Norfolk

Norfolk has a quality of light and a particular flatness that divides opinion, but van travellers who spend time in the county properly tend to find it addictive. The big skies come from the low horizon in every direction – standing on the North Norfolk coast and looking out to sea gives a sense of the sky taking over the landscape that is quite unlike anywhere else in England.

The North Norfolk coast from Hunstanton to Cromer is among the best stretches of coastline in eastern England. Blakeney, Wells-next-the-Sea, Morston and Burnham Deepdale are all significant birdwatching sites, and the seal colonies at Blakeney Point and Horsey Beach are accessible by boat or on foot. The coast path along this stretch gives excellent walking with wide marshland views.

Norwich is one of the best English cities of its size for a day visit – the cathedral, the castle museum, the medieval Lanes quarter and a notably good range of independent food and drink make it worth the diversion. The city is manageable from a van parked on the outskirts and well-served by park and ride.

The Broads – a network of navigable rivers and shallow lakes created by medieval peat extraction – cover a significant area of east Norfolk and provide a different kind of landscape again. Day boat hire is available from several bases and gives access to the Broads from the water. Overnight options in Norfolk are spread throughout the county and are consistently good value.