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Sunday, 13 April 2025

13^th April 2025

Dear All,

We have had a very enjoyable expedition to Norfolk this week staying for 2 nights in Caister-on-Sea at the “Old Hall Hotel”. On the way on Wednesday we had a couple of stops, the first at The Fairhaven Woodland & Water Garden at South Walsham. This is a large area of woodland and includes South Walsham Broad with large patches of Primroses and Skunk Cabbage - a large yellow arum.

Wood Carving

Skunk Cabbage

Skunk Cabbage Patch

We then moved on to Ranworth Broad where there is a Norfolk Wildlife Trust site with an excellent hide with powerful binoculars through which we saw an osprey and several Great Crested Grebes.

NWT Hide Ranworth Broad

Pair of Great Crested Grebes

We had a wander along Caister sea front in the evening – it is not especially beautiful and it was absolutely freezing!

On Thursday we caught a bus opposite the hotel to Great Yarmouth. The town was much better than I remembered it from visits some time ago. We walked along the front to “Sea World” then turned north to the River Yare, where we had a conducted tour of the “Lydia Eva” a fishing boat which has been restored to useable condition. Then it was along to the Minster, which was closed so we could only admire the outside. We then returned to Caister and took in the Castle and Roman Fort. After a swim, we were joined by Kate’s sister Sue and husband John for dinner at the hotel.

Britannia Pier Great Yarmouth

The Big Wheel

Octopus in Sea World

Lydia Eva

Lydia Eva Wheel House

Great Yarmouth Minster

On the way home on Friday, we decided to see whether we could spot any seals on the Norfolk coast and called in at Horsey beach and were amazed to discover a vast number. I guess there 2,000 to 3,000 and a warden told us that there had been 10,000 at the peak.