This week’s #frifotos* theme is horizons. My thoughts immediately go to water – and ships in the distance. But then they wander – my thoughts, that is – to a slightly modified version: the boats along the coast of Norfolk.
The Norfolk Coast Path is part of a national trail running from Hunstanton to Sheringham, 150 km total, with an incredibly varied landscape: rivers and valleys, windmills and villages with quirky and quintessentially English names like Wells-next-the-Sea or Burnham Overy Staithe. There’s farmland and little harbours, cliffs and ocean, beaches, dunes and marshes.
Notice the fishing boats on the horizon? A few years ago, I walked parts of Norfolk Coast Path and I was oddly mesmerised by these boats looking forlorn and out of their element, just waiting for the water to return. I took this photo near Brancaster.
The area is designated as AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Not everything along Norfolk Coast Path is pretty, though: loose, corrugated iron flaps on ramshackle buildings, rusty tin roofs look like they’ll cave in any moment – and some of the boats have definitely seen better years. But that’s hardly nature’s fault. And even these less-than-stunning bits lend an interesting air to the walk.
Norfolk Coast Path is an easy and very accessible hike, whether you walk the entire length or just parts of it. The Coasthopper bus follows the path fairly closely (half-hourly in summer), so you can walk one way and take the bus back – or simply hop on the bus if you get tired of walking. Couldn’t be easier.
If you’re in England and tempted to give it a go, there’s heaps more information to be found at the official website.
Norfolk Coast Path is just one of many wonderful walks in Britain. Have you tried any of them?
*#FriFotos is a weekly Twitter chat where travellers share their favourite photos. Each week has a theme.
In the old days when you took a ferry from Esbjerg to Harwich it would be natural to make a detour to the Norwich coast. Today I find it a bit more problematic, though it sounds lovely. Even for a northern coast.
Flying in to Stansted, Norfolk is very accessible.
Funnily, I was there when Eyjafjallajökull erupted which meant I couldn’t fly home, but had to take the ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg and onwards. Two day journey rather than 1.5 hours.
England does such a great job with its variety of hiking trails – and baggage moving services. The only multi-day one I’ve done so far is the Cumbria Way in the Lake District – very beautiful but not really well marked when I did it two years ago.
Hm… The Norfolk Coast Path was very well marked, I thought – but then, when you move along a coast it’s difficult to get it wrong anyway.
The boats seem like little toys waiting for someone to pick them up and take them out to sea.
Great spot for a hike or a Sunday afternoon walk.
They do, don’t they 🙂
How gorgeous is that! Looks like a painting.
Thanks, Nancie
Beeautiful image, Sophie. I love the coast, just anywhere!