Anmer Minque to Holme next the Sea

As we drove up to the North Norfolk coast (to leave one car in the beach car park at Holme next the Sea - £2 for the day, winter rate) it got progressively cold and grey and there was rain on the windscreen at one point. Perhaps our luck with the weather, which had held as we walked the Peddars Way, was about to run out. Not so! It stayed cool all day, but we had some sunshine and it was actually good walking weather, and this leg is my favourite one of the Peddars Way. We drove the other car back round to Anmer Minque, passing Sandringham and the Sandringham Stud then down a delightful avenue to Anmer village and then left to our parking place (grid reference TF755294). We set off walking around 10.20 on a pretty section of the Peddars Way, overgrown with brambles and bracken (probably because of the wet summer) to the extent that we had to walk single file. It was delightful and we soon had views back to Bircham Mill and the cranes of the National Construction College on the former airfield at Bircham Newton.

The countryside became more undulating, especially in the Fring area. A tractor was ploughing picturesquely - we got our cameras out and the tractor disappeared! (fortunately it came back). We also managed to photograph a hare which lolloped across the path. North of Fring, we climbed quite steeply, then descended to to the B1454 (with a short diversion from the route of the Peddars Way, presumably to avoid someone's garden).

We passed Magazine Cottage and stopped for lunch, sitting pixie style on a convenient log by the dismantled railway. We continued on to Ringstead. It is slightly irritating that you have to follow roads around Ringstead, away from the route of the Peddars Way, but the village redeems itself by providing several seats. We sat on one on the recreation ground by the Church, to phone our son and eat apples.

We passed a disused windmill, which appears to be undergoing renovation and, quite suddenly, there was the sea. We had good views of offshore sandbanks, so presumed it to be low tide. The route turned left (away from the ancient route of the Peddars Way) then right on an attractive path, with colourful (though difficult to photograph) berries and hops and good views to the coast.

We crossed the main A149 and followed the road down to Holme Beach. Three things have altered since we last completed the Peddars Way. Firstly, it appears that the Norfolk Coast Path now links with the Peddars Way right down at the coast, rather than further inland - I'll reserve judgement on this until after we've walked the new route of the Norfolk Coast Path, but it is likely to be an improvement. The second change is that on Holme Beach, in just 6 years, salt marsh has formed on what was a single sandy beach. When our children were small, we used to refer to 'Holme next the Sea' as Holme where's the Sea (because of the distance to the sea at low tide). It has now become even more difficult to get to the sea! However it is lovely to see the evolution of the coastal landscape in progress. As before, there were good views towards Hunstanton, with kite surfing. in progress. The third change is that there is now an offshore wind warm to look at too.