Cromer, Norfolk: A Family Day Out at the End of the Line

Cromer sits at the head of the North Norfolk coast, a Victorian seaside town that never quite tipped over into kiss-me-quick, and which still feels like the proper end of the line. Pier, RNLI lifeboat station, lighthouse, crab boats hauling in the day’s catch, fish-and-chips shops with queues outside on a summer evening. A genuine working town with one of the best family beaches in East Anglia.

Main things to see and do

1. Cromer Pier & the Pavilion Theatre. The pier is the centre of town life. End-of-the-pier shows run through the summer; the lifeboat station at the seaward end is open to the public and free.
2. RNLI Henry Blogg Museum. Free, on the seafront, telling the story of Cromer’s most-decorated lifeboatman. Genuinely affecting and well-curated.
3. Cromer Lighthouse. On the cliff top east of town — a 30-minute walk along the front. The lighthouse itself isn’t usually open inside but the view back over Cromer is the picture-postcard.
4. Cromer Crab. Eat it. The Bath House and Davies Fish Shop both do strong takeaway crab sandwiches; No.1 Cromer (Galton Blackiston’s chippy on the front) is the sit-down option.
5. Cromer Beach. Sandy, blue-flag, lifeguarded in summer, with Punch & Judy on the pier in the holidays. The east beach (toward the lighthouse) is quieter and dog-friendly all year.

Where to stay

If you are making a weekend of it, North Norfolk has more good self-catering than is reasonable for a coastline its size. We use Sykes Holiday Cottages for most of our family breaks on this coast — their holiday cottages in and around cromer cover most of the price brackets and most of the dog-friendly properties. (Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Practical bits

• Postcode: NR27 (centre of town)
• Region: North Norfolk
• OS map: OS Explorer 252 — Norfolk Coast EastBuy from OS →
• Public transport: Coasthopper bus runs the length of the coast in summer; check the live timetable on Coastliner.