SteveFor those not aware, Cromer is a charming Victorian seaside town in North Norfolk, in the east of England. I’ve been visiting Cromer for years, both as a child and also as an adult as my parents have a holiday home close by. You may think all English seaside towns are the same, and to some extent they are. That said, Cromer does have a charm unique to itself. So what can you expect from a visit to Cromer? Read on, and I shall explain . .
Cromer Pier
The pier at Cromer is probably the main attraction of the town. There are not too many seaside piers left in the UK, especially one that has such facilities. It has a bar, a restaurant, and an end of pier theatre for those good old English entertainment shows.
Cromer Pier also has a lifeboat station at the end of the pier, and on occasion, you may see this venturing out on exercises. There is also a lifeboat museum at the eastern end of the promenade. It celebrates the life of a famous local lifeboatman called Henry Blogg.
If you are into your history, the current pier opened in 1902. There were other piers that existed prior to the 19th century that were destroyed through accidents and storms.
If you ask me, the main attraction of the pier is the ability to fish from it. Locals and tourists alike enjoy fishing for crab, mackerel, bass and cod. More on this later!
A quaint town
Cromer is a small town, with enough shops to keep locals and tourists satisfied. It has everything you need to survive. The centre of Cromer also has some quaint narrow streets to explore. It’s here you will find some of the old fisherman’s cottages.
Along with the usual pubs and cafés to be found in most UK towns these days, there are plenty of independent shops to keep both locals and tourists happy in Cromer. It’s also good to know there are plenty of tourist souvenir shops dotted around too – perfect for that emergency bucket and spade!
The beach
Cromer’s beach faces towards the North Sea and on a clear day, you can see the wind farms in the distance. It’s got plenty of sand, with not too many stones near the shoreline. Behind the beach, on the promenade, there is a handful of cafés and public toilets close by.
As for watersports, there is the option to learn to surf, paddleboard and even kayak on the promenade. Like most of the UK, the water temp is not that high but the hire companies can supply wetsuits if you decide to venture into watersports. The average temperature of the sea is 15.5oC during the month of July!
For those with four-legged furry friends, dogs are banned from the beach at Cromer between 1st May to 30th September. As I understand it, dogs are allowed on the promenade at Cromer walking westbound until the promenade finishes. From there dogs can be walked on the beach towards East Runton.
Golfing
Aha, a bit of golf. You will be happy to hear that Cromer has plenty of golf options for all abilities. Cromer has the Royal Cromer Golf Club to the north of the town. Most holidaymakers will find this a bit overkill though unless you are seriously into golf. I’m not sure any little children will want to partake.
Cromer also has a 9-hole pitch and putt course in the town centre behind the North Norfolk Visitor Centre.
If you are just looking for a little bit of seaside fun, then there is an 18-hole putting green that is situated on the clifftop opposite the Cliftonville Hotel on Runton Road. This is my personal favourite! For the little ones, there is a miniature golf game in town that’s called Crabstix. This can be found at the end of Runton road as you approach the town.
I can definitely recommend the 18-hole clifftop putting green though, as it offers cracking views of the sea and the pier. It is also opposite the Cliftonville Hotel if you fancy letting the winner pick up the tab for a winning alcoholic drink!
Crabs!
Crabs are what Cromer is most famous for! It is known that the best Crabs come from Cromer, and the local restaurants are proud to list them on their menus. Cromer and its surrounding towns have local fishermen that go out fishing daily, and if you are an early riser you will see them return on to the beach with their haul. One or two fishermen even sell their catch daily from outside their cottages.
Now, this is where the pier comes into its own! It’s very popular to fish for crabs from the pier itself, and the local shops have plenty of crab nets and lines for sale. I’ve had many hours’ pleasure fishing for crabs from the pier myself, and have my own views on the best way to catch them!
I will share that the right-hand side of the pier is your best bet, and definitely use bacon as your bait. There are two main types of crab to catch in the sea. Firstly, the smaller velvet crab, which is a dirty green/brown colour. The one you want however is the larger edible crab which is a deep red colour. In order to keep it for yourself, it will need to measure 115mm across the widest part of its back. Otherwise, it’s a catch and release deal. Those fellas will appreciate a trip down to the shoreline of the beach to let them walk back into the sea!
Arcades
Like all good seaside towns, Cromer has a couple of arcades. Most arcades nowadays are simply just not what they used to be like. I guess I’m showing my age, but what happened to Sega Rally, Streetfighter 2, and the huge Afterburner machines? They seem more geared towards young children nowadays, with lots of games that spit out paper tickets for redemption, and those games where you have to grab a toy with an extremely weak grabber?
Still, the arcades are popular with the youngsters and they still have those ‘coin shove’ machines and good old Air Hockey! Don’t forget to bring your loose change!
Coastal Path
Cromer sits in the middle of the Norfolk Coast Path. The path starts at Hunstanton and finishes at Sea Palling. The path covers a distance of 84 miles, so not something you want to tackle unless you are a serious hiker! Cromer does sit within the Norfolk coast area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and there are a couple of good walking options from here.
Firstly, head eastbound towards the old Cromer lighthouse and on towards the village of Overstrand. This walk takes you past the cliffs and Cromer golf course on the way to Overstrand, where you will find the Clifftop Café to refuel.
If you walk westbound from Cromer, you will find yourself in the pretty town of Sheringham. You can of course do this all the way along the beach, but the coast path takes in some amazing clifftop views as you walk past East Runton, West Runton, and then over the Beeston bump!
Food and Drink
Fortunately, Cromer is a large enough town to cater for both locals and tourists in the food and drink department. Naturally, there are fish and chip shops, some pubs, plenty of cafés and English restaurants. Cromer also has a Thai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, and a couple of Indian restaurants.
By far the best thing to do though is to grab some fish and chips and go and find a spot with a view to tuck in! I think it’s actually the law to do this when you are at an English seaside destination! Yes, they may be a bit more expensive than back home. And yes, the portions might not be quite as large. None of this matters though, as they are so delicious outside breathing in the sea air.
If you are thinking of visiting with your dog, my parents have handily advised me that there are a couple of ‘dog friendly’ cafés in the town. Keep an eye out for Crab Pot Café and Hatters Tea Shop!
So what can you expect from a visit to Cromer? I hope I’ve answered my own question in this post. Why not check out my other posts about the UK whilst you are here.
