Trip 13, Keith’s Farm Sea Palling.
We set of very early for us, it was only 8.05am when we left West Willoughby and headed for Norfolk. It is a bank holiday and the traffic was very light. We made it all the way to Kings Lynn without following a lorry. We then joined the A47 towards Norwich and still there was little traffic. Once we got nearer to Norwich there were major road construction which slowed us a little but once passed the road works the route traffic thinned out and we made our way to the Park & Ride car park to deliver the goods a man had bought. It was then onto Wroxham , despite the Bank Holiday the town was fairly quiet. Then onto Sea Palling the roads were quiet got much narrower so still a slow journey.
We arrived at the campsite at 11.30am despite a slight detour when I/Sat Nav missed a turning. We booked in and set up, it took a bit longer because of the wind and we had the gazebo and the windbreak to sort.
We went to the beach over the dunes and walked towards the village. The sea was cool but there were people swimming.
We called in at the Lifeboat Tavern which was quite busy. We people watched for some time before walking back to the campsite.
The sun went behind the clouds and the heavens opened with a heavy downpour. We had got back inside just in time, however the shower did not last long and the sun appeared briefly to enable us to eat tea outside in the gazebo room.
Tomorrow the forecast is good and I said I was going for a swim.
Day 2:
The sun is out so we are going to the beach. The tide was going out but the sea was quite rough. I got in upto my waist but it was a bit dangerous to actually go swimming. We spent the morning on the beach.
After 3pm we headed home to change.
We have a new neighbour. They have an old Commer camper. My dad used to sell them so I spoke to the owner and got a picture of the outfit.
We changed into dry clothes and walked to the pub for a drink.
Back at the van I cooked tea on the BBQ.
Day 3:
We had decided that today was a walking day due to cloudy skies and possible rain. I planned the walk to Happisburgh, find the pub and walk home. The walk along the beach at high tide was ok and then we joined the concrete sea defences which was easier.
We came across the launch ramp for the Happisburgh RNLI and on walking underneath it I smacked my head on a beam. Luckily I had a hat on but it still cut my head and created a large lump.
As we neared Happisburgh we saw the Tide & Time bell, The bell rings as the tide goes in and out.
We carried on along the beach to the final ramp up to Happisburgh.
There was an ice cream van so Sue treated us. We made the decision to miss out the pub and head back along the North Norfolk Coastal Path.
We passed a lot of good looking holiday chalets on the cliff top before reaching the Happisburgh RNLI ramp. This time we walked down the ramp and continued our journey home along the beach.
We stopped at one of the breakwaters where we were able to sit and eat our lunch before continuing to Sea Palling and The Lifeboat Tavern. It did start to rain but it was only a short shower. We reached Sea Palling and stopped at the Lifeboat for one drink before the final walk home. My watch read 9.76 miles in total when the plan was about 7 miles.
Day 4:
We went for a walk along the beach towards Great Yarmouth. We came across a drawing on the sea wall. It may or may not have been a Banksy but it looked good.
The tide had turned and was on its way out. It was amazing just how many seals were near the shore between the sea defences and the beach. We counted over 20 although some we may have seen twice as we walked along the shoreline.
We stopped after 3 miles and watched the seals before turning back to Sea Palling.
I found a tennis ball among the rocks and donated it to a couple who had a spaniel.
Once we got to the Lifeguard station we continue and sat on the rocks to eat lunch before heading back to the Lifeboat Tavern for a drink. We met a couple who we talked to this time last year. Sue even remembered their dog’s name which was Louie.
We headed home and spent the afternoon reading in the Quest room. I cleaned the fridge burner, hopefully to stop it popping. It will get a thorough clean once we are home.
Day 5:
We needed some basic supplies so we headed for the village shop, which had everything that we needed. We walked to the beach, the tide was in so we walked along the sea defence to the first steps and headed back to the campsite.
In the afternoon we headed into the village and stopped at the Lifeboat for a couple of beers before heading back home. I got a night off from the BBQ and Sue cooked Chicken Kiev with chips and a salad.
Our last day tomorrow, hopefully it will keep dry.
Day 6:
The sun is out this morning but it is windy. Once everything is dry we will pack away after lunch. With all the kit packed away we walked into the village, stopped at the busy Lifeboat Tavern for a beer and then onto the Fish & Chip shop.
We took the F&C upto the beach and ate tea while watching people. The Sauna in the old horse box trailer was working and soon 6 ladies emerged and went straight into the sea for a dip. It made us feel cold and unhealthy.
Once the Fish & Chips were eaten we called back to the Lifeboat before walking home in the setting sun. The wind had dropped to nothing and it was still fairly warm at 19.30.
So ended our six days at Sea Palling. Reading this account it seems we visited the pub everyday, well it has a great atmosphere and there is not a better place to have a drink and people watch. Looking forward to next year.
Iona’s Travels 