Horsey Gap - last of the seals...

North Norfolk is well known for its seal colony, which every winter makes its way onto the sands at Horsey, where hundreds of pups are born. This year there were record numbers, over 700 I think. They are fed by their mothers for about 3 weeks, then left to their own devices, shedding their fluffy white coats for a darker waterproof one and learning to feed themselves from the sea. The seals are on the beach from November time to end of January/early February and they draw big crowds. 

It used to be possible to just wander along the beach but now it is a much more organised affair and a pathway is roped off along the dunes to prevent the colony being disturbed by the crowds. Last time I came up here was before Christmas, late one afternoon, when there was hardly anyone about and this whole stretch of beach was full of seals. Today, mid-afternoon, in bright sunshine, the place was heaving with people and most of the seals have gone back to the sea.

Norfolk is renowned for being pretty flat but this does mean that from even a slight vantage point you can see for miles across the countryside. Looking back inland from the dunes, the fields stretched into hazy hedgerows, with the wind turbines strikingly prominent in the distance. I rather love these and think they are quite fitting in a landscape that has harnessed the power of the wind for many years - like modern-day windmills...

The sandy beach stretches away Eastwards towards Winterton, where I walked last week...

After a 20 minute walk along the dunes I spot the last few seals on the shoreline...

They look fat and healthy basking in the sun and the pups are so much bigger than when I was here a few weeks ago. Pretty relaxed don't you think...?!

The blue sky and sunshine were deceptive; a fringe of frost on the sand and thick ice on the puddles gave away how low the temperature was, though the contrast with last week was marked with no chilling wind today.

From the other side of the car park, looking Westward along the coast, the frost was clearly visible...

but the breakers were much gentler this week highlighted by patches of sunshine...

The dune grass glowed golden...

I am enjoying these regular visits to the coast - North Norfolk may not have the variety of coves that the UK has elsewhere but the stretches of sand and open sky are hard to beat.

And the late afternoon winter sun on the way home was pretty special too...

Next week might be a 'two-in-one' - Waxham & Sea Palling are close together so, all being well, that's where I'll be heading.

S x

beautiful, windy Winterton...

Yesterday morning was bright and cold, with a strong blustery breeze that had been whipping through the trees all night. Perfect for the next beach stop on my list and a 'blow the cobwebs away' walk.

Winterton is somewhere that has always been off my go to list. As a child, I was affected by the conveyed trauma of my parents, after a friend of my younger sister drowned there having been caught by the fast rising tide on a sandbank. It became the beach that we just didn't visit and I suspect in my imagination it became a much darker and more terrible place than it needed to.

Almost 40 years on, and with a determination to visit the 'unvisited' places, it seemed more than time to put that memory to rest. And, in fact, Winterton is a rather beautiful place. A wide stretch of low sand dunes leads from the village before opening out onto a vast stretch of sandy beach, looking towards Horsey on the left...

and back towards Hemsby looking to the right...

We were there early, on the beach by about 9.15, with the sun low in the sky and the offshore windfarm just visible in the distance. When I was at Hemsby last week, this was just visible through the low cloud to the naked eye but undetectable on photos.

It was very windy, with the temperature in the shelter of just 3C in spite of the sunshine, considerably lower with windchill taken into account I suspect, and there were few people about other than a group of hardy runners and a couple of photographers trying to capture photos of the impressive breakers; they were much braver than me, laying on the shingly sand close to the tideline, pointing their long lenses towards the waves, some of which were 5 or 6ft high, with the wind whipping spray off their tops... 

It is impossible to ignore the sheer power of the sea as it crashes onto the beach - there are breakers on the sandbanks much further out and the shoreline has the appearance of having been scoured into  lunar-like undulations...

It was difficult not to take too many photos, it was so beautiful; the two photographers would walk a little way, then lay down again and take more pictures - I'd love to know what shots they managed to capture.

The Norfolk coast is a wide sweep around the curve of the county and you get a real feel of that here. As you stand on the beach the sea is visible as you look out across more than 180 degrees of the horizon...

There was a really lovely light which altered according to which way you were facing; with the sun behind us, the dune grass glowed golden as it stretched away...

The blue sky was reflected in the pools collecting in the pockets left on the sand...

...and facing the other way, the grass had a silver quality...

We walked back through the dunes, definitely warm coffee in mind by this point!

One last glance at the sea...

...before heading back towards the village across the dunes...

Up by the lighthouse is a quirky collection of roundhouse holiday chalets, inspired over 35 years ago by a local businessman's visits to South Africa, thatched in keeping with local Norfolk roofing skills.

Winterton has its history in fishing and farming and retains a quiet village feel amongst the holiday lets, with pretty narrow streets of old cottages...

Back at the beach is a cafe with decent coffee, warm snacks and homemade cakes - perfect before the drive home.

I'm glad I went. Beautiful stretch of beach - it was a strangely emotive experience but the sea is powerful and to be respected on any stretch of our coastline; don't feel any need to avoid this particular bit any more.

Next time, Horsey beach - I wonder if the baby seals will still be there?

S x

Making the most of the days...

I'm not really making resolutions or plans for this year. I'm a bit rubbish at keeping them and I'm trying not to give myself any more things to feel guilty about! But there is something about the start of a new year that makes you take stock a bit - it seems to me that the years fly by faster than ever and I have this slightly panicky feeling that time is running out! Every year I think I must sort out the work/life balance thing and every year I fail dismally which makes the prospect of remaining on my own more likely than ever!! So, whilst not making real plans, I am going to try to consciously 'live' the time I have - maybe this year I need to get over myself and go on holiday on my own, eat out on my own etc etc

And in the very short term, do something on my days off. Even if its just a walk, or the cinema or a bit of sewing/crochet/knitting... Of course there are loads of other jobs to be doing but I am going to try to think of those me things as valuable and important too (and definitely not a waste of a day!).

I am probably not going to do any more of this...

Hats off to those out there who are patchwork queens - this was my second attempt at it having promised middle son and girlfriend a quilt ages ago. Granted I left it to the last minute but it took hours, resulted in several very late nights and despite my intention to use scraps from my heap of fabrics, still needed to supplement with several more purchases (which means I have even more scraps now...) plus the wadding and backing fabric, which, frankly, made this anything other than the economic present that it was intended to be! However, they were pleased with it, which made it worthwhile... Just think crochet and knitting more my thing...

Yesterday was one of those bright, crisp winter days so I decided to venture along a bit of the Marriott's Way which is not far from my house. 

I have struggled a bit to find nice places to walk without getting in the car first - the only downside of living so centrally - and this path does go through some pretty built up areas. But it is easy enough to look up and feel you are in the middle of the country. 

Marriott's Way is a 26 mile route along two disused railway lines from Norwich to Aylsham and it starts just a few minutes walk from me, walking away from the city.

There is parkland to the left and housing behind the trees to the right. It was pretty chilly but there was a little warmth in the sunshine and it did brighten the colour everywhere enormously.

Under the first bridge I hit a long stretch that hadn't felt the suns rays and everything was covered with a thick layer of frost...

There were a few people about and I did feel a bit self conscious stopping to snap frosty foliage but I was glad I did because whilst dawdling along here I spotted a tiny goldcrest darting about in the verge. I couldn't catch it on film but I think that's the first time I've seen one 'au nateurel' (don't think on the bird feeders at Center Parcs really counts!). According to the uk garden birds info it is the smallest of our native birds and it really is a tiny thing. 

The ice crystals looked amazing but unfortunately my hands were so cold by this point I could barely work the camera never mind get it properly in focus!

After a couple of miles I headed back along another path that took me back towards the city through open parkland...

The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows and lighting up the river...

A bridge takes you back into more industrial surroundings, though from this angle you could be forgiven for not believing me...

More sheltered frosty hedgerows - who knew nettles could look so beautiful??!

Then back towards central city buildings, the sun lighting up the gold clockface on the city hall, even from a good distance away...

I took a slightly scenic detour via Elm Hill, one of the oldest streets in Norwich with many Tudor buildings and a cobbled surface (which is a complete killer in heels!)...

Seems funny to think that my house was built around the same time as these and that many of the buildings that currently surround us would not have been there at all. I'd love to get an idea of what it must have looked like, maybe one of these days I'll investigate the historic maps in the library.

From here, its a short walk for me over the river again and past the playhouse and I decide it is rather lovely to be so close to the centre of town after all!

Today, in my effort to get out and 'do', I headed up to the coast. We are lucky to have a huge stretch of coastline around the bulge that is Norfolk and it dawned on me that, even having lived here for over 40 years there are several bits of it I haven't visited. So I thought maybe (just maybe, because it might not happen!) I'd try to visit each beach that can be accessed on foot starting from the Great Yarmouth end and working my way up. I did drive to Yarmouth but wimped out a bit because I do find it such a depressing place (I know some people love it but not me I'm afraid...) so I stopped at the next main resort up which is Hemsby. All my prejudices were out in force as I drove down the beach road lined with amusement arcades and tired looking holiday chalets, like something out of a run down Hi-de-Hi episode. But, in fact, I don't think I have ever got past that to the beach and from the dunes car park it is possible to walk along the land side of the dunes...

...and then down onto the beach, which was virtually deserted bar the odd dogwalker.

In contrast to yesterday it was pretty dull and grey, so looked a bit bleak but you do get a sense of the scale of this stretch of sand.

It was quite late in the day by the time I got there so the light was a bit poor and when I turned back to look at the dunes I realised the sky was already tinged pink as the sun began to set...

We don't have the beautiful clear waters of the Devon and Cornwall coasts but we do have a great sense of space and sky, and wherever you are the sound of the waves on the shore is incredibly calming.

So, Norfolk beach 1, Hemsby - check! Next week Winterton maybe? I reckon there are about 30 beaches around the Norfolk coastline, so this may keep me going for a while...