Round Norfolk Walk Day 10 - Cley To Cromer

Distance: 13.5 miles
Ascent: 150m
Weather: warm, sunny spells
Avocet, oystercatcher, common gulls, common terns, skylarks
Yellow horned poppy, teasles, thift, kidney vetch, escaped barley

A late-ish start, we were slowed even more by calling in at the delicatessen for very carefully prepared lunch.

The path follows the other side of the river to the beach - where some brave girls had been in for a dip. The tide was in and we walked along the pebbles a while, before moving down to the shoreline,  the wet sand easier going although we had to avoid the waves. A couple of seals popped their heads out of the water to watch us.

We had a elevenses after only 3.5 miles (shingle is slow) and some flapjack, deciding that the birds diving for fish are common terns.

At a low sandy bank, sand martens were flying in and out of holes, we left the beach to follow the path around the back of the mounds of gravel (apparently they used to move this to maintain the footpath but now just let nature take its course) where there was odd crunchy gravelly grass and patches of still wet bog. Jets were practising maneuvers and I was too  busy watching them and not where I was going, and now have one rather brown sock.

We passed the artillary guns of the Muckleburgh military collection, well fenced in, and walked on the shingle, which is slow going and hard on the ankles.

At Weybourne, various activities were taking place, sea fishing, oil painting,  bird watching and tank driving. Some children on a geography field trip were measuring things with with sticks and string and a couple in deckchairs were settled in for the day.

We left the pebbles and headed up on to the cliffs, which rose steadily higher. Over the fields, the steam trains were chuffing along merrily.

Sheringham golf course has holes on the grass up on the cliffs, partly terraced,  but still steep in places - one player was running down after their trolley. Up on the top of the cliffs is the lookout station with a few benches around it, one of which came free just as we approached so we took advantage and stopped for lunch. The jet fighters circled overhead.

At Sheringham we walked along the prom, passing the beach huts and the groynes. We missed the turning, possibly distracted by the groynes, so had to go back a bit. We went up to Beeston Bump, the top occupied by sparrows,  admiring the view to Cromer - caravans as far as the eye can see. Coming down the other side there is a small nature area with a board showing the things you can see, such as short-tailed voles and kestrels. The kestrel appeared to be holding something - which turned out to be a dead shrew that someone had left there.

The path into Cromer used to follow the cliff top but the cliff top is now cliff bottom in places, so there's some detouring required. Some of the caravan parks have paths along the edge, others are not so welcoming. In town, we visited the pier and have found the start of the Weaver's Way, which we'll be starting tomorrow.