Cromer, on the beautiful North Norfolk coast, has everything you need for a classic British seaside break. A favourite haunt among surfers, fossil hunters and families alike, the town attracts visitors in their droves.
Whilst summer is undoubtedly the most popular time to head to Cromer, we’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times during the off-season. Our most recent trip was during a stormy week in mid-October, when ominous grey clouds and high winds were a constant presence.
However, the inclement conditions did not put people off – Cromer enjoyed a steady stream of visitors and felt pleasantly busy. No matter the weather, there is plenty to keep you occupied in this quirky seaside town. From fossil hunting to a night at the theatre, here are 12 of the best things to do in Cromer.
1) Have fish and chips at No.1 Cromer
Best for: Cromer’s most famous seafood restaurant.
Owned by Michelin-starred chef Galton Blackiston, a fish supper at No.1 Cromer is a local institution.
The restaurant, which occupied a prime plot overlooking the pier, is split over two floors. The ground floor is entirely unreserved, and you should be prepared to wait for a table, especially during busy periods.
Meanwhile, the upstairs dining room is a slightly more refined experience and offers reservations. However, the menus for both floors are mostly the same.
It’s a little pricey for fish and chips, but we thought it was one of the best versions of the classic dish we’ve had in a long time. Crispy batter, perfectly cooked chips and friendly service – excellent.
How to do it: No.1 Cromer offers takeaway and dine-in options. You can make reservations for their upstairs dining room on their website.
2) Explore Cromer’s historic pier
Best for: A classic British seaside experience.
Jutting out into the murky waters of the North Sea, Cromer Pier has delighted visitors to the seaside town since 1901. Come rain or shine, walking down the 151-metre-long pier is a must-do whilst in Cromer.
As you stroll along the wooden decking, the views back to Cromer are brilliant. At high tide, you can watch the waves crash against the seawall – a dramatic spectacle that will make you grip the iron handrail a little tighter.
You can even hide from the rain in the tiny shelters on the pier. The shelters have benches, making a perfect place to tuck into a sandwich – just watch out for the seagulls!
How to do it: Cromer Pier is open year-round. Entry to the pier is free, with food and drink available from Tides Bistro and the Pavilion Bar. As well as the eating and drinking, Cromer Pier offers a couple more treats for visitors.
3) Visit the RNLI Lifeboat Station at the end of Cromer Pier
Best for: Admiring the amazing work of the local RNLI crew.
At the end of Cromer Pier, the RNLI Lifeboat Station is home to a small museum and an impressive, active lifeboat.
The museum tells the story of the local lifeboat crew, whose history spans generations. Plaques on the wall commemorate noteworthy rescues – and tragedies – involving the crew from Cromer.
Meanwhile, the current boat stands proud, ready to be deployed at any moment. There is usually a volunteer on duty, standing next to the lifeboat.
We recommend striking up a conversation with the volunteers – it’s an excellent opportunity to learn more about the work of the RNLI and find out what sort of rescues the crew have performed recently.
How to do it: Cromer’s lifeboat station is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm on weekdays, 11 am to 3 pm on Saturdays, and 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays. Entry is free, although donations to the RNLI are encouraged.
To find the lifeboat station, head straight down Cromer Pier – the entrance is at the end.
4) Wander along Cromer’s Esplanade
Best for: A seafront stroll
Cromer’s seafront promenade – also known as the esplanade – is a classic. Lined by colourful beach huts and boasting everything from a fish and chip stand to an old-school helter-skelter, the promenade is a gateway to the beach and an ideal place to stroll.
The esplanade runs east to west along the seafront, with Cromer Pier in the middle. If you want to get as close to the sea as possible but don’t want to get covered in sand, the esplanade is your best bet. The walkway is tarmacked and flat and is perfect for all abilities.
How to do it: Cromer’s esplanade stretches from the Henry Blogg Museum in the east to the old Victorian steps in the west.
5) Go fossil hunting on the beach
Best for: Discovering evidence of the region’s ancient animals.
For those who want to venture onto the sands, we recommend heading north towards the towering cliffs above East Runton Beach. This is where the sand becomes interspersed with sweeping stretches of rock and stones. Keep an eye out for fossils, which emerge from the cliffs above.
The best opportunity to find fossils comes after a storm, when the hide tide may have eroded the cliff quicker than usual. This stretch of coast has revealed some astonishing finds over the years, including countless mammal remains. Of these, the West Runton Mammoth is the most famous – a complete mammoth skeleton, the largest ever found in the UK.
How to do it: You can walk onto the beach straight from the esplanade. For more fossil hunting inspiration, the 36-kilometre Deep History Coast Discovery Trail helps to bring the area’s history to life.
6) Spend a penny at the Leisureland Arcade
Best for: Old-school arcade games.
It’s not much to look at from the outside, but the Leisureland Amusement Arcade offers a classic series of British seaside games a stone’s throw from the seaside in Cromer.
When we visited, the jingle of copper coins and the high-pitched tones of electronic music floated out from the entrance. The arcade never seemed too busy – used mainly by families looking to fill an hour or two on a lazy afternoon.
From countless claw machines to coin pusher machines, Leisureland offers ample opportunity to throw back the clock and spend some of your pocket change. Prizes range from plastic key rings to game consoles – although we wouldn’t like to speculate on the odds of winning the latter.
How to do it: Leisureland Amusement Arcade is open seven days a week, from 10 am to 10 pm.
8) Enjoy a show at the Pavilion Theatre on Cromer Pier
Best for: Watching a high-quality variety show.
Halfway down Cromer Pier, the Pavilion Theatre has been welcoming audiences to its 450-seater auditorium for generations. The venue proudly declares itself to be the only ‘full-season’ End of Pier show in the world, hosting performances all year round.
Variety shows are the speciality here, with acclaimed entertainers from across the country delighting audiences through song, dance, comedy, and more. Aside from the staple variety performances, the theatre welcomes touring comedians, tribute acts and musicians.
How to do it: There is an ever-changing roster of shows at the Pavilion Theatre. For the latest list of what’s coming up, click here. Once you’ve chosen a performance, you can book tickets directly through the website.
7) Bag a souvenir from the Garden House Art Gallery
Best for: A locally-made souvenir.
Packed with local artwork and handmade goods, the Garden House Art Gallery occupies an old fisherman’s cottage and is the ideal place to buy a locally-made souvenir. Centrally located, it’s also a perfect place to duck into if you get hit by a classic rainy day in North Norfolk.
The store stocks everything from photographs and paintings to jewellery and ornaments. It even hosts the occasional exhibition. In a world where souvenirs can all too often be mass-produced and generic, stepping into this store is a breath of fresh air – a wonderful opportunity to support local artisans.
How to do it: The Garden House Art Gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday, with a 4 pm finish during winter. The store is open from 11 am on Mondays.
The gallery also offers a cosy one-bedroom flat as a holiday rental, located just above the store and decorated with local artwork.
9) Cromer Museum
Best for: Hearing tales of Cromer’s past.
For those looking to learn about the town’s history, Cromer Museum is the place to head. Hidden away in a quaint fisherman’s cottage, the museum sits in the shadow of Cromer’s parish church and is the best place to discover the stories and characters behind the town.
As you might expect from a local museum, plenty of images and artefacts help bring these stories to life. Everything from old photographs and faded posters to pots, pans and a myriad of old bottles and jars – each shedding a light on a bygone generation.
Younger visitors may gravitate towards the geology exhibits, where they can learn more about the region’s fossil-rich landscape, with plenty of fossils on display.
How to do it: Cromer Museum is open every day from April to October. For the museum’s latest opening hours, click here. Tickets cost £4.80 for adults and £4.20 for children.
10) RNLI Henry Bogg Museum
Best for: A closer look at the history of the RNLI in Cromer.
To delve a little deeper into Cromer’s maritime heritage, head to the RNLI Henry Bogg Museum. This brilliant museum tells the story of local hero Henry Blogg, one of the UK’s most famous lifeboatmen.
Blogg, the most decorated lifeboatman in the history of the RNLI, spent 53 manning the lifeboats at Cromer. The museum charts his remarkable story, celebrating the hundreds of lives saved by Blogg and his crew during his many decades of service.
Inside the museum, the displays range from the historic H.F Bailey lifeboat to a range of interactive exhibits, helping modern visitors to understand what life was like on the boats in Cromer during the first half of the 20th century.
How to do it: The Henry Bogg Museum is open most of the year, except during the low winter season. Check the website for the latest opening times. Admission is free.
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11) Visit Cromer Parish Church (and climb the tower, if it’s open!)
Best for: Fantastic views across Cromer.
For a bird’s eye view of Cromer, make a bee-line for the town’s Parish church. You can’t miss it – the church tower is comfortably the tallest structure in the town and stands just a couple of minutes walk from the entrance to the pier.
A trip up the tower offers ample opportunities to spot the rest of Cromer’s attractions. From Cromer Pier to the cliffs of East Runton Beach, the spectacular North Norfolk coast stretches for miles – a sunny day is the best time to appreciate its scale. However, the tower hasn’t been open for some time – peregrine falcons are currently nesting at the top. The tower will remain closed as long as the falcons are nesting there.
Whether you can climb the tower or not, it’s worth spending a few minutes to admire the church’s interior. Some beautiful stained glass windows are on show, most of which are modern – the originals were destroyed during the Second World War. For those who would like to learn more about the church’s history, you can grab a leaflet at the entrance.
How to do it: Cromer Parish Church is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. Admission is free.
Read next: 10 of the best beaches on the North Norfolk coast.
12) Felbrigg Hall
Best for: Visiting an opulent country hall.
If you’ve done all the things you want to do in Cromer, head to nearby Felrigg Hall for a taste of country life. Run by the National Trust, the hall offers plenty for visitors to see and do in all weather.
Outside, a well-tended Walled Garden is a lovely place to stroll on a sunny summer’s day. For a longer walk, the woodland stretching north from the old deer park has countless trails and puts on a spectacular burst of colour during autumn.
The house itself, a grand 17th-century home, is steeped in history and makes for an interesting visit. You can stroll through everything from the vast kitchen to the lavish hallways and family rooms, decked with dozens of portraits, paintings and antiques.
How to do it: The parkland at Felbrigg is open from dawn until dusk. Opening times for the formal gardens and the house vary according to the season. For the latest times, click here. Tickets cost £12 for adults and £6 for children, with a family ticket available for £30.
How to get to Cromer
The easiest way to get to Cromer is by car, train or bus. Due to the semi-rural location, the car may be the easiest option. However, public transport options are plentiful, and we would always recommend trying a car-free trip if you can.
By car: There are plenty of parking spaces in Cromer. Each time we’ve visited, we have parked at the Runton Road car park, which has hundreds of spaces.
By train: There is a train station at Cromer, which is just a five to ten-minute walk from the seafront. Trains run from Norwich every hour and take around 45 minutes.
By bus: Plenty of buses pass through Cromer on a regular basis, including services from Norwich and the Coasthopper buses run by Sanders Coaches.