About this book

This new, thoroughly updated, third edition of Bradt’s Norfolk, part of Bradt’s award-winning ‘Slow travel’ series of guides to UK regions, turns the spotlight on this county of contrasts, from the fine city of Norwich to the watery wilderness of the Broads and the sweeping beaches of the superlative north coast. As well as featuring all the main sights, experienced travel writer and local resident Laurence Mitchell ensures that Bradt’s Norfolk covers places and aspects not detailed by other guidebooks and offers a special emphasis on car-free travel, walking (including along several long-distance footpaths), accommodation, local food and pubs. Written in an entertaining style combining personal narrative with authoritative information, this guide brings the county to life through anecdotes and the views of local people.

Making a virtue of being selective, the guide points visitors to the cream of the area, but includes the whole of Norfolk from Great Yarmouth and the Broads in the east to the Fens of the far west, from the iconic North Norfolk coast to the Breckland region to the south. Places to eat and drink are selected by the author based upon long-standing knowledge of the area, in particular delving into aspects of regional distinctiveness and character.

Characterful market towns, medieval churches and Seahenge (a 4,000-year-old timber circle) feature alongside culturally vibrant Norwich, England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, which hosts the acclaimed Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts and the highly rated Norwich and Norfolk Festival. Flora and fauna are also celebrated, the guidebook detailing the many wildlife sites within the county that are home to rare species, including the iconic swallowtail butterfly, while there is new detail on rewilding projects such as Wild Ken Hill, featured on BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch programmes, seal colonies and the ‘Snettisham spectacular’ of shorebirds and geese.

Hiking and biking, literary and artistic connections, canoeing and water-based activities, local food and drink (including prize-winning vineyards and independent breweries), and all the practical, up-to-date information you could need are included, helping make Bradt’s Norfolk the must-have guide for all visitors to this beguiling county.

About the Author

Laurence Mitchell (http://eastofelveden.wordpress.com) is a freelance travel writer and photographer who has lived in Norfolk for over 40 years. The author of both Norfolk and Suffolk in Bradt’s award-winning series of Slow travel guides to UK regions, Mitchell has written walking guides to East Anglia as well as Westering, a lyrical account of a slow coast-to-coast walk in Britain. A member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, he has contributed to anthologies and publications such as Geographical, Walk, Discover Britain, Wild Travel and hidden europe. A keen birdwatcher, Mitchell has considerable knowledge of the county’s wildlife and the best places to see it. He also takes an active interest in Norfolk’s long-distance walking routes, having hiked several of them, and has written for Norfolk County Council about them and their history and wildlife. Mitchell’s other interests, each featuring in his books, include landscape archaeology, local history, literature and folklore.

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