7 peaceful places to visit in Norfolk

The low-lying eastern county of Norfolk contains hundreds of scenic spots and wild, unspoilt places for a quiet holiday away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you’re after a bit of relaxation, a camping holiday in Norfolk could be just the ticket! Here are seven peaceful places to visit in Norfolk.

1. Norfolk Broads

The Norfolk Broads National Park is arguably the most popular attraction in Norfolk. The beautiful and vast network of rivers and lakes are brilliant to navigate around by foot, bike or boat. Known as ‘Britain’s Magical Waterland’, the Broads are both unspoilt and accessible to its thousands of visitors every year. Walking and cycling tracks can be found throughout the landscape with quaint villages to explore on the way.

2. Scolt Head Island

This barrier island in north Norfolk between Brancaster and Wells-next-the-Sea is a perfect retreat away from the mainland. Scolt Head Island has been a nature reserve since 1923 and can be accessed by ferry from the village of Burnham Overy Staithe. The Island, with its fine saltmarshes, is a bird watchers heaven and is an internationally important reserve for terns, waders and winter wildfowl.

3. Holkham Beach

This beautiful stretch of award winning, unspoilt beach is a little slice of paradise in the centre of the Holkham Nature Reserve, which stretches from Burnham Norton to Blakeney. This beach is so idyllic that it was chosen as a top film location for Shakespeare in Love starring Gwyneth Paltrow. During the warmer months of the year, the odd game of beach volleyball can be seen here along with an array of seabirds, including pink-footed geese, finches and pipits. After a few hours sunbathing or contemplating along the vast sandy plain, visitors can then explore the surrounding woodland and follow walking tracks around the nature reserve to discover more wildlife.

4. Blakeney Point

Blakeney Point is a National Trust owned gem situated on the Norfolk coastline. The site, with its extensive saltmarshes, is a three-mile-long shingle and sand spit which has been left untouched over the years. The few signs of human life here include an 1898 lifeboat house (which is now an information centre), a few rickety wooden bridges and clusters of small fishing boats. Rather than herds of tourists, Blakeney Point is home to herds of wildlife, including seals and seabirds.

5. The Brecks

The Brecks is an impressive natural area that lies across both Norfolk and Suffolk. The region is characterised little picture postcard villages surrounded by lovely open agricultural land, heathland and forest. The Brecks, which has heritage links dating back to the Stone Age, is a great spot for an outdoor holiday. Top activities in The Brecks include fishing, horse riding, golf, bird watching and cycling. 43% of The Brecks is a protected conservation area and you are more than likely to bump into wildlife rather than people on your travels.

6. The Fens

The Fens, which stretch across several counties, is a fascinating landscape with more things to see and do than there are hours in the day. Although the area is predominantly wetland and marshland, a multitude of towns and villages interrupt the wilderness. Within these small settlements, such as Downham Market (the ‘gateway to The Fens’), visitors can find some of the finest medieval art and architecture in the whole of the UK.

7. Bircham Windmill

Many windmills can be seen throughout the Norfolk countryside. Bircham Windmill, nestled in the greens fields near Kings Lynn, is now the only working windmill left in the region. A trip to the site is like stepping back in time as the windmill has been left unchanged since it was first built more than 100 years ago. Today, visitors can climb its five stories to gaze out on the open countryside or look up to watch the mighty sails turn on a windy day. There is a range of quaint rural activities for all ages at Bircham Windmill, including pony rides, animal petting, walking trails and sheep milking. A shop and a tea room are also on standby to rest tired feet.

There are plenty of unspoilt beauty spots in Norfolk. Due to its vast stretches of rugged landscape, you are bound to unearth a few hidden gems of your own which aren’t mentioned on any travellers guide - so what are you waiting for?