Weybourne to Cromer

Our friend Eileen was staying with us and we had a couple of days before Helen went back to Cambridge, so it seemed an ideal opportunity to complete the Peddars Way/Norfolk Coast Path. The weather was lovely. We left home soon after 9am, with Richard and Helen in one car and Eileen and me in the other. Richard parked in Cromer and we picked him and Helen up there and drove to the car park at Weybourne Hope. This is the point at which, according to the guidebook, 'the shingle relents and the cliffs take over' - so there was no more difficult walking on shingle. Instead, we climbed up the cliffs towards Sheringham, with plenty of evidence of erosion e.g. the houses at Water Hill getting progressively closer to the sea.

There were excellent views to the windmill at Weybourne, the North Norfolk Railway (the 'Poppy Line') and Sheringham Golf Course. We climbed up Skelding Hill to the old coastguard lookout, then down to Sheringham, stopping for lunch at the very conveniently placed Crown Inn.

After lunch we walked along the upper prom and then, after a bit of difficulty, found the steep steps up the hill to the concrete hill past the putting green. From here we climbed Beeston Hill, with superb views ahead to East and West Runton and Cromer - and lots of caravan sites. But we headed inland, past Beeston Hall School then uphill through pretty woodland to The Roman Camp. Here there is a flagpole marking the highest elevation in Norfolk (346 feet), signs to warn you that there are adders, views to the coast - and a posh caravan site!

We descended through more woodland, past a pretty caravan site, then across fields to Cromer. We walked through a modern estate and down to the pier. It was a bit run down, but we had a very welcome ice-cream to celebrate the end of the walk.

Note added Dec 2021: The Norfolk Coast Path now continues beyond Cromer. Click here to read of the ongoing adventure.