Blickling Hall

The good ship Stena Brittanica took us from Rotterdam to Harwich, and the train to Norwich, where we met up with the Brickwoods and spent three pleasant days.

More specifically, we have been at Costessey (pronounced “Cossie”, naturally, just as Wymondham is pronounced “Wyndham”) at the home of Kim’s Aunt Sally - a lovely lady and a veritable octogenarian Energiser Bunny!

We took a turn around the pleasant city of Norwich, through the fancy area around Elm Street, alongside the River Wensum, then back up past the 13th-century cathedral and the 11th-century castle.

The following day we drove out to Wroxham and took a boat cruise onto the Norfolk Broads. This was a great day out!

We cruised past the exclusive multi-million pound houses in the town, then down the River Bure to Wroxham Broad, and thence to Salhouse Broad, both of which are extensive lakes formed when the land flooded into areas from which peat had been dug. The bird life was plentiful and the broads a tranquil place but for the five hundred or so boats on the river that day.

From Wroxham we drove out to Greater Yarmouth, and found a cold, windy, faded seaside destination with lots of children (and adults) high on junk food and not much parking (and, from what we saw, not much else).

We also drove up and along the north coast, stopping first at Blickling Hall, a National Trust property.

The current Jacobean building and its formal gardens were constructed in 1616 by Henry Hobart, an ancestor of the fellow for whom Hobart, Tasmania is named. The previous Tudor house was the birthplace of Anne Boleyn. Kim Brickwood’s dad worked on part of the restoration of the building before coming to Australia.

But enough name dropping.

The Long Room (37.5 metres, in fact) was a highlight, an indoor sports room in 1616 and a library of over 10,000 books by 1745.

Cromer, on the north coast of Norfolk, was crowded even on a miserable, windy, rainy Sunday afternoon, with queues outside the fish-and-chip shops and even some intrepid souls playing mini-golf on the wind-swept cliftop.

Finally, we popped into Wells-next-the-Sea, another picturesque coastal town. Much of the fleet was high and dry when we visited, though, so it probably should be called Wells-next-the-Mud-and-Sand.

Next stop, Glasgow.Read more