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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.

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Original poster

North Norfolk - what is there to do with young children?

24 replies

TuttiFrutti · 08/07/2008 13:21

We're thinking of renting a cottage in North Norfolk, near Cromer - it's been offered cheap by a friend, otherwise we wouldn't have thought of it.

The photo looks very pretty, but I'm a bit worried that our ds aged 3 and dd aged 1 might get bored. Does anyone live in the area, or know it from holidays? Are there any child-centred days out we could do?

OP posts:

newgirl · 08/07/2008 13:26

loads of great beaches so lots of buckets and spades, donkey rides etc

sealife centre at hunstanton is nice though busy on a rainy day

some great pubs that are kid friendly - look in the alistair sawday pub guide to find them and book ahead

KezzaG · 08/07/2008 13:26

We have just come back from 4 days at Winterton and had a great time. We were lucky with the weather so had 2 days on the beach, but we also took a trip on this www.bvrw.co.uk/ which was a really good day out.

There is also this place www.wroxhambarns.co.uk/ which we stopped at very briefly as we were early for the train but it looked pretty good from what we saw.

OverMyDeadBody · 08/07/2008 13:29

You have to go to Bewilderwood

and, if your kids are into dinosaurs, then the Dinosaur Adventure Park

OverMyDeadBody · 08/07/2008 13:30

Bewilderwood has an area for little ones too, so your DD would love it.

Fimbo · 08/07/2008 13:31

I live in Norfolk and to be perfectly honest there is not that much to do if you don't get the weather. As Newgirl said there are lots of nice beaches etc but not much else.

Holt is nice for a wander round the shops and there is a fab deli.

If your dc like trains then you can go on the North Norfolk Railway from outside Holt to Sheringham via Weyboune.

I will post links in a minute

Fimbo · 08/07/2008 13:33

Don't you think the Dinosaur Park is a bit of a trek from Cromer though, OMDB?

MegBusset · 08/07/2008 13:33

We have just had a week near Cromer with DS (16mo) and it was lovely -- mind you, the weather was nice so we were on the beach every day.

Bewilderwood probably a bit old for your DCs, I'd have thought.

We went to the Shire Horse Centre in West Runton (but beware it is very heavy on the animal rights propaganda) and Sheringham Park. There is also a lovely clifftop cafe along the coast at Overstrand, with a nice playground very nearby.

The new zoo in Cromer is open but it is very very small and expensive for what you get (£8.50 per adult!).

Whatever you do, avoid the soft play centre in Cromer like the plague. It is absolutely disgusting and completely unsafe imo. When we were there one day that it rained, we heard the staff talking about loads of mouldy cups that had been left there for days

Fimbo · 08/07/2008 13:34

North Norfolk Railway

MegBusset · 08/07/2008 13:34

Oh x-posted re: Bewilderwood, didn't realise it had an area for littlies.

Blu · 08/07/2008 13:34

dig, paddle, dig paddle, dig paddle...build sandcastle....surely small children never get bored with that?

Close to Cromer are:
Shire Horse centre at Upper Sheringham, little funfair on beach, indoor playcentre at Wells Next the sea, boat trips to see the seals at Blakeney point booked fom Blakeney or Morston - check out online first - Temple's or Bean's boat trips to Blakeney Point, Wells Next the sea - down by the beach, trampolining and rowing boat hire and crazy golf. Pinewoods and dunes to climb in.
Eco / birdwatching centre on the coast rd between Salthouse and Cley - with lookout telescopes over the marsh, best sandy beaches fo small children - close to car park etc, are Brancaster and Wells.

PrettyCandles · 08/07/2008 13:35

We took a small motorboat on the Broads for several hours with our 5 and 3yos. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The 3yo napped on the boat.

Fimbo · 08/07/2008 13:35

Splash, Sheringham

Blu · 08/07/2008 13:36

'Splash' indoor pool waterpark, just outside Sheringham.

Blu · 08/07/2008 13:36

'Splash' indoor pool waterpark, just outside Sheringham.

luckylady74 · 08/07/2008 13:41

My 2 yr old twins enjoyed seal watching on a boat from Blakeney last summer. Love the tacky funfair at Hunstanton - where there is an indoor swimming pool/ soft play centre if the weather is really pants. We just put on waterproofs/ wetsuits and went to the beach anyway. We went in november with our then 2yrold ds1 and loved walking on the beach even then. I do remember a farm park at Snettisham that was nice.

DaDaDa · 08/07/2008 13:41

I can second Splash, Wroxham Barns, North Norfolk Railway, all the beaches...

Can I come too?

KatyMac · 08/07/2008 13:41

Thrigby wildlife park is good, along with bewilderwood & wroxham barns

Or a little boat on the broads?

Or the fair at Yarmouth (bit of a drive)

Original poster

TuttiFrutti · 08/07/2008 21:14

Thank you all for your messages - I have lots of ideas to be working on now!

Think we will book that cottage after all.

OP posts:

gillybean2 · 10/07/2008 09:35

We went to Hemsby at Easter. I recommend Bewilderwood too, I think it's got plenty to keep smaller ones amused and has a seperate toddler area too.

Some of our group went to Petits Farm, but I didn't as i felt my ds was too old for it.

Also Pleaseurewood hills might be an option, not sure how many rides they have for very small ones though, worth checking their website.

Some of the others in our group did other days out like the motorcycle musuem and hiring a boat on the broads for a couple of hours and the aquarium in Great Yarmouth. Even just hiring a row boat for an hour would be fun if you didn't want to do a river boat.

But mostly there's the beach and amusements will keep them very busy. And do things when you get back to your base like using shells you find to make pictures or decorate boxes, and they have some great pebbles you can collect and make into animals like mice and pigs with a bit of glue, smaller shells and pebbles, string and paint.

Hope you have fun
Gilly

charliegal · 10/07/2008 09:44

We are going to North Norfolk too! Isn't it beautiful?

Lapsedrunner · 10/07/2008 15:04

We're going to Wells for 3 nights

surprise · 10/07/2008 20:16

Wroxham Barns is great for little ones. I'd say that Bewilderwood was a bit of a waste of money for children as young as yours - better by far to go to Felbrigg Hall woods and play for free! Have you heard of geocaching? My DCs love doing this. Basically you get given co-ordinates from a website and then follow them until you find a box of buried treasure (usually a tupperware box full of small toys, but hey!) You do need a sat nav though. Check out geocaching.com. They're hidden all over the country, so you could try doing one close to you first to see how you get on.

The Dinosaur Park is about 40 mins' drive from Cromer but is full day out, with lots of activities for everyone. Also, Gressenhall near Dereham. This is an old workhouse which has been turned into a museum of sorts, but is great because it has a farm, an old cottage which usually has a lady in it making old-fashioned cakes etc, a brilliant outdoor play area and also activities within the museum itself. We live locally and go there a couple of times a year. Again, it's a whole day out and far more fun than I've made it sound!

Aylsham Fun Barns are also good - soft play and small animals. About 15 min drive from Cromer. Hope this helps.

FossilSister · 20/09/2008 21:22

Thanks all on this thread. We went to Bewilderwood and it was great!

FossilSister · 20/09/2008 21:23

Don't know what happened there. Lost a bit. Loved Holkham Sanda at Wells - fantastic huge sandy beach, and pony rides on the beach at Hunstanton.

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