Tourism

Aldborough is a pretty village conveniently situated centrally between the market towns of Cromer, Sheringham, Aylsham and Holt, and with easy access both to the North Norfolk coast and to Norwich.

Cromer and Sheringham are renowned for their crab fishing and shingle/sandy beaches. You can often see the traditional fishing boats drawn up on the beach and today's catch being brought ashore. Both towns have a small museum and Saturday market. At Cromer you may take a walk along the pier, drop a crab line over the side or stay a while to see the Cromer Pier Show in season. Sheringham has the 'Sheringham Little Theatre' which has a popular summer repertory season.

Aylsham has a true market on Mondays where livestock and house clearance items are auctioned off side by side at Keys Salerooms, while a collection of stalls gather in the market place. Close to Aylsham is Blickling Hall, one of the most stunning of the National Trust properties with its lake and gardens, and well worth a visit.

Holt is an attractive town, bedecked with floral displays in summer and tiny fairy lights in December. Whatever the time of year, there are many specialist shops selling art and crafts, interior decor, designer clothes, antiques and collectibles and quality food products. You can easily spend a whole day browsing the shops and taking lunch in this pretty town.

Norwich is a lively city with the distinctive multicoloured stripes of a covered market at its centre. It is one of the best places to shop in Britain, with a good mix of high street names and independent retailers. There are plenty of good cafes and restaurants, and thriving theatres, cinemas, pubs and nightclubs. Visit the cathedral which has the second highest spire in Britain, at 316ft. The Castle Museum is currently undergoing refurbishment, but is due to re-open later this year and the new Millennium Library is also nearing completion. Steeped in history, but moving forward with the times, Norwich is certainly a rewarding place to visit.

There is a whole string of villages to discover along the North Norfolk coast, stretching from beautiful and isolated Holkham in the west to brash and bustling Yarmouth in the east. All are easily accessible from Aldborough and offer you peaceful birdwatching, lazy beachcombing or busy shopping and all the fun of the fair! The choice is yours.

Call Janet Davison at Butterfly Cottage (internal link) if you would like to stay in Aldborough.