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Living in West Norfolk

Norfolk is a magnificent part of the country with plenty of places to explore.  It is a county that is often forgotten which is why its landscapes and coastline are considered to be full of unspoilt natural beauty, with skies that never cease to amaze.  The pretty villages that nestle between the coast to the north and the agricultural land to the south are quintessentially British. They are  full of character and charm with village greens,  ponds, flintstone cottages and churches that can be dated back to Saxon times.

West Norfolk

West Norfolk boarders Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, boasts its own coastline including the thriving seaside town of Hunstanton with its old fashioned sea side charm and a wealth of forest and agricultural land that houses the villages of Wolfterton, Castle Rising and the commuter villages of Watlington and West Winch. Kings Lynn is the largest town in the west of the county with all the necessary amenities required for anyone looking to relocate to the area and has a charming mix of old and new.

Below is an overview of a few towns and villages in West Norfolk:

Kings Lynn

Kings Lynn has a lot to offer to its residence and those in outlying towns and villages. It is also the last major town before tourists hit the coast road to Hunstanton, North Norfolk coast and beyond.

Kings Lynn is situated on the banks of the River Ouse and is a Hanseatic town steeped in history. The town is populated by historic churches, buildings and museums. Its maritime heritage centres on the old port known as the ‘Green Key’ and the Customs House which is home to the Tourist Information Centre if you decide to visit.

Kings Lynn town centre itself, has many large chain stores and independent retailers including:  Marks and Spencers, Monsoon, River Island, Next and Wilkinson and a vast array of coffee shops including Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Café Nero as well as some smaller more local run cafés and restaurants. The Vancouver Centre is a pedestrianised shopping centre and has plenty of shopping facilities to offer all tastes. Kings Lynn has a very good bus service to its surrounding towns and villages with a coastal hopper service that stops at various points along the coast road. Norwich is also easily accessible by bus from the area with Cambridge a short train ride away.

Bars, restaurants and hotels are in abundance, and many large food outlets are in residence including, Prezzo, Pizza Express, Nandos and the usual fast food chains. If you are a more discerning food connoisseur then try one of the restaurants on the Green Key or one of the award-winning pubs/restaurants within the local villages or along the North Norfolk Coast.

Kings Lynn Corn Exchange is a modern arts centre situated on the Tuesday Market Place hosting a wide programme of performances including: Music, Comedy, Drama, Pantomimes and Dance. The town also holds two Festivals a year:  Festival Too; is one of the top free music festivals in Europe, and The Kings Lynn Festival that mainly covers the classics and is held in historic venues around the town, and attracts big names from the stage, screen and opera.

On the outskirts of the town is the Hardwick, which is an out of town retail park and is home to Tesco, Salisburys, The Range, Next and Argos, to name but a few, as well as several coffee shops and food outlets.  It is constantly under development and plans have been submitted to extend it to incorporate more shops, hotels and eateries.

If you are a keen sport person there are plenty of clubs, gyms and golf courses to join in the area for example, Kings Lynn Cycle Club, Tri club, Sailing club and West Norfolk Rugby Union Club, there are also extreme sporting clubs and activities held along the coast.

Getting to Kings Lynn

There are three major roads into Kings Lynn, the A10, A47 and the A17 these routes take you towards Cambridge Peterborough, Norwich and Boston in Lincolnshire.

Norwich - 49miles
Peterborough – 35 miles
Cambridge – 45 miles

Kings Lynn has a main line train station with trains running half hourly direct to Kings Cross Station, London

Regular bus services run from the town to outlying villages and to Norwich stopping at various towns on route.

Stanstead Airport is 72 miles away with routes running to all major European cities and holiday destinations.

Sandringham

Sandringham Estate is a private residence and country retreat for the Royal Family. The Monarchy has been travelling to Norfolk since 1862.

The Estate and its parkland are open to the public throughout the year and its 243 hectares of parkland with way-marked trails for cycling or exploring by foot provide plenty of entertainment along with other various outdoor activities and events held throughout the year. More information of what is available at Sandringham can be found here.

Hunstanton

Hunstanton is located on the western tip of the North Norfolk coast and faces west overlooking The Wash towards Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire. It is an excellent place to start exploring the North Norfolk coast either by foot or by car

Hunstanton; could be split into two parts, the main resort is famous for its cliffs and beaches and  offers all the facilities of a seaside town and  Old Hunstanton, which is much quieter and more traditional. Hunstanton has an array of shops, bars cafes and restaurants and a theatre where performances to suit all tastes are catered for. If extreme sports are your passion then you can par-take in a multitude of water sports including windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking and paddle boarding.

Annually the town hosts a range of events including the Hunstanton & District Festival of Arts, Carnival and Kite Festival.

Downham Market

This is one of Norfolk’s oldest Market towns dating back to Saxon times and still holds a weekly market. It is full of character and is home to many historic buildings and is the gate way to the Fens. This area has an intimate feel to its town centre and has an abundance of shops, cafes and restaurants,  a leisure centre and train station which links to Cambridge and London.

Norwich

The city of Norwich, situated in the east of the county, is a thriving city with an excellent University.  It houses all the characteristics of a city with a small intimate charm. It is steeped in history and has an abundance of shops bars and restaurants that you would expect to find in a city, as well as out of town retail parks, train station and a small local airport. The city centre can by access via car or by the Park and Ride bus service.

West Norfolk not only has the necessary amenities required for day to day living it is full of history and heritage from stately homes at Sandringham, the former residence of the Queen Mother and the Queens existing residence, Anmer the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to other grand stately homes that include Oxburgh and Houghton Hall and glorious beaches at Brancaster and Holkham.  The North Norfolk coast is popular with celebrity A listers looking for a quiet retreat and others wanting a holiday location, bringing with it a vast array of boutique shops, upmarket restaurants and hotels.

To see more of what West Norfolk has to offer please follow the link below: 
Visit West Norfolk:  http://www.visitwestnorfolk.com


West Norfolk has something for everyone, whether it is the arts, history, wildlife, or sports you can find it here. For further information about the area from additional sources please click on the links below: