Stiffkey

The coastal village of Stiffkey, in An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is home to one of the country’s richest salt marshes for wildlife.

Sitting on the coast within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the village of Stiffkey gets its name from the river that runs through it. Stiffkey is renowned for its salt marsh, rich in wildlife, due to the twisting muddy creeks which are flooded daily by the tide. Situated just across the water from Blakeney National Nature Reserve, Stiffkey is an important conservation area for breeding birds. 

Protected by many national and international designations, the vast expanse of pristine salt marsh and huge horizons, owned by the National Trust, form part of the Blakeney National Nature Reserve. With the Norfolk Coast Path skirting the salt marsh towards Blakeney to the east, or to Wells-next-the-Sea to the west, it is the perfect holiday base for walkers and bird watchers.

Stiffkey is also famous for its ‘Stewky Blues’ cockles, which are given their blue hue by the mud they live in. You will also find samphire growing here which is a local delicacy in many restaurants. Historically, Stiffkey was a working village of fisherman and cocklers and the landscape could be unforgiving, claiming the lives of women that worked collecting cockles. A tale that dates back to the early 19th century tells the story of Nancy, an unforunate drowned cockler. On nights where dense fog rolls in across the cold and lonely salt marshes, Nancy's screams are said to ring out to towards the village.

The village itself is quaint and very pretty with shops and pub to enjoy some locally sourced food. Its charm makes it a real delight to explore.

The narrow roads are lined with flint cottages and one of the cottages in the street bears the inscription HWW 1937 with a blue plaque remembering the writer Henry Williamson.  The pretty church of St John & St Mary, dates back over 900 years and it is thought that it occupies a burial mound from the pre Christian era. This is a holy place where generations of worshippers have felt drawn to God.

Just four miles along the coast you will find award-winning Holkham and Wells beaches. A little further along the coast road is Cley, the oldest Wildlife Trust nature reserve, as well as market towns Holt and Burnham Market. With its rich nature and wonderful walks, all just a short drive away from its neighbouring towns and villages, as well as the coast, Stiffkey is an ideal holiday destination.