Suffolk or Norfolk?

[Stevie77]

After the success of our holiday to Devon last year, we want to sample the east coast this August. We'll have a nearly 5 y/o and a 5 months old and will be looking to rent a self catering cottage again but can't figure out decide whether Suffolk or Norfolk would suit better and if so, where. Hoping for good weather and to do outdoorsy things; beaches, crabbing, good food. That sort of thing.

Any recommendations welcome!

For Norfolk I'd recommend Holkham, Wells, that area, beautiful beaches and plants to do if you are willing to drive for a bit. The broads and Norwich are both brilliant days out. I live in West Norfolk and love it :)

I love north Norfolk.

I live in Suffolk but PIL have cottage in Wells next the Sea, and we go for a week every summer (mine are now teenagers, but have been going since they were babies). For little ones, beaches in Norfolk are better because they are sandy and the water at Wells is shallow (and forms lovely big shallow pools as the tide goes out, as long as you avoid the channel). Suffolk beaches tend to be pebbly.

I would really recommend Wells as a base - little railway, lovely beach, pinewoods, harbour for crabbing, great childrens play park, nice shops on Staithe Street (including butchers, bakers and delis), mini golf, trampolines and boating at the campsite near the beach. Great fish and chips. Holkham Park is beautiful, you can hire bikes, go on a boat trip on the Lake, visit the house and bygones museum, see the deer etc. Good food at the Victoria at Holkham, also the Duck at Stanhope, White Horse at Brancaster. Also go for a boat trip to see the seals from Morston. When the children were little we would spend the whole week in Wells and not use the car at all as you could walk everywhere or catch the train to the beach.

To book a cottage in Wells you need to get looking now, as they are very popular.

Another vote for Norfolk, when we go to the North Norfolk coast we like to go to the beach at Burnham Overy Staithe, it's a long walk from the road to the beach but it has a natural lagoon and is so beautiful.

Mundesley is a nice village near Cromer, The Ship Inn has delicious food and welcomes dogs in one of the bars if you have one to bring with you and the beer garden has views over the sea. I can also recommend Mundesley's BB's burgers, there's a big choice of toppings and you have to keep the burger part wrapped as you eat it as you don't want the ton of salad, sauce etc landing in your lap.

Blakeney in north Norfolk is lovely too, smaller than Wells but so sweet. Perfect little seaside place where crabbing is pretty much all there is to do!

Have spent quite a few successful weeks in Blakeney with a 5, 3 and 5month old. Lovely houses to rent too :)

We stayed here

We are going to Wells in July. I am really looking forward to it. I love holidaying in the UK (sometimes more than going abroad)

Thanks everyone! It's pretty unanimous so will get cracking!

Bumping this - we're going at the end of next week, staying in North Creake.

I've collected a lot of helpful tips from this thread and others, but seeing as the weather has turned and most of the activities we planned are outdoors, I am now worried about what we'll do if it rains a lot. We've an almost 5yo and a 5 months old.