Country Lanes of Norfolk

7th May - Tuesday

Our lovely B & B was let down a little by the beds but it certainly redeemed itself at breakfast time. We were told “breakfast is at 8.30 am” and it was! We were joined by another couple in an elegant dining room with some beautiful antique furniture and porcelain; the juice was served from jugs into crystal glasses. All jugs and open containers were covered with crocheted covers, complete with beaded edges – just like Edna used to make! As our very genial host chatted and chatted and chatted, we could see the morning disappearing fast. After beating a hasty retreat, loading up the car and double checking the room for left items, it was another half hour standing on the steps saying goodbye – we had only met this couple the previous evening.

With another gorgeous day weatherwise, and not being allowed to arrive at our accommodation near York before 5.00 pm (very dictatorial, some of these B & B owners), we decided to have a wandering drive around the West Norfolk lanes and check out the coast, which is supposed to have sandy beaches beyond the marshes. The first quaint village we came to resulted in a quick dive into the handbag for the camera which wasn’t there. We actually found somewhere to pull off the road (not always easy!) while I ran the B & B to see if the camera was still sitting on the table in the guest sitting room (not used to having sitting rooms with sherry provided). The car was turned around and we headed back for another prolonged farewell, by which time the morning was nearly over.

We have come to the conclusion that Doris doesn’t like travelling on major roads and much prefers back roads and lanes – I think we have travelled virtually every small road and lane in West Norfolk. We eventually arrived at a small fishing village and of course, the tide was out. Then it was on to Burnham Market, a beautiful old village, complete with village green, quaint buildings and shops for the gentry – and two Bentleys parked about 100 metres apart! We found a little tea room (no coffee shops here) for lunch before heading to Burnham Thorpe, the village where Lord Nelson was born. At this point Doris became confused – or our hardcopy map did – as we ended up in an industrial site instead of the next village.

By this time, we thought we should be heading towards York but Doris couldn’t be convinced to take the main road and had to have a little sleep. The road did actually meet the coastline at one stage and yes, there actually was proper sand. We woke Doris up and put her to work for the 200 km drive north – and she did a wonderful job avoiding the major highways and sticking to the minor roads (obviously shorter routes) which didn’t have as much traffic and some love scenery as we drove across the Fens and Wolds. We even negotiated the Humber Bridge toll without any problem. Unfortunately, the sky had become very hazy and murky, so we didn’t really see as much as we would have liked. Without realising it, we drove past the end of a runway of an RAF base and did a big duck when four fighter jets flew directly over us just after take off! Cat very quickly headed under the seat.

We are staying at Alder Carr House B & B, which is on one of the main roads into York, but still out in the country. The room is very tastefully furnished and decorated; it didn’t take Cat long to stake his claim.

Apologies for the quality of some of the photos today, as they were taken from the moving car.