Things to do in Winter in North Norfolk

All year-round north Norfolk’s coast and countryside is breath-taking, but in Winter it’s especially magical with sparkling frost, winter sunshine and never-ending skies. Nip to North Norfolk in Winter and enjoy the quiet beaches and countryside, at a time when wildlife is at its finest.

Go on a treasure trail. Take a two-mile themed walk around one of 57 trails in Norfolk. Choose from a be a treasure hunt, spy mission or murder mystery, finding clues along the way, in buildings and monuments. The trails are an entertaining way to explore north Norfolk’s towns and villages. If you get stuck along the way, there’s a free mobile phone text service to receive clues!

Explore the Broads National Park. Take a boat trip on the Norfolk Broads and get up close to unique birdlife in their own habitat. With bare trees and less foliage, Winter is the perfect time to get a good view. If you’d like to use your land legs, explore the 300km of pathways throughout the park and enjoy the stunning landscapes of marshland, woodlands and reeds. You can even hire a bike along the way if you want a faster pace.

Take a bracing walk. The north Norfolk coast is ideal for blowing away the cobwebs as well as taking in the fantastic coastline. Enjoy the vast empty beaches and huge skies. Warm up at a nearby pub with roaring fire or café for a warming mug of hot chocolate.

Delve into the Deep History Coast. At West Runton, the remains of a 600,000 year old mammoth were discovered, which was the oldest mammoth skeleton to have been found in the UK. This is a great spot for fossil hunting! You can walk the Discovery Trail which covers 36km of coastline from Weybourne to Cart Gap along the clifftops of the north Norfolk coast. Along with the Deep History Coast app and eleven discovery points along the trail, you can find out what the landscape looked like hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Get up with the birds. Wrap up warm and head out early to watch the sun rise at around 7am and you’ll be treated to north Norfolk’s brilliant migratory birdlife – watch the birds leave their overnight roost as the sun comes up and they fly overhead in huge numbers. You get a great view if you head to RSPB Snettisham. There are plenty of other nature reserves and there are some great sites for birdwatching in north Norfolk.  

Take a journey back in time on a heritage railway. The North Norfolk Railway from Sheringham to Holt takes in stunning scenery along the way. Go to a pub with a cosy fire. There are many fantastic pubs throughout the coast and countryide, many with roaring fires. Try out local seasonal produce and be sure to try the local beer – Norfolk has more microbreweries than any other county and the best malting barley in the country.

Wonder at wildlife. See free-roaming deer at Holkham Hall and visit the largest largest seal colony in England. There are thousands of incredibly cute grey seal pups born at Blakeney Point this time of year. Take a boat trip to see them safely.