Five of Our Favourite Free or Almost–Free Things to Do around Cromer

A holiday by the sea doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Some of the best memories are made with the simplest pleasures – building sandcastles, body-boarding in the waves, flying a kite, hunting for fossils or exploring rock pools when the tide is out.

But what if you’re looking for something a little different? Here are five of our favourite free (or almost free) things to do in and around Cromer. They’re great fun for all ages and a wonderful way to discover the town beyond the beach.

Crabbing Off Cromer Pier

Crabbing off the Pier is a classic Cromer holiday tradition and can provide hours of fun for very little cost. All you need is a net, a bucket and some bait. The shop at the entrance to Cromer Pier stocks everything you’ll need, while QD Stores on Cadogan Road can be a cheaper option. It’s also worth checking the recycled beach-toy box on East Promenade – you might find some of the things you need for free.

Please follow the Conscientious Crabbing guide displayed on Cromer Pier to help protect Cromer’s famous crabs.

Top tips for crabbing:

• Keep caught crabs shaded in a bucket of seawater.
• Don’t overcrowd the bucket or let crabs fight.
• Return them gently to the sea from the beach when you’ve finished.
• Before you leave, consider donating your crabbing equipment to the recycled beach-toy box so another family can enjoy it.

Boating Pond & Play Area – North Lodge Park

North Lodge Park is a beautiful historic cliff-top park overlooking East Beach (to the right of Cromer Pier as you look out to sea). Better still, it’s right outside North Cottage Cromer.

You can reach the park via the Gangway slope or by taking the cliff lift from the Rocket House. Just try to keep hold of your money as you pass our favourite gelato stall on the way!

Once you’re in the park there are two fantastic free attractions – the children’s play area and the boating pond.

You don’t need an expensive remote-controlled boat to have fun on the water. All you need is a sheet of paper. Follow our simple guide to fold a traditional paper boat, launch it onto the boating pond and see where the breeze takes it. You can even colour your boat with crayons.

Family Challenge

• Whose boat floats for the longest?
• Whose boat sails the furthest?
• Whose boat is the most colourful?

Making a paper boat is simple, costs almost nothing and could become one of the most memorable moments of your family holiday.

Walk through North Lodge Park to the furthest end, across the wooden bridge and you’ll find the play area with swings, slides and other free-fun.

Hillside Shire Horse Sanctuary – West Runton

Just outside Cromer at West Runton is the Hillside Shire Horse Sanctuary. Take the Holt Road out of town, drive straight-on at the roundabout and then keep a sharp look-out for the large brown tourist direction signs. Hillside is open everyday – except Saturday – from March to October. Admission is free but after seeing all the animals that have been rescued you’ll almost certainly want to make a donation towards their food and care.

When you arrive you’d be forgiven for assuming rescued horses are the only attraction, but wander around behind the stables and you’ll see fields full of donkeys, sheep, pigs, and chickens all enjoying a second chance in their peaceful new home.

Cromer Museum – Twilight Hour Visit

One hour before closing, Cromer Museum offers a special Twilight Hour admission. Entry from 3.00pm costs just £1.50, compared with the normal admission price of £5.50. You can also save 10% on full-price admission by booking online the day before. The museum entrance is beside the Church.

Last admission is at 3.30pm, so it’s worth arriving as close to 3pm as possible. The museum closes at 4pm. It’s open from the end of March to the end of October.

Housed in a row of former fishermen’s cottages the museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the town’s past. Discover what local shops sold over a century ago, explore a reconstructed crab fisherman’s kitchen, browse historic photographs, handle fossils that are millions of years old and discover how Cromer changed when the railway arrived bringing holidaymakers for the first time.

An hour is just about the perfect amount of time to explore, so the twilight hour ticket truly is a bargain. You’ll also be helping to support the museum’s important role preserving Cromer’s heritage.

Walk along the Beach from Cromer to Overstrand

One of our favourite Norfolk walks is at low tide from Cromer to Overstrand the next village along the coast to the east (when looking out to sea, turn right). The walk takes around forty-five minutes in each direction at a comfortable chatting pace.

We prefer walking at low tide, when the firm sand is easier underfoot and the wide beach reflects the light beautifully.

Keep an eye out for birdlife as you go. Gulls are everywhere, but look more closely and you’ll spot sand martins darting around their nesting burrows in the cliffs, cormorants drying their wings on the breakwaters and tiny sanderlings – our favourite “wave runners” – racing backwards and forwards with every incoming wave. They’re mesmerising to watch and, just like the cost of this walk, it’s completely free.

If you’re lucky, you may even spot a seal swimming just offshore. Their dark heads appear only briefly before disappearing beneath the waves, and they usually reappear much further along the horizon than you expect so keep a look out further along from where they first surfaced.

You’ll know when you’ve arrived at Overstrand because there is a small concrete promenade. Walk up the concrete slope and there is a cafe at the top. Walk a bit further into the village and you’ll find a pub and just beyond the pub you’ll discover the Sea Marge Hotel a wonderful building built in the Arts and Crafts style. Winston Churchill stayed here. The oak-panelled bar and a restaurant are open to all. You can catch the Coasthopper bus back to Cromer for £3 if you don’t fancy the return circuit.

Days to Remember

We hope you enjoy these free (or almost free) activities as much as we do. One of the pleasures of staying at North Cottage is that so many of Cromer’s best days out begin right on the doorstep, whether it’s a walk along the beach, an afternoon in North Lodge Park or simply watching the waves.

We look forward to welcoming you to North Cottage Cromer for your next family holiday or celebration.