North Norfolk - recs for days out with kids

[SilkStalkings]

Going to Norfolk for the first time this summer, booked bargainous, lovely big beach house in Bacton (which I have since discovered is a post-apocalyptic-Everyday-Is-Like-Sunday sort of place but DH is a photographer so he will like that.)

What days out would people recommend? Is Bewilderwood good? Also places to eat with lovely views, river/sea views please.
TIA.

It's a lovely area!

Try a day trip to the Broads (hobbyist museum at Stalham plus boat trip) or get a day boat from Wroxham. Loads of good riverside pubs (get there early for mooring).

Cromer for a trad Victorian slightly naff but utterly lovely day - pier's open despite storm damage. Eat crab.

Holt for ooh-aah shopping (park in Budgens, but don't outstay ticket as there are rapacious wardens).

Yes, Bewilderwood is fun. Kids over the age of about 4 enjoy it more than little ones as its a lot of tree houses and climbing.

We love Dinosaur Adventure in Lenwade and go every year and it's not just for the dinosaur-mad, but that helps! There are nice walks though, a good adventure playground, a mini zoo, indoor play.

The beaches are very nice and there are loads to choose from. We usually go to West Runton, Holkham or Brancaster.

Norwich Castle Museum is good.

There are several scenic/miniature railways to ride on. The Poppy Line from Sheringham to Holt via Weybourne is really pretty.

Where will you be staying, OP? it's a long drive from Holkham to Bewilderwood, for instance.

oh gawd, I'm a numpty, just saw Bacton, so rewind...
According to your profile, How old are the 3 kids? 2 with SN or suspected SN, how does that restrict what they like if at all?

How old are your children SilkStalkings? I've been told by loads of people that Bewilderwood is brilliant if your children are 5 ish and over. Cookie's Crabshack in Salthouse is great for lunch. The Red Lion in Stifkey is also good for food and atmosphere. The Wiverton Bell, the Pigs (has good play area and an excellent pudding club on Sunday), the Walpole Arms and the Gunton Arms are all great food pubs. The Broads are great for a day on the water but might be a bit of a pain with tiny children. The Zoo in Banham has baby tigers (amongst other things) and makes a good day out if the weather isn't too great. Depending on what your family like doing, Blickling Hall has lovely grounds and Holkham Hall has a nice foody pub (The Victoria) and the beach opposite in Holkham is very impressive for walks (you have to hide in the dunes if you want to sit). Bacton would be a lovely quiet place to cycle around. I can think of more ideas if needed.

Banham zoo is really good.
Bewilderwood is good for age 5-12 I'd say. Take a picnic and make a day of it. When I went I wish I'd taken a book as dd disappeared and I was sat twiddling my thumbs for ages!
Holt is nice for a look round and there is a lovely little nature place near there called Natural Surrondings. If I tried to describe it it wouldn't sound very much but it was a great afternoon.

If you go for a Broads day, the Wayford Bridge Inn is good, and has a fenced playground in the gardens. The age I've linked contains links to things to do in the area, and they might give you some more ideas.

We rented a cottage in Bacton a few years ago. Lovely beach (our cottage was up the lane from the beach). We go a lot to Norfolk and always hire a day boat on the broads from Potter Heigham. You can go on a river cruise, from Wroxham or Horning.

Sheringham is a lovely, quiet seaside town, you can visit Sheringham Park for a stroll or go on the steam railway, there are also a couple of sea front pubs/restuarants. I love Great Yarmouth, but it's busy and a bit tacky.

We have never visited Bewilderwood, but if you have young children, we loved the Dinosaur Park (but it was 9 or 10 years ago). A bit further afield, is Africa Alive - a zoo, or Pettits adventure for children.

I love Norfolk, we usually go every year, if not for our main summer holiday, we go for a short break at the end of August.

West runton has a lovely animal sanctuary

And if self-catering and going near Stalham, shop at Truly Local (not for profit, everything produced within 35 miles) - assuming you've not been to Holt and stocked up on everything you can wish for (and more) from Larner's Food Hall, or shopped efficiently at Roy's of Wroxham.

Second Norwich Castle Museum
Happisburgh lighthouse and beach

Lots of good suggestions here. Ages and interests of children? Would you like to go shopping or to quiet nature reserves? Theme parks or adventure playgrounds? Kiss me quick or windswept and remote?

Bacton is well located for a summer holiday. And it won't be every day is a Sunday, it'll be tourist season and you're near some beautiful coast.

Thanks all, very excited now! Kids will be 10, 9 and 5, SN not an issue as long as youngest thinks he's in charge (so no holiday clubs for us LOL). Bewilderwood does sound ideal.
This is our first year of NOT going to Cornwall. Much as I love the secretive, magical nature of Cornish beaches, the secretive inaccessibility of it does drive me insane. Looking forward to big blousey bucket&spade beaches as far as the eye can see and a huge, well-furnished cottage for the same price as last year's glamping on a converted bus.

Lovely beaches nearby at Sea palling and Happisburgh, WaxhamSands etc.

It is a bit of a trek to the N Norfolk coast 'proper' that lots of these posts refer to - but you can go on a seal trip from Morston and other companies, google Blakeney seal trips, book in advance and check the times - but you do get very close to lots of seals.

Check the National Trust website for guided Adder walks at Sheringham Park - you do get to see adders!

Blickling Hall is lovely, yes, Norwich castle Museum great for a wet or windy day, if you get desperate with bad weather there is a swimming pool and a bowling alley at North Walsham, .

second the seals at Blakeney point. amazing.

If your going to Cromer it has to be chips from Mary Jane's eaten on the pier.

Bewilderwood is great, we go every year. We have stayed in Bacton but always rent a house on Wells-next-the-sea now. Holkham hall is good and Pensthorpe, that has a cracking park. Cromer and the sea life centre at Great Yarmouth or Hunstanton.