travel stories: north norfolk
At the end of January, we enjoyed a weekend away to the North Norfolk coast, with Barley in tow of course. We found a lovely cottage on Airbnb in the village of Blakeney, within perfect walking distance to the local pubs and restaurants, it sounded too good to be true!
We love the beautiful countryside of where we live, but there is something so calming about being by the coast, it’s a great way to reset, especially during the post Christmas slump!
On arrival we unpacked and headed straight out to the King Arms on the next street, a cosy, olde-worlde pub just a stones throw from Blakeney Quay and where we enjoyed the most incredible pie and mash. It was like stepping back in time, the pub was steeped in history with old-English decor, cosy nooks and a roaring fire which Barley made herself comfortable in front of, the perfect spot to keep warm and have her head tickled by passers-by.
Wanting to make the most of the incredible sunrises, we set an alarm for early Saturday morning, a freezing cold wake-up that wasn’t made any easier by the red wine consumed the night before. Lots of layers and backpacks full of snacks and a flask of tea, we headed past the quay along the coastal path towards Cley-Next-The-Sea.
As we reached the salt marshes, with sandpipers scurrying around and seagulls fighting for the top spots on the boat masts, something caught our attention... we were lucky enough to look up and see a mesmerising murmuration of starlings, as they emerged from the distance they created the most beautiful streaming patterns in the sky. They’re majestic, if a little raucous, so luckily you can hear them coming. They flew over in constant flows so we got to enjoy the spectacle every few minutes, although we had to be careful when looking up that nothing was travelling down!!
The sky was perfectly clear, with a warm glow on the horizon and the last of the fading mist huddling around the trees under a distant hill. The air was so incredibly still, not a single frost-covered reed was moving. It felt so surreal. We continued our walk towards the sea, the scene constantly changing around us when suddenly the sun burst above the horizon drenching everything in its wake.
The coastal path takes you temptingly close, yet doesn’t quite reach the shingle beach, wrapping around the salt marshes and back in-land.
We were finally heading along the path towards Cley-next-the-Sea, which sat framed with the most glorious swathes of feather reed grasses and a majestic windmill dominating the skyline, reminiscent of a Constable painting. The village’s narrow, meandering streets were lined with flint cottages, made for function yet each one beautifully unique and decorative.
The streets were unusually quiet for a Saturday morning, it was around 9am by now and nothing was open bar the greengrocers. There was, however, a lingering smell of woodsmoke in the air, so possibly most people had opted for a cosy breakfast at home while the air thawed out.
We couldn’t walk all that way without paying a visit to Made in Cley pottery shop, I patiently waited on the doorstep for the closed sign to be flipped over, scaring the owner half to death as my frozen little face peered through the window in excitement.
Next stop was lunch at the lovely Three Swallows pub for some much needed sustenance and a chance to rest our feet and thaw out by the fire.
We managed to time our walk back along the coastal path perfectly, arriving back just in time to watch the sunset over Blakeney Quay. People gathered around the harbour and marshes to watch the incredible sunset over the sea, with scattered boats leaning into the sand. We could imagine the crowds flocking here during the summer evenings, a huge contrast from a quiet, yet unexpectedly beautiful January weekend.
Barley crashed out by the fire as soon as we got back to our Airbnb, after a whole day exploring she had no intention of moving for the evening - surprising for a young collie! We defrosted our toes before preparing to head back out to The White Horse for some delicious seafood. Barley, less than impressed she’d been disturbed from her cosy bed, was flat out under the table as soon as we arrived. After our indulgent lunch we opted for mussels and small plates, and despite having another early alarm set we drank too much wine, yet again!
The second morning’s display was pure magic! Another clear and peculiarly still day, today we were heading along the beach to visit the old lifeboat house. It was seal breeding season so we had to be on the lookout for seal cubs and ensure we didn’t get too close. As the coastal path doesn’t take you to the sea, we drove to Cley beach and arrived just as the skies were illuminating in the softest candy pink. It was -3 and the pebbled beach and foliage were all adorned in a sculptural frost which reflected the intensifying colours of the sunrise.
There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky with the only sound coming from the blush-tinted waves crashing on the shoreline, and the chorus of migrating birds across the sky. The coastline was a distant haze as the mist was just starting to lift.
On the way home, we headed to Sheringham where we grabbed a chippy lunch, watching out for cheeky seagulls as they followed anyone who came out of the chip shop. We shuffled down the icy ramps down to the beach and found a perfect cold rock to enjoy our feast. It’s all about the simple joys in life!
We’d love to hear your recommendations for our next trip to Norfolk, local spots, shops or pubs. Here are the places we visited:
Eat/Drink
King Arms
Three Swallows
The White Horse
Two Magpies Bakery
Explore
North Norfolk Coastal Path (view on Google Maps)
Cley Windmill (view on Google Maps)
Old Lifeboat House (view on Google Maps) we parked at Clay Beach Car Park (view on Google Maps).
Keep an eye out for Antiques Fairs or Art Exhibitions at Clay Village Hall (view their website)