Been just about everywhere in the UK via work/holidays etc but never to the east from about Lincolnshire south right round to Southend, have always had pre-conceived ideas and just no reason to go. I watched that david dimbleby programme last night about this area and parts looked quite nice. Is it, anywhere worth a short break tour/holiday or don't bother?
I fancy the Broads, it looks purdy. Used to have pals who were restoring a yacht in Woodbridge and I used to motorcycle up the A12 every weekend from Laandon to help them out; it was a nice quiet area.
I live in NW Norfolk (longest coastline of any county), some beautiful beaches and coastline near Wells, Holkham, Cromer etc, plus some great beers, Cromer crab and some of the best fish and chips! Avoid Great Yarmouth though unless you have a neck tattoo and shell suit.
Not really MTB paradise, but if you ride road as well, there is some great riding.
You've never been so there's your reason. I didn't go until I was about 35 for the same reasons (hills and mountains boy) and I won't be having my ashes scattered there but definitely worth going. Start with the Broads as you can go north or South from there and Norwich isn't far if you need human contact. The beaches are ace and go on for ever.
To cover the Suffolk bit;
Dunwich: not a lot there, but interesting in a wildernessy and lost maritime history way. It's at the end of the [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunwich_Dynamo ]Dunwich Dynamo[/url] and has a forest for biking, but local knowledge needed really.
Southwold: The Waitrose of seaside towns. Very pretty, nice pier, Adnams brewery.
Aldeburgh: Another pretty seaside town, buy fresh fish on the beach. Nice walk out to Thorpness, which has a boating lake and some quirky landmarks.
Orford: Take the short ferry to [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orford_Ness ]Orford Ness[/url] to see the WW2 military testing sites. Tunstall and Rendlesham forests have plenty of MTB trails (the former being better). Then round to Bawdsey and Friday Street for more WW2 history, or take the foot ferry across to Old Felixstowe (nicer than new Felixstowe).
Woodbridge: Another pretty town. [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo ]Sutton Hoo[/url] is very nearby.
Felixstowe: Typical seaside town.
Inland: As others have said, it's not got the landscapes of the Dales or the lakes, but it does pleasant, picturesque, rolling countryside as well anywhere.
There's nothing wrong with the beaches of Lincolnshire, but the towns are nowhere near as pleasant, Cleethorpes, Skeggy, Mablethorpe etc. OK for a day trip if you need a beach fix and live in the East Mids or South Yorks. Hunstanton onward around to Harwich is full of huge beaches, Dunes, rivers and creeks. North Norfolk can be a bit Home Counties by the sea, and the same for Southwold further round, but it's all worth a visit. Lots of it got a huge battering last week though and will be very glad of your custom when the cleanup is done.
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Mundesley
It's on our list of places to visit with the caravan fairly shortly too.
Norfolk is great. Fat Birds very helpful......
Avoid Clacton-on-Sea
Its a s*it hole
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Things will go downhill when you reach the Essex border. Bits of it are OK around Maldon, but you soon start encountering a combination of ugly marshland, bungalows with ornamental lions on the gateposts, pylons and souped up Corsas as you near the fine metropolis that is Southend-on-Sea.
I grew up inh NW Norfolk, photos like this:
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give me such a pang for 'home' it physically hurts my insides. 😥
It really is staggeringly beautiful, especially at this time of year. It really gets in your soul.
Yep, I'm glad to live in Norfolk. There might not be a lot of hills, but there's a lot of sky and it's been beautiful this autumn. Norwich is a lovely city and surrounded by lovely countryside and waterways.
Went to NE Norfolk last summer after hearing good things. Open Spaces, nice towns (Holt, Wells, Sheringham) great beaches and steam trains, its great.
Kelling Heath is worth investigating, nice holiday park. A week of no phone signal and no light pollution, bliss.
Thanks all, some good tips for places to go (and avoid, love the clacton pic), will make the trip when the sun returns,cheers
If you are in Lincs, avoid the coastal towns (although the coasts are stunning) and head a few miles inland - Louth is lovely, as is Lincoln. Horncastle and Stamford also well worth a look.
Agree about Lincolnshire coastal resorts. Lincoln itself has a great history, Stamford is beautiful, as are many of the villages around it. Even the centre of Market Deeping where I grew up looked lovely the last time I drove through with rose tinted specs on.....
After that head for Norfolk - try and miss the Spalding/Peterborough bit if you can.....
And if you get to Norfolk and have kids, make sure you go to Bewilderwood. It's sooooo much better than it looks in the brochures (on a dry day)
You can't beat a night out in Stowmarket!
Pictonroad, that's a beautiful photo.
Pictonroad, I spent my childhood jumping off those sand dunes.
