Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Original poster

North Norfolk

34 replies

pinkpainter · 03/05/2012 12:15

I have booked a week there in a cottage later in the year with my husband, 2 daughters (3.5 and 6 months), my parents in law and sister in law. Please could I have recommendations of what to do - I love the idea of Bewilderwood but will my DD1 be too young to really appreciate it?

OP posts:
WannaBeWildCosMyLifesSoTame · 03/05/2012 12:17

Haven't been that way for a while but Wroxham Barns used to be lovely - nice craft shops and a little petting zoo. Boat/train ride round the Broads is also good but not sure if it would be a bit stressful for you watching them near the water boring for little ones.

NormanTheForeman · 03/05/2012 12:19

Beaches are good at Cromer etc. There is a lifeboat station at the end of Cromer Pier. Good steam railway at Sheringham.

CleanHankie · 04/05/2012 23:49

I would say Bewilderwood isn't worth the money with a child that age. Wait a year or two. Wroxham Barns is far better (although doesn't take a day).

Blickling (NT place) is lovely for that age. Gorgeous grounds and usually they have some sort of child trail going on.

My 2 (ages 2 and 5) are fascinated by "the Dragonfly place" at Ranworth. It's a Norfolk Wildlife Trust place out on the water. It's a lovely walk out there on the boardwalk with lots of things to listen/look for on the way out there. The centre itself has look out windows for bird watching up in the gallery, with binoculars too, always fun for small people (colouring and a jigsaw are also available up there too). They run many activities during the year too. How Hill is similar for a nice nature walk.

If you do decide to hire a boat, Broads Tours have a voucher which makes it affordable www.broadstours.co.uk/pdf/2012GreatVoucher.pdf

Original poster
pinkpainter · 06/05/2012 08:24

Brilliant advice cleanhankie - I have an NT card so will definitely go to Blickling.

I really wanted to go to Bewilderwood - my whole reason for wanting to go to Norfolk, but agree it may be better when my DD1 is a bit older.

Thanks to Wanna and Norman too.

OP posts:
ragged · 06/05/2012 19:13

Definitely too young to get good value out of Bewilderwood. I would say wait until your DC2 is 5yo or older.
Dino park (Lenwade) is very good.
Little steam train at Wroxham-Aylsham.

serin · 06/05/2012 23:07

No way is anyone ever too young or too old to go to bewilderwood Smile
It is just heaven. At 3 she will just love the tales of Mildred the crockle thing (too much wine here to remember what type of thing! might be a bug?)

Blakeney is great for crabbing and taking a boat out to see the seals.

Holkham and Wells are lovely beaches and West Runton isn't bad,great rockpools.

TBH we hate Cromer (very run down and faded)

Go Alpaca trekking from the station at Wells.

Go to Splashworld at Sheringham.

Go to the nature reserve at Cley and visit their gorgeous visitor centre.

Ours enjoyed these type of things as 3 yr olds

ragged · 07/05/2012 08:24

It's just called Splash, the pool at Sheringham, and the changing rooms are in their own league of "minging". But pool itself is good.
Mildred is a crocodile.

Original poster
pinkpainter · 07/05/2012 09:03

Brilliant list serin and great to hear that you think Bewilderwood would be good regardless of age, she loves dressing up and will like the story times, and I think the den building will really appeal.

I was hoping to find a pool (for a rainy day) - we usually get a day pass for a Haven - the pools there are great, so thanks for the info about 'Splash'.

OP posts:
TheFowlAndThePussycat · 07/05/2012 09:21

North Norfolk veteran here! We are off again in a few weeks.

Holt is a great little town & there is a steam railway between there & Sheringham, which has a stony beach but is quite a nice old fashioned seaside town.

The Wells to Walshingham minature railway line is cute, but once you get to Walsingham there's not much to do!

Brancaster is the best beach in Norfolk (IMO!) but there is only a little tea shack & some loos there, so not a lot of facilities (we like our beaches like that!) It has beautiful golden sand though and can be quite windy so perfect for flying kites. Check the tide times though because you can end up a long way from the sea if the tide is right out!

The Sealife centre in Hustanton is great for little children, just big enough to be exciting, but not too big to be tiring & overwhelming. Old Hunstanton beach is nice, but again, not lots of facilities.

Enjoy yourselves, we have two trips booked this year & one to North Suffolk Grin I don't work for the East Anglian tourist board, honest!

outtolunchagain · 07/05/2012 09:46

We love NN tooGrinI would have said you would be fine at Bewiderwood,certainly when we went last year there were plenty of pre schoolers .
Second the steam railway from Holt to Sheringham and also Sandringham country park ,not sure if the house is open at the moment but there is a sweet motor museum with the Queens cars in etc,my 5year old at the time was fascinated that the Queen had her own petrol pump,but disappointed that we couldn't go in her bedroomSmile
The windmill at Binham is a nice visit and also the Castle museum in Norwich.

outtolunchagain · 07/05/2012 09:50

Oh and definitely do a seal boat trip ,ds3 went for his first at 3 months!We usually go from Morston Quay but you can also go from Blakeney ,I just think it's a bit more sheltered at Morston and the trip out along the creek is nicer.

juneau · 07/05/2012 09:52

Bewilderwood is probably too grown-up for your DDs. Check out the website, but it sounds like it would be best for kids of about six and up. My DS (who's 4.5) is only just getting into those kind of adventure things.

My family live in North Norfolk and things we've enjoyed are the Sea Life Centre in Hunstanton, Dinosaur Adventure at Lenwade, Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, various beaches - Holkham and Brancaster are good ones, the steam railway from Sheringham to Weybourne, Pensthorpe. Blickling House and Felbrigg Hall are both lovely - but with little ones you should probably confine yourself to the gardens. I don't find the combination of stately homes and toddlers to be a very good one.

jezebelle · 07/05/2012 09:56

West runton rock pools are fab too, just up from Cromer, and free :) go dipping for cabbs etc , i live just down from North Norfolk, we holiday at Wells sometimes, its so beautiful and only a 30 min drive :)

juneau · 07/05/2012 10:05

Oh yes, and seal watching at Blakeney. There are baby seals in July/Aug and Nov/Dec (if I remember correctly). You have to go in a little boat though - so don't know how you feel about that (I hate boats!)

Voidka · 07/05/2012 10:13

I can highly recommend the Dinosaur Adventure park. Even if you are not into dinosaurs it has great indoor and outdoor play areas.

TheMightyMojito · 07/05/2012 10:17

The SeaLife centre at Hunstanton is good if you get wet weather and are up that end of the coast.

We went to Sheringham recently, and I felt the North Norfolk Railway was expensive (£10.50 per adult) but under 5s are free so that balanced out. Be aware if you do the Sheringham-Holt line that Holt station is 1.5m from Holt itself, so it depends on the weather and littl'uns' legs.

Splash Sheringham was good for swimming, though in dire need of modernisation. It has a wave machine though, which my 3yo loved. It also has a small soft play area next to the pool, basically a ball pool with some soft play shapes. We paid for me and DD to go swimming, and DH and 18mo DS amused themselves in the ball pool - as this counted as 'spectating' there was no charge.

bronze · 07/05/2012 12:51

Holt station is in High Kelling, not too bad a walk

ragged!! Mildred is a crocklebog !

The pigs pub (edgefield) is great with children. It has an area designed by the bewilderwood people

serin · 07/05/2012 22:53

The local council sometimes has organised activities that are open to everyone, we did a lovely camp cooking and den building day.

Dont forget to go strawberry picking here or for a pub lunch here

Also wanted to put a word in for the foodie heaven that is bakers and larners in Holt, they let the DC's taste bits of everything Grin

Original poster
pinkpainter · 08/05/2012 09:49

Wow - thanks for all the excellent suggestions! I think we may need a month rather than just a week to fit everything in :)
My DD1 will love spotting the seals, either from land or boat.
I'm putting a list together with all the different things to show the inlaws so we can make joint decisions on what everyone wants to do. Getting excited!

OP posts:
notcitrus · 08/05/2012 09:56

Thank you everyone for these suggestions! We're going to north Norfolk next month with 3 and 4yos and as I've never been before it's great to know what works for those ages esp in the rain!

If we do the seal boat trip, are we guaranteed to see seals? Just want tooi manage expectations...

bronze · 08/05/2012 10:39

well dependent on when next month there is the fairy fair

juneau · 08/05/2012 10:43

These are the companies that run the seal-watching trips. I think that yes, you're guaranteed to see seals, but you'll only see pups during the two pup seasons (there are two breeds of seal - common and grey (I think) - and they pup at different times of year):

www.norfolksealtrips.co.uk/
www.beansboattrips.co.uk/
www.sealtrips.co.uk/

juneau · 08/05/2012 10:48

Another couple of links:

www.pensthorpe.com/
www.dinosauradventure.co.uk/

Dinosaur Adventure is truly fab and has an indoor play centre for rainy days.

outtolunchagain · 08/05/2012 11:18

We usually go with Beans !the ds have always liked spotting James Bond seals (those with radio transmitters),we have always seen lots of seals

outtolunchagain · 08/05/2012 11:20

Forgot to say wrap up warm especially hats as the wind us quite strong!