Great Yarmouth

Windmills dot the horizon like forgotten sentinels, their sails creaking in the salt-tinged breeze that rolls across the Norfolk Broads. Great Yarmouth sits at the mouth of the River Yare, where centuries of maritime history meet some of England's finest seaside fun - though it's the surrounding countryside that truly surprises visitors.

The Broads spread inland like fingers of water threading through reed beds and grazing marsh. St Benet's Level Drainage Mill stands as a reminder of how generations have wrestled water from this landscape, while Thurne Dyke offers proper boating country just minutes from the coast. These waterways feel worlds away from Yarmouth's seafront, yet they're practically on the doorstep.

Village signs tell their own stories here. Martham's entry marker and the Repps cum Bastwick village sign are proper Norfolk touches - local pride carved in wood and paint. Between them, Martham Duck Pond provides a lovely spot for families, though it's the broader marshes of Ludham and Potter Heigham that show the Broads at their wildest.

Getting here couldn't be simpler. The A47 runs straight from Norwich in under an hour, while trains connect directly to London Liverpool Street. Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense - you're close enough for seaside fish and chips, yet surrounded by some of England's most distinctive wetland countryside. It's a bit of both worlds, really.

Waxham Sands and California Cliffs holiday parks put you right on the coast, while Norfolk Broads Country Park gets you deeper into the waterways. Either way, you're perfectly placed for exploring this corner of Norfolk where sea meets marsh.