West Norfolk has thousands of holiday cottages. In some of the coastal villages such as Blakeney, Brancaster and Burnham Market, around 1 in 10 of all the houses are second homes or holiday lets. I live in a village on the coast which has its fair share of holiday homes - including the house opposite mine.
When arriving at a holiday cottage, the first thing is to explore the rooms, and decide who's having the dodgy bedroom. Well organised hosts will have left a guide for visitors as to what is available in the area which will probably be in one of the drawers, along with an incomplete pack of playing cards and a tea stained jigsaw. There may also be a guestbook with some amusing entries. The one I read recently was very funny...
This exercise assumes that you are the owner of a self-catering cottage in Wells next the Sea, Blakeney or Brancaster.
You need to put together a guide for people who are staying at your cottage.
The guide should have the following information in it:
- a map to show the area around the cottage
- a list of things to do in Wells next the Sea (or Blakeney/Brancaster) itself
- a list of things to do within about 40 miles drive of the cottage
- suggestions for rainy days, and activities to do with children
General advice: telephone numbers of nearby services: what day the bins are emptied and so on.
Students will be supplied with a selection of leaflets from the nearest TIC (Tourist Information Centre), or you can ask them to collect some of their own if there is one in your town.
May also provide a blank outline map if you prefer.
TIC's in Norfolk will have copies of the Norfolk Coast Guardian, which is a free newspaper with loads of local information. A little further afield is the BROADCASTER which covers the Norfolk Broads. There's also the NORTH NORFOLK coast not too far away.
North Norfolk is an AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY.
The following websites will then prove useful for the exercise. Material can be taken from these, and added to the guide, which can be done in Word or similar package.
MULTIMAP will offer a free printed map of the area. Enter the name of the place. There are lots of other MAPPING sites available from my MAPWORK page.
Try a search on the online directory: SCOOT
Try and find more about the following places in the area - how many of them have websites now...
| Sheringham Little Theatre | Granary Theatre, Wells-next-the-Sea | The Green Quay, King's Lynn | Alby Bottle Museum | Cromer Museum |
| The RNLI Henry Blogg Museum, Cromer | The Thursford Collection, Fakenham | Glandford Shell Museum | Holkham Hall | True's Yard Fishing Museum |
| Cromer Pier | Norfolk Motorcycle Museum, North Walsham | Sandringham House | Sheringham Museum | Wells Maritime Museum |
| Muckleburgh Military Collection | Bircham Gallery, Holt | Le Strange Craft Barns, Old Hunstanton | Holkham Hall | Park Farm, Snettisham |
| Holkham Pottery | Houghton Hall | Felbrigg Hall | Sheringham Park | Caithness Crystal |
| Dersingham Pottery | North Norfolk Railway | Wells and Walsingham Light Railway | Bure Valley Railway | Cley Mill |
| South Creake Maize Maze | Blickling Hall | Beeston Regis Prior Gardens | Walsingham Abbey | Castle Rising Castle |
| Binham Priory | Norfolk Lavender | Sealife Centre | Beans Boat Trips - from Morston out to Blakeney - a recommended day out ! |
SUNNY HUNNY
There is a very useful item on the WEST NORFOLK website all about HUNSTANTON, which was apparently added in May 2002, so is up to date.
The article includes a visitor profile of HUNSTANTON. Do a search to find the information on the resort.
It apparently mainly attracts families, usually with pre-teenage children, followed by retired couples who enjoy the 'Victorian sedateness' and dry climate. There are also large numbers of birdwatchers, who often come in the winter months and extend the season.
Rough estimates of figures:
Impact of Tourism on Hunstanton
Benefits to Residents
Disbenefits to Residents
Environmental Impact - need to ensure that visitors don't destroy balance of wildlife in area.
Benefits to Residents
Disbenefits
Resort was designed around visitors. In 1930's, families moved out of their homes to let visitors use them, and lived in the garden shed during the summer months. Some dissatisfaction with visitors amongst the residents who are not involved with the industry, often some of these were previously visitors, but have now retired to the town. Hunstanton has tried to reduce the 'tacky' elements found in some other resorts to a minimum - not too many arcades, no nightclubs.
Have introduced a few changes: Sunny Hunny mascot, numbered groynes so that lost children could be found more easily.
Sea Life centre opened in 1989, and has developed into a very popular attraction.
I also recommend a trip out the famous 'pub without a bar': the 'Lord Nelson' at Burnham Thorpe: Nelson's birthplace. Check out the pub's website HERE. The pub has an AA rosette for its food (well deserved) and also won the EDP Pub/Restaurant of the Year for 2004. Oh, and it now has a bar....
