South Norfolk

Understand

“I’d like to tell you about a very special place. Whether you know it as “East Anglia”, “The Plump Peninsula”, “Home of the Broads”... “Albion’s Hind Quarters”, or quite simply “The Wales of the East”. This is Norfolk.” — Alan Partridge, Welcome to the Places of My Life, 25 June 2012 For many in the United Kingdom, Norfolk is synonymous with the exploits of hapless (fictional!) local disc jockey, Alan Partridge. Yet, despite the antics of Steve Coogan's character, this is a county that prides itself on its unspoilt countryside and beautiful surroundings. Norfolk has much to offer the traveller: from beautiful and historic Norwich to the scenic Norfolk Broads National Park, this is self-proclaimed 'Big Sky' country, and those from areas with smaller skies are certainly in for a treat.

Visit Norfolk

Getting there

By plane 1 Norwich Airport (NWI IATA) is Norfolk's only airport, just to the north of Norwich city. KLM operates direct flights into Norwich from Amsterdam every day, with connections from destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East and the rest of the world. Loganair runs flights into Norwich from Aberdeen year-round. TUI} operates a range of flights into Norwich from several European destinations, some as part of holiday deals. Norwich Airport is off A140 Holt Road and the A1270 Broadland Northway to the north of Norwich. Konectbus Route 501 Airport Park and Ride runs every 20 minutes - from Norwich Airport to the city centre and Thickthorn Park and Ride. Canary Konect Route 35 runs up to every 60 minutes to Norwich railway station and Carrow Road stadium. London Stansted Airport (STN IATA) in Essex is much larger than Norwich Airport (the UK's fourth-largest). Flights arrive into Stansted from destinations throughout the UK and Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Greater Anglia runs trains from London Stansted Airport direct to Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham and Norwich. National Express routes 727 and 728 link Stansted with Thetford, the University of East Anglia, Norwich Bus Station, Acle and Great Yarmouth. Both routes originate at London Heathrow Airport (LHR IATA).

By ferry There are no passenger ferry terminals in Norfolk. The nearest international port is at Harwich in Essex. Greater Anglia, Stena Line and Nederlandse Spoorwegen run a "Rail and Sail to Holland" deal, which includes travel to any Greater Anglia station from Harwich International Port, following the ferry trip from Hook of Holland. This deal includes most stations in Norfolk.

By car There are several trunk roads and major routes into Norfolk:

- from Cambridge, and Ely into Downham Market and King's Lynn - from London, , and Newmarket into Thetford and Norwich - from , Newark-on-Trent and Sleaford into King's Lynn - from Leicester, Peterborough, Wisbech and Lowest

Getting around

Information on all rail services can be found on the website of National Rail or by calling +44 345 748 4950. Information on all national, regional and local trains and buses can be found on the website of Traveline or by calling +44 871 200 2233. Calls incur a 12 pence per minute service charge plus your phone provider's per-minute access charge.

By train In addition to the principal rail routes detailed in the Get In section above, a number of well supported and popular rail services radiate out along named lines through some exceptionally scenic parts of the county. These include:

The Bittern Line (Norwich – Cromer – Sheringham) East Suffolk Line (Ipswich – Lowestoft) Wherry Lines (Norwich – Great Yarmouth / Lowestoft) Breckland Line (Norwich - Wymondham - Attleborough - Thetford - Brandon - Cambridge) All services are operated by National Express East Anglia (NXEA). In addition to the standard range of tickets offered by all train operating companies, NXEA offers a series of 'Anglia Plus' rail passes which allow for one or three days unlimited travel in Norfolk Suffolk or Cambridgeshire. These can be bought on the day of travel from the ticket office or from the conductor on board the train if no ticket office is available. There is also the Poppy Line, a preserved railway run by the North Norfolk Railway, that runs from Holt to Sheringham, where the Poppy Line station is just a short walk from the regular station that runs services to Norwich. Holt station is a couple of miles from the town center, but a horse-drawn cart connects the town to the station. In peak season, Poppy Line trains run approximately hourly. Some trains are steam powered; some diesel.

By bus Information on all national, regional and local buses can be found on the website of Traveline or by calling +44 8712 002233. In addition to the National Express routes listed in the Get in section above, First Eastern Counties operate most urban buses in and around Norwich, as well as a number

See

The many stately homes open to the public located around the county, usually owned by the National Trust. The most popular include Holkham Hall nr Wells-next-the-Sea, Blickling Hall nr Aylsham, Felbrigg Hall nr Cromer and Oxburgh Hall nr Swaffham. Sandringham, an official residence of the British royal family. A variety of historical ruins maintained by the English Heritage organisation.

Do

Birdwatching at Cley, Blakeney Point, Titchwell, Holkham and Holme. Walk along the Norfolk Coast Path. Marriott's Way is a 24 mile walking and cycling route. It goes upriver from Norwich to Drayton, Attlebridge, Lenwade, Whitwell and Themelthorpe, then turns east to Reepham, Cawston and Aylsham. It follows the trackbed of the former Midland and Great Northern railway, known in its day as the "Muddle & Go Nowhere". Enjoy the traditional British seaside resort experience at Great Yarmouth, Sheringham, Cromer and Hunstanton, as well as many other smaller towns & villages. Visit the theme parks at Pleasure Beach in Yarmouth, Rainbow Park in Hunstanton and the suitably different Bewilderwood in the Norfolk Broads. Visit seal colonies at Blakeney Point and Horsey (at certain times of year). Cricket: Norfolk CCC play in the National Counties Cricket Championship, the tier formerly known as "Minor Counties" below the first class competitions. They usually play at Manor Park Horsford at the north edge of Norwich.

Eat

Those seeking Norfolk's regional cuisine should head for the coast. Although the fishing fleets of Norfolk are not particularly large, their crops can be found in any decent pub or restaurant along the coast, especially that of North Norfolk. Ask what's fresh before ordering, and explore the market towns of the region to find local fishmongers who can tell you about the fish and shellfish that they have for sale. Cromer is noted for its crabs. With prices for wholesale agricultural produce being forced ever lower by powerful supermarkets and bulk purchasers, many farmers are choosing to apply for organic certification and concentrating on producing high quality natural produce. Fruit such as apples and pears are grown in the region, and there is a small but healthy commun