Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside! (Hunstanton)

Member Name: nadams

Product:	Hunstanton
Date:	27/07/01 (529 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great town

Disadvantages: Road congestion

Since purchasing a holiday home in the West Norfolk area, visiting areas around the West Norfolk coast have become commonplace whenever my family and myself visit the local area.

However, situated on the A149 is possibly one of the most beautiful and most pleasant seaside towns, Hunstanton (known by the locals as Sunny Hunny), which boasts quite an impressive slogan – the only west facing beach on the east coast of England.

Hunstanton itself is actually been a very popular seaside town for just over a century now, however in recent years it is probably better known for ‘tree henge’, a several thousand year old circle of upturned trees, situated on the beaches, which had significant historical links (before they were removed to the anger of the travelling druids!).

However, Hunstanton is a very popular seaside resort, popular amongst both locals and tourists alike, which, despite it’s size, still feels like a small local country town. This opinion on Hunstanton will cover places for tourists to visit, and will be divided into the categories below.

The Beaches
----------------

These are located along the entire coastline of Hunstanton, and offer golden sands throughout their length. Only one of a few seaside towns in the UK to receive a ‘blue flag award’, Hunstanton offers some of the cleanest beaches in the UK, which faces both into the north sea and to the other side of The Wash. Café’s are also located conveniently, selling simple meals, ice creams and drinks. On a sunny day, these beaches are not to be missed!

Further attractions for tourists/leisure
---------------------------------------------

*Leisure centre – the Oasis centre offers both a gym, roller-skating rink, swimming pool (indoor and out), water slides, and a Jacuzzi. Also available is a baby pool for toddlers, which is only 15 centimetres deep, which is perfect the parents with small c
hildren not ready for the large pools.
*Crazy Golf – a must for all tourists, especially the Brits, on the seafront itself, you can have a round of crazy golf at very competitive prices.
*Golf course – Old Hunstanton offers a full 18-hole golf course, and situated by the sea, and by an RSPB reserve, this course is considered as one of the most beautiful in the country (contact them on 01485 532811).
*Sea Life centre – again, situated on the coast, the Sea Life centre allows visitors to gain first hand experience and knowledge about all things related to sea life. With both a café and souvenir shop, the centre provides all round enjoyment for both adults and children alike.
*Amusements – these are situated mainly at the coast itself, and are usually open 7 days a week. They provide all your traditional amusement machines, and are great for whiling away the time on those long and sunny afternoons!
*Seaside shops/tourist shops – scattered throughout the town, there are lots of tourist shops offering your traditional gifts such as postcards and sticks of rock, and all are very reasonably priced. Also, Hunstanton offers the ‘World Of Fun’, which is Britain’s largest joke shop – a must for all those young at heart.
*Food/pubs – restaurants are located around Hunstanton, offering mainly meals based around ‘fish and chips’, at great prices. I personally recommend Baggy Anne’s – don’t be deceived by the name – it offers great meals at very low prices. Pubs are also situated around town which are very pleasant, and are also very cheap.

Accommodation
--------------------

A variety of forms of accommodation are available around the Hunstanton area. These can range from simple B&B accommodation, which are available, scattered throughout town. Most are three-star accommodation, and are very pleasant indeed. They are mainly also situated in
very convenient areas indeed, thus allowing visitors to easily gain access to all local amusements.

Hotel accommodation is also available, in the form of the Golden Lion hotel, which is situated in the centre of town. Overlooking the beautiful Hunstanton green, and the sea, which is only 100 metres away, the Golden Lion hotel is situated in the perfect position for all tourists, with all attractions being located within a mile radius. Local travel is also possible using the local bus services, taxis, and even the local land train which travels along the seafront road.

Caravan parks are also situated throughout Hunstanton for longer stays.

Shops/markets
------------------

Hunstanton has both a Wednesday and Sunday market, which is very popular amongst the locals, and tourists alike, which offers great bargains at great prices. Usually held from around 10 o’clock in the morning onwards, you can shop in the open air, with the great view of the seaside only approximately 50 metres away.

In addition to the tourist shops, Hunstanton also has a very popular Budgens supermarket, which allows you to shop for all of your household conveniences at relatively low prices.

Overall
---------

Overall, Hunstanton is both a bustling, yet very pleasant seaside town that offers many, many attractions for the visiting tourist. The range of shops available, as well as traditional tourist attractions is vast, which means that from the minute you arrive, to the minute you leave, you’ll always find something to do.

This is especially a great town for day-trips, offering a great day out, at very low prices. However, if you wish to make the most of this very beautiful town, I suggest visiting for a weekend break, which will allow you to take advantage of all this town has to offer.

Directions
--------------

By road - If you wish to visit by Road, follow the roads to King’s L
ynn, then follow the A149 towards Hunstanton.
By train – trains commute on a regular basis to King’s Lynn, which is situated approximately 15 miles away. Again, follow signs to Hunstanton on the A149.

One word of warning though – the roads into Hunstanton can get very busy during late mornings and early afternoon so be sure to set off early to avoid the traffic.

Would you like more information for travelling or visiting, or more precise locations of the attractions mentioned above? If so, don’t hesitate to contact me, or visit www.hunstanton.net for information if you wish to visit.

Summary: