www.norfolksbest.co.uk
Tourist Information Centre, Cromer Bus Station, Prince of Wales Road. Tel: +44 (0)1263 512497
Lording it over the North Sea from its spectacular position atop a dramatic bluff, Cromer is a town with a split personality. On the one hand it's a popular sea and sand holiday resort with all the fun of the fair thrown in. On the other it's a workaday community of fisherfolk whose livelihood depends chiefly on the famous Cromer crab.
The town has always looked to the sea for its income. In medieval times it was an important port and its 14th century parish church - with a tower said to be the tallest in Norfolk - stands as a monument to its prosperity in those days. In former times the 160-ft tower doubled as a lighthouse.
A maze of narrow streets wriggles in all directions from the church square and traffic is steered through a labyrinthine one-way system. Parking can be a problem. But Cromer is well worth a visit, even if you're not in the bucket-and-spade brigade. The town became a popular holiday resort in Victorian times, thanks to the growth in rail travel. It also owes some of its success to the late-19th century writer Clement Scott, who fell in love with the area he called 'Poppyland'. In summer months, fields and roadsides in the countryside around Cromer are still a blaze of scarlet blooms.
The ambience of those leisurely Victorian days is reflected in the grandeur of the Edwardian hotels and guesthouses crowning the cliffs. Although the parish church of St Peter and St Paul dominates Cromer's skyline, the town's focal point is the pier, built in 1901 and freely accessible. Tee-shirts and shorts are de rigeur among today's holidaymakers, of course, but it needs little imagination to conjure up the striped blazers and white flannels, the long skirts and parasols, of the couples who would have strolled along the pier's boards a century ago.
Traditional seaside entertainment, spiced up with performances of pop, rock and jazz, flourishes at the Pavilion Theatre on the pier. Seaside Special 2000, a programme of celebrity concerts and shows devised to celebrate the Millennium, runs from mid-June to mid-September with performances nightly Monday to Saturday and matinees on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Pavilion Theatre, The Pier; tel: 01263 512495. Tickets from £7.50 (children £5.50).
Cromer lifeboat station stands at the end of the pier and visitors can examine the lifeboat from a viewing gallery in the boathouse. There's a souvenir shop and a bust of Henry Blogg, legendary coxswain of the lifeboat from 1909 until his death in 1954. Tough, fearless and totally dedicated to saving lives at sea, Henry became Britain's most decorated lifeboatman. He was awarded the George Cross, the nation's highest bravery award for civilians, and the British Empire Medal. Three times the Royal National Lifeboat Institution awarded him the Gold Medal, its highest award.
Lifeboat Station, The Pier. Open daily Easter-October 10.00-16.00 (also 18.00-20.00 in August). Donations.
A row of tiny fishermen's cottages next to the parish church houses Cromer Museum which tells the town's story from prehistoric times, including the history of fishing and tourism. There is a reconstruction of a Victorian fisherman's gas-lit cottage.
East Cottages, Tucker Street; tel: 01263 513543. Open Monday-Saturday 10.00-17.00; Sunday 14.00-17.00. Admission charge.
Out of town, you can visit Felbrigg Hall, a National Trust property about three miles to the south-west. One of the finest 17th century houses in Norfolk, it has 18th century furnishings and pictures and a walled garden, and there are walks through its extensive park and woodlands. Summer events include open-air Shakespeare, a jazz barbecue and concerts.
Felbrigg Hall; tel: 01263 838297. Open daily April-October 13.00-17.00. Admission charge.
