TravelJems

Day 1 – Horsing Around

After a 3.5 hour drive we rolled into Mundesley just after midday and made a beeline for the beach. The dog-friendly areas were clearly marked with signs so it was easy to know which way to go.

The beach itself was wide, sandy and blissfully quiet, which was a pleasant surprise for August. We’d braced ourselves for crowds but instead, Alfie had the freedom to sprint, splash and sniff to his heart’s content without us worrying about him tripping over a sunbather or offending a non-dog person.

After some frolicking in the sea we headed to Lucy’s On The Beach for coffee and a rest. They welcomed Alfie without hesitation, even with his soggy fur and sandy paws, and each table had its own pair of binoculars. Incredibly, through ours we spotted a seal bobbing out in the water!

Caffeinated and sandy, it was finally time to access our accommodation; the charming Paddock Bungalow, just a 5–10 minute stroll from the shore. I’d chosen it for its location and, more importantly, because it came with its own horse neighbour. The owners had left plenty of helpful information about the spacious 2 bed bungalow but one detail was missing… the horse’s name. For the next three days he was “Neighmouth” to us.

Further to the splendid four legged neighbour, we also had incredible views across fields and often saw deer hopping across during sunset.

That evening we tore ourselves away from the comforts of the bungalow and went for a little drive. First stop was Happisburgh Lighthouse, where we hopped out for a quick wander and a few photos before hunger got the better of us.

Not wanting to stray too far today, we headed back to Mundesley for a traditional seaside dinner. The Ship Inn was fully booked for tables, but their outside takeaway hatch, The Catch, was open. We didn’t mind at all- in fact, it worked in our favour. We found the perfect spot outside with front row views of the sea, tucked under a little shelter in front of the car park, to eat our dinner.

After dinner we went back to the bungalow to catch the sunset over the fields.

To see everything we got up to on day 1, watch our Day 1 Norfolk Staycation video on TikTok here or watch on Instagram here.

Day 2 – Train, Eat, Win

We kicked off the morning with a homemade breakfast before driving to Sheringham, home of the steam train, also called the Poppy Line.

We didn’t have to wait long before boarding, but it’s worth remembering that steam trains can be much louder than the modern ones we’re used to. If you’ve got a dog, don’t stand too close when it pulls in. Another tip is to stand to the side while the last passengers get off. The platform gets busy fast, and the last thing you want is your dog being stepped on in the rush.

Once the coast was clear, we hopped aboard (mind the gap, especially with little legs). Depending on your dog’s size, it’s worth checking which type of carriage you’re getting into. Those with tables don’t leave much room for a dog to sit underneath once your legs are under. Conversely, the open carriages with just seats and no tables are far easier to navigate and more comfortable for your four legged friends. On our return trip we made sure to grab a table-free carriage for Alfie’s comfort. Dogs must be on the floor or on your lap. Watch Alfie taking the train on TikTok.

The journey itself was a treat, gliding past scenic coastline, pretty villages and rolling fields. Alfie was a little unsure at first but with his favourite ball and a brush he was all settled.

When we arrived at Holt, we spent a solid hour exploring Holt station itself. The miniature railway, small museum and railway cottage were all worth a look, but the cottage in particular was a highlight. It’s a charming step back in time, showing what life was like for those living there during the war.

Dogs are welcome inside, and Alfie was even greeted by the host’s own little pup.

Watch Alfie explore the cottage on Instagram.

By the time we left the cottage the bus into Holt town had left and wasn’t wide for quite a while, and so we went on foot for a 20 minute stroll. Impatient as ever, we eventually decided we fancied going back on the steam train to Sheringham and u-turned.

As mentioned already, we managed to get an open seating carriage on the way back which was way more comfortable. As Alfie is a nosey dog, and dogs aren’t allowed on seats it wasn’t long before he was up on my lap to look out the window.

Arriving back in Sheringham, our stomachs rumbled. We took a look around and ended up at a little place called The Kitchen. Here I had an incredible Ploughman’s salad that I’m mad at myself for not having taken a picture of!

Sheringham had lots of lovely boutique shops and is incredibly dog friendly. It was so nice to be able to walk into pretty much every shop without having to take turns staying outside on the pavement with the dog. The only real exceptions were the pricier boutiques where a tail wag in the wrong direction could set you back £500 for knocking a single sculpture on the floor – fair enough, I think!

We stayed in Sheringham a long while, mostly because we are all big kids and the prospect of a dog friendly arcade filled our inner children with joy. We spent more time in the arcade than I’d care to admit and came away with a few packets of sweets and a fidget toy. Winners.

We still had energy left and popped into Cromer on the way back to Mundesley. Here we enjoyed a chilled rest of the day. Looking over the pier (which dogs are welcome to walk on). Families played crazy golf behind us as we strolled through the streets. Not yet arcaded-out, we popped into one of the arcades and mooched around the shops before grabbing a takeaway and heading back to our accommodation for the night.

Day 3: Wells

On day 3 we set out for Blakeney to see some seals and were sad to find that all the boat trips were booked up. Feeling quite annoyed at myself for not having pre-planned, we changed our plans and set out for Wells-Next-the-Sea. I had read that we could see seals elsewhere without a boat so I made sure to plan this in for day 4.

On the way to Wells we went through so many beautiful villages and towns. I had to stop the car and take a picture of this fabulous Norman church.

Now this may be an unpopular opinion , but Wells-Next-the-Sea is not my personal cup of tea, but for the purpose of helping my fellow dog holiday seekers to be informed, I’ll provide the good and the bad.

When you arrive at Wells, we aimed for the large car park which is a huge field that I can’t imagine being completely full even in high season. This parking gives you easy access to the mini buses that ferry people up and down the road to the beach if you don’t fancy the long walk.

We decided to jump in the bus as soon as we arrived which, if we thought the train was a bit cramped, had nothing on the train seating. With a full bus load, Alfie’s had no option but to get on my lap. I felt sorry for anyone with a larger dog, but ultimately we could have walked so I wasn’t complaining. Alfie also seemed to enjoy the full open top bus experience and looked around intrigued as we went.

We also saw on the return journey that there is a non open top bus available that is equally as small but accessible for people unable to climbing up into the open top bus.

Jumping (clambering with a rucksack under one arm and a dog under the other) off the bus, we could see the Wells Beach Cafe and went straight inside. I hadn’t heard of the place before but my mum was a little underwhelmed having seen them on social media, stating it was smaller and far more expensive than expected. Ignoring all that, and knowing it was dog friendly at least, we ignored the high prices and grabbed a bite to eat, and for Alfie – a bag of pork scratching and the highlight for him, Dann’s Ice-cream.

Feeling refreshed we walked over to the area marked as the dog area. This walk took us through the pine wood which I had seen a lot about. I was surprised to see we couldn’t really walk through the woods since it was fenced off, and it was also smaller than I thought it looked in other videos I had seen. You can get a sense of the woods in our day 3 video on TikTok or on Instagram.

When you pass the first bit of woods, just before the pond on your left, you’ll find a tall wooden staircase that you’ll need to climb to get into the beach. We climbed this and were greeted with a fabulous golden sand beach. The downside – humans everywhere ! Even in the dog bit. We lingered for a little while and appreciated the vastness of the beach, the prettiness of the huts and then promptly decided it was too busy to enjoy with our usually off-lead splash about dog and went back to the bus.

When we got back off the bus we walked up into the town, which was even busier than the beach. I didn’t mind there being so many people, but it made the experience a little less enjoyable. worse still, there were so many signs up in the shops stating “No dogs please” that I’d wondered if we had accidentally left Norfolk altogether. This meant that we couldn’t go in the shops together and had to take turns going in – unlike how it had been everywhere else.

After a very short while in Wells we decided that it was too busy. The huge tourist numbers had brought with them a lot of wasps making the experience more unenjoyable, and you could feel everyone getting on each others nerves as they all marched for space amongst the crowds.

Knowing we had a lovely dog friendly setting on our doorstep, we drove back down the coast, taking scenic routes down country lanes. A highlight of the day was getting stuck in traffic of the pheasant kind!

Day 5: Swimming with Seals

The last day of our staycation to North Norfolk led us to Horsey Gap. Having tried and failed to see the seals from Blakeney we headed for Horsey Gap in hopes that we might catch sight of some marine life.

Before heading out to Horsey Gap we said goodbye to Neighmouth, packed up the car and treated ourselves to a fry-up in the seafront cafe next to the arcade in Mundesley.

Unsure of what Horsey Gap would bring, we took a quick dip in the sea just in case this was our last beach experience – an assumption made due to the there having been a string of early high tides during our stay.

Arriving at Horsey Gap we were greeted by two parking attendants. They advised us to park up, pay in advance, and that the seals might be seen to the right. They also advised that dogs should be kept on leads for their own safety and for the safety of the seals too.

Excited to hear that there were seals I opted for a solid 4 hours of parking then marched to the beach. We were astounded to see in-front of us that the sea was full of seals. Not just to the right but in all directions.

Safe to say that 4 hours was a good amount of time. We spent around 3.5 hours paddling and watching the seals glide back and forth. At one point, between a single set of groynes there were no less than 12 seals swimming in the shallows! Watch our interactions with the seals on TikTok

What surprised us most about this wonderful sandy seal filled beach was how quiet it was, particularly in comparison to Wells-Next-the-Sea. Although there were quite a few people it was a very different vibe. Less sunbathers, more nature watchers. One brave lady didn’t hesitate to get in and swam up close with the seals as the rest of us watched on in awe.

Horsey Gap was the perfect end to our trip, and after many hours of paddling it was finally time to wave goodbye to Norfolk.

I hope you take all the inspiration you need from our trip to Norfolk. It’s so rare that you get to visit somewhere where the dog can go everywhere you go, that’s why North Norfolk was such a treat!