Cromer (England)

۞ Once upon a time, like so many towns, Cromer was a small insignificant almost impoverished place first mentioned by somebody way back in 1262. A small port served the town along with a crab fishing industry, and life was hard. Fortune favoured the people of Cromer however, when at the turn of the 18th century it was ‘discovered’ and became known as health resort catering to the whims of the upper class. It pandered so well that Royalty were frequent visitors.
Natural progression occurred and changes, those for the better had to be made. In came the 19th century and with it a railway, and the now famous sea front, promenade and pier. Due to the influx of trade, several hotels and guesthouses were also built.
They still stand majestic on the cliffs over looking the sea and you can almost feel the years roll back as you imagine the gentry stepping down from their horse drawn carriages and sweeping into the foyer for a couple of weeks of pampering. [Seaweed wraps anyone?}

Today, Cromer, known as the Gem of the Norfolk Coast is a thriving little town with the population of around 8,000 people. It still continues with its now famous crabbing industry, albeit now a much smaller and less lucrative business than it once was. Tourists flock to the North Norfolk town in droves, sampling a slower pace of life for their annual 2-week holiday. They come, they see, they like, and more often than not, they return.

Luckily the returning is not a long awaited annual occurrence for me. For at any time I can jump in the car, or hop on the scooter and within the hour be making my way down the hill and into town. I’ve been doing it for years.

Cromer comes in two parts. The old quaint lanes full of Flintstone fisherman cottages, and the newer addition which comes in the form of residential properties and all the other amenities that come forth after an influx of population. Since as a holidaymaker it’s doubtful that you will venture into the newer part but to pass through, we are going to concentrate on old Cromer, which funnily enough is the centre of the town.

The centre of Cromer plays host to a church. It’s big and it’s tall and indeed, the 160ft tower of the Church of St Peter and St Paul was used as a navigational aid until early 1700 when the first lighthouse was built. And there is no way that you’ll not notice it when you come pay your visit. Y’see as it’s the centrepiece of the town, the alleyways and small lanes all run from this main focal point. The streets surrounding it all house various shops and cafes. All in prime spots to capture the passing trade.

Mainly nowadays coming to Cromer for me is merely a chance for some fresh sea air in the form of a brisk walk risking life and limb as I clamber over the cliff tops, or a wander around the shops. They aren’t in abundance but you will find something to tempt your pennies.

I always feel sad when I find that a large nationwide chain store has dumped yet another branch in the tiny streets of little towns. Wiping out the small independent businesses in one foul swoop. And although both Boots and Woolworths have ‘dumped’ in Cromer, this is one place that doesn’t seem to have suffered for it. I’m pleased to say that there is still a small independent chemist. And considering what Woolworths sells, you’ll also find a small video/DVD store, a book shop [which is just jam packed with various titles at ridiculously low prices] a couple of ‘this and that’ shops scattered around and a couple of newsagents.

Clothes shops do not run into double figures I’m afraid, but of the couple there are, one caters for the lower end of the market, while the others pay host to little old ladies that arrive in their chauffeur driven cars clutching their toys dogs for a touch of shopping before they ‘lunch’. Ok, so the car thing may be a tad over the top, but I’m sure the image of the patron has been planted, yes?

You do have a sports shop, but please do not be expecting high street prices. Don’t even be expecting reasonable prices because although I understand they need to make a profit, fleecing the customer silly is abhorrent and I stay away in principle. It has however been running a good many years so they are fleecing somebody somewhere.

Pop around the corner from the Video/DVD store [another I don’t patronise due to online prices] and you’ll find a shoe shop; again, this is no Bensons or any equally cheap and nasty footwear retailer. It caters for quality and as we all know, you have to pay for that.
Nestled beside the shoe shop quite indiscreetly considering, you’ll find Somerfields, it’s not a major store by any means but will more than be able to cope with your self-catering needs.

Surrounding the church on three sides, there’s also a Bank [Norwich & Peterborough] offering a cash point, a Post Office, a carpet store, and a butchers [another nice surprise since the addition of the supermarket usually manages to wipe butchers out as well] a small bistro type café offering slices of cakes which cost the same as a frozen Gateau were you to pop over to Somerfields. There’s also a sandwich bar which is much more reasonable although to honest, I’ve never sampled their yeasty delights. The small bistro offering the ludicrous prices is really rather nice and if the purse won’t flinch at nearly 3 quid for a piece of Carrot Cake, make sure you have a taste. It is nice. There’s also an electrical store and a hairdressers.

Meandering off the main high street, you’ll come across a myriad of lanes and narrow cobbled roads that if could talk, would tell the tales of times before. Once upon a time, fisherman that sold their wares from a back room owned all the Flintstone cottages. Again, as with the big Victorian hotels on the front, its not hard to imagine the fisherman of long ago trudging home after a long day on the cold sea and walking in through the little door to a welcoming fire and a ruddy cheeked wife who’d spent the day baking, especially if there’s a smell of the sea breezing past and a faint whiff of fresh fish.

Nowadays [and the not so idyllic] you will find the majority of the cottages house specialised shops. There’s a tobacconist, a couple of craft shops, a card shop, and a rock shop. At my last count, there were only 2 selling fish [well, just crabs really] in the long forgotten olde worlde way. There is of course another couple of fishmongers, but they are a touch newer and a touch more modern [still, lovely fish though!] Moving further up the high street and over the road, you’ll find an Indian and Chinese restaurant, a cycle shop, a tanning shop [comes in handy I guess when you’ve told your friends your heading abroad and its been raining all week!!] a bait shop, an opticians and a couple of estate agents. Solicitors, Accountants and a pet shop. Oh and of course, a few shops selling your typical seaside resort ‘tack’. Basically, all you could really want for a small town and most definitely all you need for your two-week sabbatical.

Although there probably aren’t enough shops to max out your cards and keep you busy all day, wandering around will take a up a good part of the morning.

Food is plentiful in Cromer, and apart from the aforementioned Sandwich bar and Bistro, you can find a rather splendid fish and chip shop/restaurant called MaryJanes. If you want to take your calorie-laden delights away with you in the paper, you can so. Or if you want to go the more civilised route and make use of their cutlery and dining equipment, expect to pay a good 3 or 4 squids for the pleasure. It is a family run affair with pictures of the family on the walls, the service is great and the food is to die for. But then again, fish and chips usually are!!
The summer months can offer the odd Hot Dog stand down on the promenade, but in the winter months, all you’ll find down there is a lone seagull and an intrepid walker or two.

There are a whole plethora of watering holes to be found, some offering food fare, others not. I can’t comment on the service and atmosphere to be quite honest, I’ve never frequented them. It’s either in the middle of winter we visit and a hot chocolate is the order of the day. Or it’s a lovely warm summers day, which is too nice to be spent in a pub and we are on the front with an ice cream!! They have however been open and thriving well for yonks.

The aforementioned plethora of watering holes will more than likely be your form of nightly entertainment if you head into town. Y’see, there ain’t much to do at night. The holiday camps around Cromer of course lay on their own fun and games. The camps are sometimes open to ‘non residents’ and sometimes not. You’ll have to check at the gate.

There is a Cinema and although it’s old and quaint, it does tend to be a bit slow on the films shown. It usually takes a good 2 weeks before a film shown in Norwich will be shown in Cromer. But saying that, the Cinema does have a lovely atmosphere about it because it is much much smaller. And we quite often wait a while and then head here for our optical offering. It’s then round the corner, down the road a bit and straight into MaryJanes for a fish and chip supper to set and eat in the car …… It’s good to slum it once in a while! ;~)

Things to do increase immensely in the daylight hours and if teeing off is your thing, the Cromer Golf Club range is set on the top of a cliff with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and coastline. Don’t be thinking that a 18 hole course is too big for your skills, there’s also a Pitch & Putt for the less skilled amongst you. For a small seaside town you might be surprised to find that Cromer is also known for its squash and tennis courts. The club regularly hosts major junior and senior tournaments. If sport isn’t really your thing, you do of course have the beach to play on. While it can be a little stony in places, in others it’s hard packed and flat as a mirror, which makes it perfect for a game of Rounders or Cricket. There is some of the soft yellow sand, so for those amongst you that like nothing to do but create masterpieces out of sand, you’ve got something to play in! Amber [the stone, not the traffic light colour] can be found on the north Norfolk coast as too can many a different shell. And it’s great fun to go looking for both. Or you could just dangle your legs, and a bit of string with a lump of bait on the end, over the side of the pier or roam the shallows with a net and try to bag yourself a Cromer crab

You can find the Life Boat Museum at the end of the pier, but this is a small affair that won’t take long. Go anyway and throw a few coffers their way, the RNLI is totally dependent on volunteers and every penny is greatly needed. Or if museums are your thing, Cromer has its own where you can learn about ‘Cromean’ life through the ages.

The middle of August plays host to a week long carnival and accommodation in the town is harder to come by. The week is filled with fun and games, a lot of it free, and the end carnival procession is so spectacular, by those that have seen both Cromers and Notting Hills ….. there’s not much to separate the two in terms of diversity and entertainment value.

The beach and water are both clean and are awarded the Blue Flag most, if not every year. Life aids are plentiful up and down the promenade and thankfully, the scum of today haven’t made it to Cromer yet so they are [usually] all untouched, un vandalised and ready for action lest they be needed.

If you’ve come, or are thinking of paying the North Norfolk coast a visit for it’s walking, you’ll not be disappointed. There are walks that will take you over the cliffs, absolutely breath taking, or if you head a little in land, the lush forest back drop of Cromer offers a myriad of trails to climb.

The Pier and the promenade is where the action is in the summer months. Ice Cream stalls galore and a children’s fun fair nestled in beside the customary amusement arcade. Although Cromer has catered for the younger set of visiting tourists, it has managed to bring in the new without disturbing the old, there is still very much a Victorian feel about the place. You have to walk down to the Promenade, but there is a choice of a ramped walk way or steps, either way …… you’ll need plenty of puff!

The pier has had a chequered history, it was damaged in the 2nd world war, the storms of 1953 and the latest damage came when in 1997, an oil rig barge slipped its moorings and managed to take out a piece of the pier with it. At that time, there was uncertainty as to whether the pier would be rebuilt but nostalgia and commercial gain won through in the end, and today it plays host to some rather decent acts. Doubtful it will play host to the calibre of stars it entertained in the 60s such as The Beatles, The Who, Rod Stewart and several more along that ilk, but still, if you are in town and want to see a show …………. You know where to go. And it’s actually the only pier in the country to have an ‘end of the pier’ show.

You don’t have to find your amusement in Cromer y’know, for the North Norfolk coast is spattered with things to see and do …… the Muckleburgh Collection [2nd world war memorabilia etc] ~ the Norfolk Shire Horse centre ~ Langham Glass [totally worth a day out] ~ the Sheringham steam train ~ National Trusts Blickling Hall or Felbrigg Hall to name but a few, or you could go further a field and head into Norwich on the train.

Now, of course if you are sitting there already planning your trip, you are going to want somewhere to stay aren’t you? Not to worry, Cromer caters for all. You can stay in the Victorian Hotels and guesthouses that line the top of the cliffs, or head for the caravan or camping site where there are a number of static caravans to rent. These sites are set on the top of the cliffs and depending on where you are situated depends on the stunning view that will great you in the morning. If canvas or a tin can on wheels isn’t your preferred holiday home choice, there is also an abundance of B & Bs to be found, as well as a large splattering of the traditional Flintstone holiday cottages be found.

If you have come by car, and the chances are that you have, you don’t actually need to be in Cromer to sample the sights and sounds of North Norfolk coast. If Cromer sounds a little too lively for you and yours, and the peace and tranquillity is what you really desire, as soon as you leave Cromer heading northwards, you’ll not hit the modern seaside resort offering garish and gaudy amusement arcades for quite a while. The coast is left pretty much untouched by modern hands until Wells. You can always drive back into Cromer, parking is plentiful and even in the summer, we have always found a space!

Of course, coming by car is not a must. A train station, and the local buses serve Cromer. They may not run as frequent as your local city bus, but they will get you to where you want to go. You can also hire cycles and pedal your way along the coast road. If you’ve come by a motorised 2-wheel mode of transport, the coast road running from Gt Yarmouth to Hunstanton is absolutely perfect for cruising along and come the summer months you can guarantee you will see plenty of motorbikes and scooters along this road ….. If I see you, I’ll wave!

If you are a member of an all guy or gal group, or just the young and restless looking for foam parties and wet t-shirt competitions, please don’t consider Cromer as your holiday destination. You really won’t like it. The only thing wild about Cromer is the sea [and some of the locals ;~)]

Cromer has a long history, and when you walk the streets, it jumps out at you. It doesn’t need to be disturbed with the drunken yobs of today. It deserves to be kept quiet and peaceful. It will serve a family with young children more than adequately. It will keep a couple seeking cliff top walks and quiet nights in a local pub happy for a week or two. It keeps the ever-growing residents of Cromer happy and since they live there all year round, its only fair that we, the mere visitor, treat it with the respect and consideration it’s due.

[Ignore the 'time of year you went' below ..... Ya haveta fill somink in!]