5 things to do in Norfolk

Noel Coward did the county a disservice when he dismissed it as 'flat, very flat'. Norfolk landscapes are more like a gently puffed duvet than a flat bed, but still ideal for cycling and walking. An official long-distance footpath follows the coast all the way from Hunstanton, facing The Wash, to Cromer, home to No1 Cromer (no1cromer.com), a waterfront fish and chippie owned by Michelin chef Galton Blackiston.

For a short taster you can stride out from the windmill at Cley, following the crest of the grassy sea defence wall above a spread of saltmarshes and veinous creeks, to boaty, flinty Blakeney. From its staithe (at high tide) you can take a boat to the tip of the shingle spit to see the seals.

Flagship of the National Trust properties, Blicking Hall (nationaltrust.org.uk) is a spectacular redbrick Jacobean mansion sitting in enormous parkland (4700 acres; the lake alone is a mile long). Its many rooms are full of handsome furnishings, paintings, tapestries and other works of art. Keep a look out for the ghost of Anne Boleyn who's said to haunt the corridors carrying her head under her arm. You can't miss her.

The RSPB reserve at Titchwell (rspb.org.uk) has recorded 300 different species of birds and 100,000 visitors a year, its lagoons and reed beds a favourite haunt for breeding avocets, terns, bearded tits and marsh harriers. Stay at Titchwell Manor (titchwellmanor.com), a walk away from the reserve.

Originally the Norfolk Broads were holes in the ground, quarried for peat during the Middle Ages, a spade full at a time, then later drowned by rising sea levels. Together with their rivers (Ant, Bure, Yare, Thurne and Waveney), reed beds and grazing marshlands, the National Park, according to recent research from the University of East Anglia, has the highest concentration of rare and endangered species in the UK. Best explored by boat, bookable through Hoseasons (hoseasons.co.uk).

Situated on the banks of the river Ouse, King's Lynn was once a hot bed of maritime commerce and the third most important port in the Middle Ages. Its trading and fishing heritage can be best appreciated by following a fascinating Maritime Trail from the old Customs House, now home to the tourist office. Also close by is Sandringham (sandringhamestate.co.uk), the royal datcha.

For more information about Norfolk go to: visitnorfolk.co.uk