Please note that the postcard from series
ended in 2004 and that descriptions of shops and services were correct at
time of going to press
Where
is it:
Follow the A140 north from Norwich…until it starts getting
wet! There are also roads in from the east and west, the A148 and
A149 from the Sheringham/Holt and North Walsham directions. And
don't forget the trains of the Bittern Line for a scenic, traffic-free
alternative.
What's the population:
Around 8220, not counting the crabs. Best-known landmarks: The
pier, where visitors still enjoy taking the air, like the well-heeled
Victorians and Edwardians when it was first built. At the seaward
end is the famous Pavilion Theatre, now closed for the winter, and
the new lifeboat station, which is ready for its rescue role every
day of the year. And, whatever your religious leanings, you cannot
ignore the magnificent parish church in the centre of town, whose
tower is sometimes open for those with heads for heights and strong
legs and lungs.
Cromer Pier
Cromer Lifeboat
Defining moment in
history:
The Victorian times when the railways brought the first wave of
"tourists", along with the building of fine hotels, and
a seafront whose timeless charm remains today - and makes it a regular
backdrop for television and film crews doing period dramas.
Best place for a drink:
The Red Lion Hotel has views of the sea, guest beers, and a flavour
of the town's heritage with pictures of fishermen around the walls.
If it's just coffee you want, there is even a specialist café
where you can decorate pottery, the Sticky Earth in Church Street.
And a bite to eat:
A wide array of cafes and tea rooms. For something a little more
substantial the Cliftonville Hotel on the clifftop at Runton Road
has a bistro specialising in seafood. Most people doing
the "Cromer experience" have to have some fish and chips,
from the paper or plate, with the main choices at Mary Jane's or
Monroes on opposite sides of Garden Street.
Any opportunities for
retail therapy
A range of national chain and local shops, including
gifts, books and collectibles. Market day is Friday. But you must
sample the delights of the wet fish stalls to get a real flavour
of the town.
Cromer Lighthouse
What to do after dark:
Out of the summer season the options are a bit more limited. But
there is the Regal multiplex cinema, check out the local pubs and
clubs for live entertainment, or for the romantic, if the weather
is right, how about a moonlit stroll along the seafront.
How to pretend you're a local:
Wear a fisherman's smock, and put a crab pot in the road to try
to preserve the street-side parking space outside your house.
