Having lived in North Norfolk (Hoveton) for the first 18 years of my life, and also visiting family there each year, Cromer is always a 'must visit' location, not only for me and my camera, but also with the kids!
Its easily accessed via the A149 or via train, and is approx a 60 minute drive from Norwich. Be advised though that during the summer the road into Cromer can get very busy indeed as it’s the one of the only main roads in to the town. We visited at the start of August this year (2009), and it took us over 40 mins to get the mile or so into town! The cliff top car park is huge, so parking has never been a problem - its getting to the car park in the first place that’s the challenge!! When visiting with my camera its always an early start for me, to get there before sunrise and the town is always deserted at that time.
The main town is compact and has some nice little streets to explore with some lovely cobble houses. The sea front is accessed via steps or ramps and stretches each way from the pier. The pier itself is of course the main draw, and with the RNLI station at the end there is plenty to see - it’s a magnet for amatuer crab fishermen and women!! Aside from the pier, the the seafront has lots of little shops and cafes. West of the pier you can find the little fishing fleet that operates from the beach. As there are no natural habours along that bit of coast they use tractors to pull the boats in and out of the sea. They are worth a look, as there are some really old and rusty ones that beg to be photographed. Then there is the church, which has one of the tallest towers along the coast and has some colourful floral displays during the summer months.
One last tip - for the best Fish and Chips in that part of norfolk, go to Mary Janes. They serve up some lovely locally caught fish!!
(Written by: Nige76)