Burnham Market
Norfolk's Chelsea

Compared to the tranquillity of Morston, Blakeney or Cley, where visitors are content to wander the marshes, watch birds, browse the odd gallery and enjoy good food and drink in peaceful surroundings, Burnham Market is decidedly more fashionable.

If your holiday pleasures include shopping, people-watching and dining out, then this may be just the place for you.

I'm not keen or either crowds or shopping, unless it be for food, and we spent a very rainy day in this part of Norfolk, but this little place left me with a definite wish to return and explore some more.

The nice thing about Burnham Market is its individuality.

There's a post office, a butcher, a baker and a fish monger, plus a good selection of other shops, cafes and restaurants, but not too many names that you'd recognise from the High Street.

There's a very popular farmer's market and when that's not on, the local deli has mouthwateringly good food, fresh and local as well as top-end and flown in.

And there are galleries and fashion shops - all looking as if their owners take great pride in them and all offering a slightly wacky and unusual selection of products.

Burnham comes close to my idea of what an English village might have looked like before chain stores and franchises made one High Street look like any other. And that can't be a bad thing.

Boats in the mist © essentially-england.com

And in addition, all that's wonderful about North Norfolk - the skies, the marshes, the beaches - is right on your doorstep.

Footpaths connect all the villages along the River Burn, so you can walk straight from your door to visit Admiral Lord Nelson's birthplace at Burnham Thorpe or make your way down the River Burn to Burnham Overt Staithe where boats bump softly against the quay.

It's the sort of place where people spend their holidays year after year - and the large number of holiday homes, apartments and cottages proves that. And Burnham knows what holiday makers expect. All the mod cons are there and are offered seemingly without effort. If you feel like being pampered the restaurants and cafes will take care of you. If you want to cook yourself, the deli will ensure that work, fuss and stress are kept to a minimum.

You're never far away from a cup of tea or a drink. And you're never far away from friendly people. After all, this is Norfolk.

Are You Planning a Holiday in Norfolk?

Where You Could Stay

Norfolk has no shortage of fabulous holiday accommodation whether you want to spend time on the beach, love boating or want to explore inland. You may covet a tiny fisherman's cottage like the one in Blakeney we kept returning to. You may like something larger and more modern like a loft overlooking the Norfolk Broads, or the right place for you may be a chic city apartment perfectly placed to explore Norwich...

Holiday Cottages in Norfolk: The Granary, Hingham | sykescottages.co.uk

The Granary
Hingham
Sleeps 4

Holiday Cottages in Norfolk: The Dingle, Cromer | sykescottages.co.uk

The Dingle
Cromer
Sleeps 9

Holiday Cottages in Norfolk: Fieldview, East Barsham | holidaycottages.co.uk

Fieldview
East Barsham
Sleeps 8

To see other holiday cottages in Norfolk click here. Or check out holiday cottages in other parts of England by clicking here.

However, if you fancy a hotel how about some of these...

The Goldern Lion Hotel
Hunstanton

Blakeney House
Blakeney

Chalk & Cheese
Shouldham

To view more hotels in Norfolk click here or you could use our search box below.

What You Could See and Do

It's next to impossible to be bored in Norfolk, there's just so much to do and see. The list below includes some of our favourite places

Explore Norwich with its shops and two cathedrals and pay a visit to Norwich Castle and its teapot museum.
Visit Admiral Lord Nelson's birthplace at Burham Thorpe and read the report of the Battle of Trafalgar in a copy of The Times from 1805
Spend a day at Sandringham and Castle Rising castle
Take a ride on the Holt to Sheringham Railway and explore the beautiful little town of Holt and the seaside town of Sheringham
Explore the ruins of Castle Acre and Castle Acre Priory
Shop in Burnham Market
Wander around the small town of Blakeney, explore the church and harbour before making an attempt to reach the seals at Blakeney Point
Admire the famous windmill and go birdwatching in Cley-next-the-Sea
Be wowed by the rhododendrons in Sheringham Park
Visit Anne Boleyn's family home, Blickling Hall, or explore Oxburgh Hall, a fabulous manor house with a moat.
Go wildlife spotting while walking through the Cley marshes from Blakeney
Or even fish for crabs and wander along the famous pier at Cromer.

For more holiday ideas return from Burnham Market to the Norfolk page.

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