Wells and Walsingham Light Railway

A narrow-gauge railway that runs between Wells-next-the-Sea and Walsingham might sound like a niche attraction, but it's genuinely one of those things that justifies a morning's diversion if you're staying nearby. The line covers four miles through proper Norfolk countryside - flat, rural, and peaceful - and the whole experience has that wholesome, slightly eccentric feel that British heritage railways do so well.

You'll board at Wells station and rattle along in vintage carriages pulled by locomotives that have seen better decades. The journey itself is the thing rather than the destination. Kids seem to either love it or find twenty minutes a bit long, depending on their patience for slow-moving trains and countryside views. Adults tend to enjoy the nostalgia of it all, and photographers get decent opportunities at either end.

The railway operates seasonally, so check the website before planning your day - you don't want to show up in January expecting a service. Allow two to three hours total if you're visiting both stations and having a poke around. It's free to walk the trackside and look at the restored rolling stock, though riding the trains costs a modest fare.

If you're bunking at Pinewoods Holiday Park just down the road, this fits neatly into a Norfolk coastal morning alongside a walk around Wells harbour. The Norfolk Brickyard's closer to Walsingham if you're staying that way, and the railway connects both towns sensibly. It's the sort of thing that sounds a bit dull on paper and turns out to be rather lovely once you're there.