Mundesley and beyond...

This weekend we resumed our coastal exploration picking up where we left off in Mundesley. At least that was the plan...

In fact, it seems a bank holiday weekend is not the time to go to Mundesley for a quiet walk on the beach! The world and his wife seemed to be there and there was nowhere to park in the village. We drove on to neighbouring Trimingham but, being a stickler for keeping things in order, walked back along the coastal path before dropping down onto the beach and heading westwards again.

Frustratingly, it seems that from a photographic point of view this was a waste of time as everything from the first half of the walk (which was dull, grey and thoroughly uninspiring) came out blurry and out of focus. Not quite sure what I did wrong, or what I did that altered it, other than the fact that it began to brighten up and by the time we were back up towards Trimingham again the photos seem to be back in focus. Mundesley itself is a pretty little place, with flint faced cottages and streets that hug the top of the cliff but I wasn't completely taken by the beach itself. For completeness, I'm irritated that I have no pictorial record of it but I don't feel overly inclined to go back.

This stretch of North Norfolk coastline has marked evidence of erosion with the fields crumbling into the sea. So much so that our plan to head back to the car at Trimingham was foiled as there was no access back up from the beach!

After the bustle of Mundesley, most of the beach was deserted until we came across this group fishing...

Looked like serious stuff, lots of refixing of bait and lines... Didn't see any fish! But, to be fair, we gave them all a fairly wide berth so as not to disrupt.

A couple of horses and riders looked like they were having much more fun splashing in the shallows...

Although this is a beautiful stretch of sandy beach, bordered by piles of large pebbles, there is a slightly bleak soulless feel about it, perhaps because of the air of disintegration that persists. I couldn't help wondering if this tractor (or at least its remains) had just been swept over the edge at some point...

The rows of wooden groynes are in ruins along the beach...

Amazing how much difference a bit of sunshine makes though...

...adding light and shade that lift even the muddy cliffs. Turning the dull greyish sand golden...

Finally after several miles along the beach, we reached the outskirts of Overstrand and a path up to the coastal path along the top...

The sun was quite warm by this point, and no doubt that Spring is here now, with bright splashes of colour - wild primroses...

and the vivid yellow of gorse against a blue blue sky...

Looking back towards Trimingham and Mundesley, you can see how far along the beach we'd walked...

That white globe in the distance is about where we had parked the car and intended to head back up from the beach! A brief rest on a beautifully placed bench...

before heading back along the coast path, where the erosion is shockingly obvious. This field must have been ploughed at the end of last year but the pathway was visible heading off over the edge and you'd be a brave person to drive a tractor this close now!

A last glance back up the beach towards Overstrand...

before turning inland through some woods and back to the car...

We walked for over 4 hours, about 12 miles or so in the end! So we felt completely justified in breaking  into this rather beautiful egg given to me by a friend, a golden dark chocolate egg, revealing mini white chocolate, mandarin truffle filled eggs in an edible nest...

Yum.

Next stretch, Overstrand to Cromer, where I know you can still get back up from the beach!!!

S x