along the beach to Overstand, taking in the stunning views and sunshine. Another rest stop at the Hilltop café (a bit disappointing) we walked 2 miles back along the cliffs.
On one side shielded by bright gorse, the vast drop to the bright blue sea, and on the other, the manicured green of the golf course. This could well become the top venue contender for our retirement!
By the time we got back to the town our feet were humming, but we took a stroll along the pier and admired the variety of crabs that the kids had caught along the east side of the pier. On the way home we stopped in the quaint villages of East and West Runton before finally returning to the van for a welcome rest before we enjoyed our dinner of Cromer crab.
Sunday 31st May
We didn’t get much sleep due to the drumming of the rain on the caravan roof, and the occasional squall when the overhead trees blew in the wind. Our plan today was a visit to Wells-Next-The-Sea and a call into Clay-Next-The-Sea. But we missed the turning to the beach at Clay so gave it a miss and ended up wandering around Wells in the rain (with me wearing the famous ‘Vera’ hat).
After a coffee we walked the mile long path to the most amazing beach I’ve ever seen. It was vast, sandy, edged by beach huts and picture postcard dunes, with the sea stretching miles to the horizon. The Man had bought me a selfie stick so we had some fun taking pictures with the amazing views behind us.
We walked back as the tide was coming in and enjoyed watching a variety of sea birds among the rising boats moored in the harbour. The sun came out to give us a lovely evening and fitting end to the day.
Monday 1st June
Our last full day in Norfolk and there was still quite a lot to do. We poured over the tourist pamphlets and OS maps and decided to explore Holt and then go and have a look at Blakeney Point.
Holt is a very chi chi place. Lots of hidden lanes and cul-de-sacs with bespoke shops and coffee shops. I bought a nice blue fleece gilet in a sale and we got a new long lead for Jim. He had already escaped twice from his caravan tether during this trip! We dodged showers and had the inevitable cup of coffee and piece of carrot cake in a quaint teashop.
From here we drove to the car park by the deserted beach and walked along the vast empty shingle towards Blekeney Point , dotted by the occasional upturned boat. Jim wasn’t too keen as the shingle hurts his paws but after a while we had to turn back as dogs were banned due to the nesting birds.
We walked back further inland along the edge of Marston salt Marshes with the town of Cley behind. There were lots of swooping birds shouting to each other, and would be a paradise for twitchers.
On the way back along the coast we stopped at Sheringham and I fell in love! Now our no.1 retirement destination. It was quaint and friendly with interesting shops and a charming beach. We enjoyed looking in the Estate Agents windows and dreaming about our seaside retirement cottage! What better way to end the day with a pint in the local pub garden – I even managed to get onto wifi – no mean feat in the wilds of North Norfolk!
Me, the man, our dog, and a van 