King's Lynn

Medieval merchants once sailed up the Great Ouse to this ancient port, and their legacy lingers in King's Lynn's handsome Saturday Market Place. The old customs house stands proud beside the harbour, while Trinity Guildhall tells tales of medieval power and wealth.

Wandering the cobbled streets feels like stepping back centuries. The magnificent St Margaret's Church dominates the skyline, its twin towers visible for miles across the Norfolk fens. Down by the quays, fishing boats still bob where merchant ships once unloaded Baltic timber and European wine.

True Hall - one of England's largest surviving guildhalls - houses fascinating exhibitions about the town's trading past. But King's Lynn isn't stuck in history. Tuesday Market Place buzzes with independent shops and cafes, though it does get properly quiet midweek.

The surrounding countryside offers stark beauty. Flat fenland stretches endlessly under enormous skies, broken by drainage ditches and the occasional windmill. It's a 20-minute drive west to Hunstanton's striped cliffs, or north to the superb beaches around Brancaster and Wells-next-the-Sea.

Basing yourself at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're well-placed for exploring the north Norfolk coast - Brancaster Beach and Scolt Head Island National Nature Reserve are both within easy reach. The Royal West Norfolk Golf Club at Brancaster offers some of the finest links golf in England, while the National Trust's Brancaster Estate provides excellent coastal walks.

King's Lynn station connects directly to London and Cambridge, making this an accessible slice of proper Norfolk life.