Affordable Holidays: Norfolk for Free

Norfolk is famous above all else for its unspoilt coastline – here, for the price of parking your car, you can enjoy a wealth of old-fashioned, family-friendly seaside resorts, including Hunstanton, Sherringham, Cromer and Great Yarmouth, and also the wide sandy beaches of Holkham, Happisburg and Sea Palling, and the beautiful marshes and mudflats of the north Norfolk coast, much of it protected by the National Trust. 

There are plenty of other free options to entice those with kids, however. At the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer, for instance, children are inspired by the story of coxswain Henry Blogg, who won the George Cross and British Empire Medal for helping to save more than 800 lives. Interactive displays tell the story of the RNLI in a way that appeals to both adults and children, and you can see the lifeboat in which Blogg served during World War II. Events at the museum include storytelling for children.

Alternatively, near Great Yarmouth, at the far west end of Breydon Water, you’ll find the English Heritage-owned Burgh Castle, a ruined 3rd-century Roman fort. Open daily, it has gorgeous views that make it a perfect spot for picnics. For more loveliness, visit Norfolk Lavender near Heacham. As well as the National Collection of Lavenders and gardens, this flower farm has a fragrant meadow, roses, herbs, vegetables, an historic orchard, a play area for under-10s, a café, a gift shop and a plant centre. You only have to pay if you want to take a tour of the fields and the distillery.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads – Britain’s largest protected wetland area – was made into the Broads National Park in 1989, and within it you’ll find some of the rarest plants and animals in the UK. It’s also home to many of Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s 43 nature reserves, which are free to enter (with the exception Cley, Hickling and Weeting). Among the best free reserves is NWT Ranworth Broad, 7km from Wroxham, which has a floating visitor centre hosting hands-on learning activities and a boardwalk with information about the plants and animals that live here. Or head for  NWT Foxley Wood, 15km south of Fakenham, the largest ancient woodland in Norfolk (it’s about 6,000 years old). Footpaths take you deep into the woods, which are full of flowers in spring and butterflies in summer. Also great for families is NWT East Wretham Heath near Thetford, which has two meres (heathland lakes) that are fun to walk around and that make great picnic sites.

For a dose of city culture, head to Norwich, which was the wealthiest city after London during the medieval years 1650–1750, thanks mainly to the wool industry. You can see the legacy of that wealth today. Most notable is Norwich Cathedral, open daily and featuring spectacular vaulted ceilings. The city also has the largest collection of medieval churches in Europe: there are 31 to visit. Of the many other medieval buildings to stroll past, one of the most impressive is the Guildhall – the largest and most ornate outside London, with a highly regarded café. More up to date is The Forum, in the middle of Norwich, with a free digital-screen gallery and exhibitions, as well as shops, cafés and a Tourist Information Centre.

Or there’s King’s Lynn, Norfolk’s second largest city and England’s third most important port in medieval times. Many of the old port buildings along the River Ouse are still standing, including the impressive Custom House, where the elegant rooms now house displays on the city’s maritime history and hands-on computer displays.

If you feel like getting all rural again, outside King’s Lynn, at Great Bircham, Bircham Windmill has a small collection of farm animals, with sheep milking every day at 2pm. You have to pay to climb the 100-year-old working windmill itself; also on-site are tea-rooms and a 1950s bakery, bike hire and even a camping area should you find yourselves unwilling to take your leave of Norfolk and all its offerings.