Trip 5:
Sandy Gulls Campsite, Mundesley, Norfolk.
It took us 3 hours travelling and apart from a couple of tractors and some slow older drivers the drive seemed to go quite quickly. This is our second time visiting this campsite. Last year we also came here in April so we hope the weather will be kind again. We chose the same pitch and we are on the top of a cliff facing the North Sea.
We were met by the warden Christine and her dog Douglas. We filled with water and made our way to pitch 23,which is on the front of the campsite overlooking the sea. We are a few metres from the cliff edge so we should be ok for the next four days.
The sea is just going out and the wind is coming off the sea so the noise of the breakers is easy to hear. We were soon set up and having a bite to eat.
We went for a walk to the beach and then continued along the sands to Mundesley. The steps up from the beach just happen to be next to The Ship pub. We went in for a pint for the Gentleman and a White Wine for the Lady.
We left the pub and started to walk home along the road but we found the coastal path instead. This took us by an old WW2 Coastal gun battery.
There were two 6” naval guns from 1916 sited either side of a semi underground bunker that houses the Royal Artillery personnel and later the Home guard. Two mobile search lights were available and a launcher for anti aircraft rockets. We took some pictures and carried on home.
Day 2:
The wind is from the south today so the beach should be fairly sheltered. It did rain this morning but by 11.00 it was beginning to brighten up.
Sue decided that we should walk to Bacton which is 4 miles down the coast. We took the coastal path to Mundesley and the lifeboat station and then we walked along the beach.
There are some interesting sand banks that are weathered by the wind. We continued past the Bacton Gas terminal. It was here that we turned around and headed back.
The tide was going out so it was a bit easier walking along the beach. Once back at Mundesley we stopped at The Ship Inn for a drink.
We sat outside in the garden which was sheltered from the wind. The next stop was an ice cream shop on the way home.
During our walk we found a tennis ball, a toy JCB Digger, A pencil and a retractable dog lead. The best thing was a Mermaids Purse / Dogfish egg sack. We arrived back at the van at about 15.00, just in time for Tea and Cake. The walk was just under 8 miles.
Day 3:
Today we headed along the beach towards Cromer but the going got a bit difficult where the cliff had slipped to the sea.
On the beach we found the remains of a narrow gauge railway. There are a couple of explanations for this. One is that it was used to moved unexplored WW2 ordinance to a safe area of the coast and then blown up. The second and more likely explanation is that it was used to transport aggregates when building the sea groyne defences
We came across an area of cliff that had slipped down to the sea. It was wet and slippery and the tide had not gone out far enough to walk on the beach so we turned around and started for home.
The tide was going out but we managed to get some pictures as the waves hit the groynes.
We got to the slipway near the campsite and because it was sheltered we stopped to eat our sandwiches .
Today we only did 5.8 miles but it was a good walk along the coast and and area that we had not been to before.
Day 4:
Cloudy and damp today. Most of the day spent in the motorhome. We walked into Mundesley in the afternoon to get fish & chips at The Ship Inn. The wind was quite strong and cold but we ate them in the garden with a beer.
Iona’s Travels 