Holkham Beach and Holkham Hall
Take a short walk down from the Victoria Hotel to Holkham Beach and it’s easy to see why it has just been awarded ‘Best British Beach of the Year’ again in 2011. It is breathtaking. The sand is endless and the walk from the shore to the waves can be very long.
It’s so vast it is really difficult to take a photograph that really captures what if feels like to be here. Even in the height of summer there is still masses of space.
This is the where they filmed Shakespeare in Love’s final beach scenes and you can walk for miles. Perfect for energetic dogs and shell collectors of every age.
Take the short walk up the hill from the Victoria Hotel the other way and you will reach the gates of Holkham Hall.
The building was commissioned by first Earl of Leicester, Thomas Coke and completed in 1764 (5 years after his death), surrounded by vast grounds complete with roaming deer, hunting lodge, cricket pitch and ice house it is an amazing example of Palladian Italian architecture.
There is a museum, a gift shop featuring work from local artists and food from local suppliers, a slendid cafe, and you can hire bicycles. You can also do what we did and get a tour of the grounds on a golf buggy type thing complete with your own personal tour guide.
The interior of the Hall is simply amazing and has also been used as a location for many films, most recently The Duchess starring Keira Knightley. If you are interested in history it is the perfect place to spend a day and absorb.
Incidentally if you are wondering why there are so many images of Ostriches around this area it is because Thomas Coke (a top lawyer in London, who prosecuted Guy Fawkes), had the reputation as someone who could digest any information, (an Ostrich has a reputation for being able to eat anything) hence the Hall’s emblem, an Ostrich with a horseshoe in it’s mouth.
For more info visit www.holkham.co.uk
Just down the road from Holkham is another gem of the North Norfolk coast.
Wells Next-The-Sea has a small harbour and beautiful sandy beach, complete with multi-coloured beach huts.
It is how I imagine the English seaside was years ago, no McDonald’s or Whetherspoon pubs, just fresh fish stalls and lots of good places to eat and drink (look for the The Globe pub).
Other places to explore nearby if you get a chance are Burnham Market, and Blakeney, both full of charm and unique character.
There is a delicate balance in this area that could be ruined if too many people visit. So if you are going to go, do me a favour and don’t tell your friends (or if you do, just your close ones).
That way I can still enjoy it next time I visit.
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