Places around Norwich

[jhi]

Any good children's playgrounds and other good places for children in Norwich. Also, where's the best seaside in Norfolk?

haven't had to do the playgrounds yet, but there are several reasonable looking ones.

The best seaside is Holt on the North Norfolk coast, but all the beaches are nice if you head away from Yarmouth and cromer. Mind you, we loved Yarmouth as children so maybe that's the way to go!

I don't live there by the way, just visit often - I'm sure someone else can give you pointers.

There's a great Dinosaur Park just outside norwich. No good at roads, but out towards the West/North West. Only 20mins from the city.

Holkham Beach is the best, but takes a bit of walking to from the car park - also go out past the beach huts at Wells-next-the-Sea which is less of a walk.

Also back in Norwich, try Eaton Park if you have a model boat - there's a fab model boating lake, and acres of running around space. I think there is also a soft play area called Bedknobs and broomsticks.

This all comes with having elderly MIL in Norwich, and ds in tow - currently 5, but needed entertaining when younger!

Hope this helps

Holkham and Wells are my favourite for wide open spaces, plus Thornham, but that really is a hike, and further from Norwich. More accessible beaches, very nice and closer to creature comforts, are at Happisburgh, Walcott and around that area, which is anyway nearer Norwich. Southwold, on the coast further S of Yarmouth is reputed to be gorgeous. Wells has an indoor soft play gym / climbing place, and a miniature railway.
My brother lives in the Norwich area and has kids 8 and 6: I'll ask him this w/e and post on Monday.

How close to Norwich ? How old the kids ?

There is the Playbarn at Poringland a bit to the south, Pettitts Animal Adventure a bit to the south east, the puppet theatre in Norwich.

Good beaches - depends what you want - but Winterton is a lovely sandy beach with nothing but an icecream shop !

I was visiting Norfolk a couple of weeks ago and we took dd to a fantastic zoo park called Banhams which is in the middle of nowhere but easy driving distance from Norwich. They have real zoo animals like zebras, a bird of prey show where eagles are let loose, and dd had great ride on a horse drawn carriage.

oops, I meant Holkham, not Holt.

Beaches we love Holkham- huge sandy beach. The seaside towns of Cleynext the sea, Blakeney and Wells next the sea. Cromer has a nice beach, pier and good for watching the crab boats come in. Nice fish and chips too
helen

actually the zoo is called Banham zoo and it in Banham (probably 1/2 hour drive south of Norwich). - it is good but not very cheap.

Also there is a good zoo at Kessingland just south of Lowestoft.

Never realised I was surrounded by MN-ers when out walking on those beaches! My Mum lives in one of the places mentioned in HelenMH's post. People new to the N Norfolk coast need to be prepared for the fact that except in Sheringham or Cromer, you have to walk (through v beautiful marsh or farm land) to get to the beaches, and then again to get to the actual sea, esp when the tide is out. Not always what you want with a restless toddler in tow. There is also a phenomenum known in our family as 'gripper mud' which can claim an evening once adhered to buggy wheels, shoes, under toenails....anyone ever walked across the Pit to Blakeney Point?

Yes, I have, blu! It's like walking through a giant cow pat! YEUCHHH!!