6 Prettiest Villages to Live in Norfolk

What are the prettiest villages to live in Norfolk?

In this article, we cover the 6 Prettiest Villages to Live in Norfolk

If you are thinking of moving to one of Norfolk’s many superb villages, this is the article for you.

Living in Norfolk ensures locals enjoy a wonderful rural location.

As with all the best rural counties, Norfolk is home to some beguiling and picturesque locations.

Norfolk has a fascinating past, some breath-taking countryside and beautiful villages.

So, where are the prettiest villages in Norfolk?

There are some excellent villages dotted throughout Norfolk.

It is no surprise that the county’s popularity has grown in recent years.

In this article, we will discuss all the prettiest villages in Norfolk.

We have put collected a list of our top picks.

Through this article, we hope to help you to choose your dream new location!

Here are our 6 prettiest villages in Norfolk.

Wroxham

Wroxham has to be one of the prettiest villages to live in Norfolk.

The village is situated within the stunning Norfolk Broads region on the south side of the River Bure.

Consisting of an area covering 4 square miles, the local area is for the most part given to agriculture and is consequently predominantly rural.

But the village is by no means cut off from civilisation. Wroxham sits just eight miles north-east of Norwich, linked by the A1151 road, 12 minutes away by car ideal for commuting to work.

Wroxham contains many visitor attractions including a riverside park, Miniature Worlds indoor model museum, the Bure Valley steam railway and nearby Hoveton Hall gardens and Wroxham Barns craft centre.

The village comes alive during the summer season as thousands of visitor’s flock into the region for boating holidays on the Broads. In fact, Wroxham is known as the capital of the Norfolk Broads and the centre of the boat hire industry.

When you tire of the countryside, within a 30-minute drive you can access the sandy beaches of the Norfolk Coast and Great Yarmouth is also a popular choice.

You will have to dig deep to own purchase a property in this area however as the average cost of a home is £458,054. Well over the national average and much more expensive when compared to nearby Norwich where you can purchase a comparable property for £227,300.

Blakeney

When choosing where to live in Norfolk, it’s hard to compete with the charming village of Blakeney.

Not only does this little village sit in an enviable position right on the Norfolk coast, but it also lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The North Norfolk Coastal Path travels along its quayside, it could not be more stunning.

Once a commercial seaport, and earlier times, a haven for smugglers, its harbour only receives small boats these days. But it is home to a colony of seals which bask on the sand in the local nature reserve.

A popular holiday location which gets busy in the summer season with many visitors staying at the local 15-acre caravan site.

The village’s centre is off the northern side of the A149 coast road from King’s Lynn to Cromer. With the closest airport located in Norwich, a trip of 25 miles.

Like many Norfolk villages, Blakeney has its fair share of pretty flint cottages, once home to local fisherman, and there are plenty of places to eat and stay as well as pubs, gift shops and art galleries to visit.

The area is just perfect for long leisurely walks. Cley-next-the-Sea offers great views across the marshes and it is also the place to be for bird watchers. Look out for ringed plovers, oystercatchers, brent geese and common teal.

All this beauty comes at a high price. With property values rising steadily over the last year, the current average price of £616,941 is only going to increase further.

For those who can afford it and are looking to wind down a notch or two planning to live life in a pretty coastal village, Blakeney is the perfect antidote to city living.

Walsingham

Technically, made up of two small villages, Walsingham is an interesting part of the county in which to live and as is standard for many who live in Norfolk villages, it enjoys a strong sense of community.

Boasting a long history of religious connections, the village of Walsingham is famous for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary.

Walsingham was one of northern Europe’s great places of pilgrimage and remained so through the remainder of the Middle Ages. Today it is still England’s premier place of pilgrimage for Anglicans and Roman Catholics alike. Also known as ‘England’s Nazareth’.

The village is in a very picturesque area, on the banks of the river Stiffkey just a couple of miles from the Norfolk coast, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

True to its roots, Walsingham has plenty of timber framed buildings constructed in the 14^th and 15^th Centuries. Pay a visit to Shirehall Museum. Housed in a Georgian Courtroom, it tells the incredibly interesting history of the village dating back to 1061.

Aside from its religious connotations, the village has become an attraction for visitors because of its heritage railway. The101⁄4 inch gauge track runs to the coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea. It is a very pleasant way to view the area.

The focus of the village is its busy centre, a place for residents to meet, socialise and shop. Perfect for a slow wander as it is here that many of the areas ancient architecture can be seen.

To keep you busy in your spare time, the area is absolutely full of things to do and see.

Surprisingly, Walsingham is of the cheaper villages in which to purchase a home with the average cost standing at £362,676.

Cromer

The mainly Victorian town of Cromer is ideally situated close to the Broads, Norwich and beyond.

Cromer Crab is caught and sold to many top-class restaurants around the UK. The chalk shelf and nutrient-rich waters in this region make them particularly flavoursome.

Today it is still seen as a seaside/tourist resort with great sandy beaches, museums, surfing, plenty of attractions and a good old-fashioned pier. Cromer celebrates its maritime heritage with the famous annual Cromer Carnival and Crab & Lobster Festival.

Although Cromer is a day tripper destination, it is also a wonderful place to live. Home to retirees, families, and more increasingly younger people all of whom are looking for an entirely more relexed way of life in an area close to the ocean.

The town has excellent schools both in the town and in the surrounding villages, with independent schools Gresham’s and Beeston Hall just a few miles away.

No need to travel far for day-to-day essentials because the town centre is packed with high street stores and independents. On the outskirts of town are several larger shops such as Homebase, Argos and Morrison’s.

Cromer is by no means cut off. If you really feel like visiting a large city, Norwich is the closest. The main A140 runs direct from Cromer into Norwich taking just over 20 minutes.

Offering the best of both worlds Cromer is part of a large swathe of Norfolk’s coastline, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which, but there is always the countryside to turn to as alternative.

Value for money property prices with the average being £281,857, means Cromer is an all-round place to live. Great facilities, lots to do and good travel links.

Holt

This another of Norfolk’s little gems.

If you crave a home in a small village with plenty of character, perhaps Holt is for you. The pretty Georgian architecture is clearly seen all around the town centre, along with some very typical Norfolk flint stone buildings.

Lined with unusual shops, art galleries and antique stores, it is the kind of place you don’t actually have to buy anything, just browsing is a pleasant experience.

Holt has 4 hidden pretty flint stone yards which you will come across as you walk around the town. Home to several country kitchen cafes, so when you are done with window shopping, you can enjoy a cream tea.

Historically much of Holt was destroyed in the major fire of 1708, sadly most of the beautiful Tudor buildings of the time were burnt to the ground.

Easy to get to, the main A148 passes close to the village and also offer access to Holt Country Park. A beautiful well-kept area with lots of interesting sculptures and features, just the place for a walk or a picnic.

If you are considering moving to the area properties are far from cheap. You can expect to pay an average of £427,440 in January 2021.

In terms of property types, flats in Holt sold for an average of £237,353 and terraced houses for £330,357. This is according to the current Zoopla estimates.

Horning

Consider Horning is you want to live in Norfolk.

Located around 10 miles inland, Horning is another very picturesque village that stretches for a mile alongside the banks of the River Bure, within the Norfolk Broads.

The village is a very popular tourist destination having attractions both around the village and its surrounding areas.

Lined with lovely riverside houses, the village is one of the regions prettiest and most popular with a stunning waterside location, hence the price of the property is rather expensive and stands at an average of £415,071.

Its ancient roots stem back to 1020 when the manor was given by King Canute to the newly founded Abbey of St. Benet at Hulme. The Bishop of Norwich, as Abbot of St. Benets, is still to this day Lord of the Manor.

Being a holiday destination means that locals can take advantage of the great range of tourist attractions available such as the award-winning BeWILDerwood children’s adventure park from where you can hire a bike with Broadland Cycle Hire and explore further inland.

Aside from a pretty setting and lots of activities, Horning enjoys a thriving local community. Lower Street in the heart of the village. Lined with beautiful old houses, there are lots of cafes and restaurants to stop at as well as gift shops, a butcher, post office, newsagents, and general store.

The city of Norwich lies just 10 miles away so its not far to go for a more comprehensive selection of shops and eateries.

For a slower pace of life with great connectivity, this area of Norwich is well worth investigating.

Ready to move to one of the Prettiest Villages in Norfolk?

Are you considering moving to one of the prettiest villages to live in Norfolk?

Do any of these places to live in Norfolk appeal to you?

The region provides locals with some truly outstanding value for money.

Now that you know where all of the prettiest villages in Norfolk are, it is time to begin planning your dream move.

You can start organising your move to Norfolk today!

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