{"id":18420,"date":"2018-07-06T08:32:13","date_gmt":"2018-07-06T08:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=18420"},"modified":"2018-10-24T21:40:20","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T21:40:20","slug":"coastal-adventures-in-east-anglia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/coastal-adventures-in-east-anglia\/","title":{"rendered":"Coastal Adventures in East Anglia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Aldeburgh<\/p>\n

Now that we are back on our own small (but perfectly formed) island, having overdosed on mountains these past few years (never a bad thing!), we are currently enjoying making up for lost time when it comes to beaches, and being so very close to the sea…\u00a0 \u00a0So, when Parkdean Resorts got in touch to ask whether I would like to help them with their\u00a0Coastal Adventures Campaign<\/a> to highlight and celebrate just how beautiful and unique the British Coastline can be.\u00a0 \u00a0I couldn’t really say no now could I?<\/p>\n

We have tried to explore as much of this part of the country as possible during our time here, and thanks to the fact that East Anglia has some 500 miles of coastline (Parkdean Resorts\u00a0<\/a>actually have ten of their resorts there!) you don’t actually have to go too far before you stumble across a beach or two…<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, we haven’t quite managed to visit all<\/em> the places in those 500 miles, but I think the following is a good round-up of where we have managed to explore so far, and should hopefully give you an idea of what East Anglian coastline looks like for those of you wanting to have your own Coastal Adventures in these parts…<\/p>\n

\"sheringham
Sheringham Sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sheringham<\/h2>\n

Taking up a hefty chunk of the top half of the East Anglian Map is Norfolk, world-famous nowadays for its beautiful beaches and wide expanses of sky…\u00a0 It’s also got a reputation for really good food.\u00a0 \u00a0Our first visit here was to Sheringham<\/a>, where we introduced our (then very un English) children to many traditional English Seaside delights including Penny Falls, Mushy Peas with their fish and chips (instead of sauerkraut with their Bratwurst), and evenings spent listening to the seagulls squawking to each other whilst we watched some spectacular springtime seaside sunsets from the beach.<\/p>\n

\"boats
Stiffkey boats<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Blakeney<\/h2>\n

Our Norfolk wanderings also included Blakeney, famous for the huge Stiffkey Salt Marsh Nature Reserves<\/a> owned by the National Trust.\u00a0 This important bird conservation area is a photographer’s dream thanks to a combination of the birds and the colourful boats perched high and dry upon the mud flats (a few a bit more complete than others!)!\u00a0 Blakeney is also brilliant for crabbing.\u00a0 What better way to spend an afternoon than by first popping to nearby Blakeney Deli to stock up on freshly made sausage rolls and hot tea,\u00a0 and then sit back and relax whilst the children are quietly entertained concentrating on that all important gentle tug on the crab line, and the close inspection of greedy crustaceans thereafter (always returned to their silty homes afterwards of course!)…<\/p>\n

\"blakeney
sausage roll deliberation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Holme Next the Sea<\/h2>\n

Whilst trying to find Wells Next the Sea, we stumbled across Holme Next the Sea, which is as equally pretty as its more famous neighbour, just without the iconic beach huts.\u00a0 \u00a0 To find the beach here, you must walk through the golf course (you are allowed to, don’t worry!), and up and out through the dunes until you get to a stretch of sand that goes on for miles and is littered with shells…<\/p>\n

\"Holme
Holme Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"the
The shell collectors Holme Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s most famous for its bird observatory status like many others on this stretch of coastline, and for me, it’s the closest I have come to the beaches we enjoyed during our life in Scandinavia thanks to its silver light, and enormous skies…<\/p>\n

Holme Beach was also the site of SeaHenge, a 4000 year old Bronze age timber circle that slowly revealed itself to the world having been buried beneath the sand for thousands of years.\u00a0 \u00a0English Heritage thought it best to remove and preserve the circle, but you can visit some of it today at the Lynn Museum<\/a>\u00a0in Kings Lynn…<\/p>\n

Hunstanton<\/h2>\n

Not far from Holme Next the Sea (and visited by us slightly later in the year) lies (both Old and New) Hunstanton.\u00a0 Known affectionately as Sunny Hunny by the locals, it’s everything that pops in to your head and more when you imagine a typical English Seaside resort…\u00a0\u00a0 New Hunstanton is the busier of the two with a modern pier and a lengthy promenade filled with arcades, fairground rides, crazy golf and all kinds of culinary seaside delights.\u00a0 It’s almost a little gaudy in parts, but in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

\"new
New Hunstanton beach and promenade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"cockles
Hunstanton cockles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hunstanton
Huntstanton Rock (my children thought this was pavement chalk for a while when we got back to the UK!)…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Between Old and New, lie the famous striped cliffs, and the beach here is home to a shipwreck of an old trawler that you can spot when the tide’s out.<\/p>\n

Beyond that Old Hunstanton sits serenely, away from the lights, noise and crowds with a wide and pretty sandy beach dotted with mostly pastel beach huts.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Once the toddler had eaten an impressive amount of sand, and we had finished with our kite flying attempts, we bade the beach here farewell and walked along part of the Clifftop Parade, past the old Victorian Seaside dwellings, and said a quick hello to the now retired light house before ending up at the Ancient Mariner Inn for lunch…<\/p>\n

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\"old
Old Hunstanton beach hut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"hunstanton<\/p>\n

\"hunstanton
Hunstanton light house (now retired)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Southwold<\/h2>\n

Our most recent Coastal Adventure were to SouthWold, somewhere that had been on our list for quite some time (the closest Parkdean Resort to this is\u00a0Kessingland Beach<\/a>!).\u00a0 We started our visit to the traditional pier, home to the completely nontraditional Water Clock<\/a> that’s designed to make us think about water recycling. It celebrates the arrival of each new hour with two little figurines having a lengthy pee.\u00a0 Child heaven!!\u00a0 \u00a0Also by the same creators here is the Under the Pier Show, full of less traditional arcade games such as test your zimmer frame abilities, and a machine that makes you practice your pirate skills, as described here by my good friend Trish<\/a>!<\/p>\n

\"Southwold
Southwold Pier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Afterwards, we headed past the rows of beach huts and in to town in search of lunch.<\/p>\n

\"fish
Fish and Chips Southwold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I think Southwold must win some kind of award for classiest seaside resort, it’s all just so pretty (and given the fact that we timed our visit just before the current heat wave began, it was lovely and quiet too!).\u00a0 \u00a0 Even the Little Fish and Chip Shop<\/a> we found went above and beyond in how inviting it all was\u00a0as well<\/em> as serving up some pretty tasty fresh seaside food.\u00a0 Another big plus is that this place also sells dinky bottles of prosecco if you want to try to look classy whilst eating out of paper sat on a bench!<\/p>\n

\"Southwold
Southwold Poppies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We did exactly that outside the ornate Sailor’s Reading Room, looking out beyond the wild flowers of the cliff top and out to sea.\u00a0 \u00a0Southwold is also home to Adnams Brewery if you need an excuse to pack any husbands off so you can enjoy a few more hours of peace and sea air…\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0It also has a working light house<\/a> that you can tour (if you are above 1.1 metres tall!)…<\/p>\n

\"beach
Beach huts southwold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"toddler
Exploring Southwold beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"southwold
Southwold Beach huts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"southwold
Southwold pier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We finished our day here happy and full and enjoying an empty beach with the pier to the left of us and a row of brilliant beach huts behind us (you can rent them<\/a> you know if you plan on spending a whole day here!)…\u00a0 The Toddler even found a star fish.\u00a0 You can’t get more typical day at an English beach than that…<\/p>\n

\"Maggy<\/p>\n

\"Aldeburgh<\/p>\n

Aldeburgh<\/h2>\n

Further down the coast, Aldeburgh<\/a> is another British Beauty with famous reed beds surrounding it, an iconic scallop shell sculpture as a tribute to one of its most famous local residents Benjamin Britten, and a stunning 16th century Tudor hall as local museum (and council meeting room!).<\/p>\n

\"museum<\/p>\n

\"Old<\/p>\n

Tiny wooden huts line the roadside selling the fresh catch of the day and there’s a lovely community feel to the place.\u00a0 Look out for the Old Customs House on the high street with its amazing doorway, and the tiny dog sculpture near the boating lake dedicated the lifelong friend of a local doctor (he was bedecked in a hat and scarf when we visited!).\u00a0 \u00a0Aldeburgh is also a brilliant place for a first Mr Whippy!!<\/p>\n

\"English
a first Mr Whippy!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mersea Island<\/h2>\n

Much further down the map you can find\u00a0Mersea Island, cut off from the mainland during Spring tides when the causeway floods.<\/p>\n

\"clouds
clouds Mersea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This historic island (quite the Oyster eating destination in Roman times!) is eight miles square and split into two main areas – East and West.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

On this visit we explored West Mersea<\/a>, the Island’s capital (and busier of the two spots), where we spent the day inspecting nature on the pebbly beaches, walking through salt marsh reed beds, and admiring the colourful fish boats, before joining in with that Roman tradition of some delicious native seafood sampling, fresh from the nets of the many fishing communities that have been here for generations if not centuries.\u00a0 \u00a0We really loved The Company Shed<\/a> (take your own wine, bread and butter and they do everything else!) and the Oysters at the West Mersea Oyster Bar<\/a> were excellent too.\u00a0 And the King of Belgium also thinks so!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Look out for the oyster shells you can spot everywhere here, from the baskets of discarded shells on the beach walls, to those inset into fence posts and the like.\u00a0 I am sure the Oyster is the unofficial emblem to these parts.<\/p>\n

And that’s as far as we got with our Coastal Adventures…\u00a0 \u00a0What about you?\u00a0 Are you thinking of having a Coastal Adventure<\/a> of your own?\u00a0 Or if you are an East Anglian Native, which parts of coastline should I put on my list when we are next in these parts?<\/p>\n

*This is a collaborative\u00a0post<\/em><\/p>\n

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