SHERINGHAM

Sheringham is a traditional seaside town, which grew up around its old fishing village, and a few little boats still bring in the daily catch. Sheringham is home of the North Norfolk Railway (The Poppy Line), which operates steam train rides to Holt. Sea, cliffs, fine sands and bracing air are some of the reasons why Sheringham is so popular. Among the glories of the area are the surrounding woods of Upper Sheringham (including Sheringham Park), with views over the sea, and miles of bracken-covered undulating uplands, covered with golden gorse and purple heather. The town of Sheringham is anything but the monotonous strip, with the promenade running in and out of the low cliffs, while steps and slopes connect it with the town above. Sheringham has plenty of facilities, including many interesting shops, pubs, restaurants and tea rooms. There is a popular twice weekly market on Wednesday's and Saturday's, that attract many to the town. Sheringham accommodation includes a good selection of hotels and bed and breakfast. Sheringham is an ideal base for a seaside family holiday or weekend break.

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We start our tour on the promenade, which extends right through Sheringham and consists of a concrete walkway overlooking the sea. There is a refreshment hut on the promenade, allowing you to easily collect an ice cream from the beach!

The beach is a little rocky when the tide is in - all part of protecting the town centre from the sea - but when the tide is out, a lovely sandy beach opens up and you can enjoy all the traditional beach activities. Behind the beach on the promenade, is a row of colourful beach huts, just waiting for a sunny day!

At one time there were over 200 fishing boats based in Sheringham - even though the town has never had a harbour. Overcrowding forced some to move to Lincolnshire. There are still a small number of fishing boats left today and you can buy their catch at a stall in the town centre.

Sheringham has had a long association with lifeboats. The Henry Ramey Upcher served until 1935, saving over 200 lives. It was last launched in 1945 and now sits in its old boathouse near West Cliff and is open to visitors. There is also a RNLI shop in the main street in the centre of town.

Sometime during the 19th century, local tradition says the bodies of twelve sailors were washed ashore near Sheringham, after a huge gale in which their ship sank. The sailors were not given a proper burial and their bodies were thrown into a ditch near a gap in the cliffs. The grave was covered with a great heap of stones and shingle. Locals say that if anyone visits the grave at night during a storm, they will hear the sound of stones being thrown onto the grave, just as they were more than a century ago!

The streets of Sheringham are colourful and bustle with people in high summer. As well as the main streets, there are plenty of alleys and courtyards to explore, leading to hidden shops and pubs.

The towns streets and alleys contain plenty of varied and interesting shops to browse. Inside, the shops are crammed full with all kinds of goods - some produced locally in Norfolk.

In the centre of Sheringham is the town clock, built on the site of a water well.

The little theatre hosts plays, films, literature events, music events, art exhibitions and children's events.

There are plenty of places to stop for a meal or a refreshment. You could have a pot of tea perhaps, or if you prefer a pint, there are plenty of great pubs. There are also some good restaurants in Sheringham, including an Italian, near the seafront.

Sheringham has a wide selection of accommodation, including large sea front Victorian hotels, self catering cottages and plenty of small, friendly bed and breakfast. Many of the properties are Victorian, constructed using brick or local flint. The architecture has been heavily influenced by the Dutch, and you will see buildings shaped like those in Amsterdam!

This particular yard, has the dubious honour of being the first place to take a hit from a WW1 bomb! Apparently after the Zeppelin dropped the bomb, it did not go off and was carried out by a resident in a bucket!

Sheringham parish church is St. Peters in Church street (opposite the Town Hall). The building is fairly recent, having been started in 1895 and only became the parish church in 1953, when it merged with nearby Weybourne.

One of the highlights of Sheringham has got to be the North Norfolk Railway and its Sheringham Station. Sheringham actually has 2 rail stations, 30 yards apart! When British Rail closed the line to Melton Constable in 1965, the M&GN Preservation Society was established and purchased the line and leased the old station (forcing BR to build a new one). After raising £14,000 by the sale of shares the North Norfolk Railway was born and ran its first steam service in 1976. The Poppy Line as it is known, runs to Holt, via Weybourne and operates a variety of locomotives on a daily scheduled service (seasonal).

Services are both steam and diesel and run to Holt via Weybourne. The station also has a kids play area and a signal box that you can take a look inside.

The line operate a number of resident rolling stock as well as visiting stock. This particular engine is on loan and was a 2-8-0 loco built in Lima, Ohio, for the US Army Transportation Corps (USATC) in 1944. It was shipped to Britain under Lend-Lease arrangements and then went to China in 1946, where it stayed until brought back to Britain for preservation in 1995.

Sheringham Park is one of the finest examples of Humphry Repton's garden designs (now owned by the National Trust). There are miles of fabulous scenic countryside paths, with gazebos and viewing towers offering fantastic coastal vistas. There is a fabulous display of rhododendrons and azaleas in late spring, but all year round you can see mature woodlands, with rare trees and shrubs. There is a visitors centre and shop (open seasonal).

Don't miss the tea rooms at Pretty Corner. They are set in the grounds of a house overlooking a landscaped garden, situated at the top of Upper Sheringham.

Sheringham summary of what to SEE and DO