The Little Town of Champions: A Guide to Cromer’s Best Sights

(11 reviews)

Cromer audio tour: The Little Town of Champions: A Guide to Cromer’s Best Sights

This is a 1.8mi walking tour

It takes an average of 45 mins to complete.

Cromer

The United Kingdom

$8.99

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About the Tour

Nowadays Cromer is a fashionable seaside town, home to a bustling pier, sandy beach, and a fantastic food scene, but it wasn’t always this way. On this walking tour, I’ll reveal the gritty history beneath the town’s picture-perfect surface and tell you about the struggles and passionate people who’ve shaped this town.

The tour starts on Cromer Pier, beloved by photographers for its unique vantage point of both spectacular sunrises and sunsets across the sea. From there, you’ll stroll along Cromer Esplanade and into town past the historical Red Lion Hotel. At Cromer Parish Church (St Peter and St Paul), you’ll see the tallest church tower in Norfolk and find out why locals were once afraid to pass here after dark.

The tour continues past the North Norfolk Visitor Center, towards rival fish and chip shops, No.1 Cromer and Mary Jane’s Fish Bar. You’ll stroll along the seafront and hear stories about Cromer’s 200 years of inspiring cutting-edge artist communities and the giant elephant that once roamed this beach, before you end up back at Cromer Pier, ready to catch some Cromer crabs.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Find out how many times Cromer resident Emily Davison was arrested during her fight for women’s suffrage
Learn about the most decorated lifeboatman in Britain and his daring rescues at the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum
Hear how an entire town disappeared into the sea at Cromer Pier, while Cromer prospered
Find out how abolitionist Priscilla Buxton fought to abolish slavery, despite being forbidden from participating in public meetings
Understand why Cromer commemorates the D-Day exploits of a Scottish soldier each year
Stroll along Cromer Beach and learn about North Norfolk’s ancient and sometimes mysterious fossils, including the fossilized ink sack that can still be used for writing
Discover the secret behind what makes Cromer’s crabs taste better

By the end of the tour, you’ll have gotten to know the most interesting and notable people in North Norfolk’s past and explored layers of ancient history that are buried here. There are also plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars along the route for refreshments.

Please note that attraction entry fees aren’t included in the price of this tour.

Tour Producer

Anna Granta

5 tours

Before children, I was passionate about traveling the world and explored 4 continents. Now I enjoy a slower pace exploring cities around the UK. I especially enjoy destinations with plenty of independent cafes, restaurants and shops so I can get a sense of the culture through food. I love telling unexpected and inspiring stories through the medium of walking tours. We can learn a lot from the past and retelling these stories through new mediums keeps them from being forgotten, while being an entertaining day out.

I love to explore the people, history and stories that make a place unique.

Preview Location

Location 2

Enter Esplanade

When we reach the end of the Pier, pause for a moment to look at the compass, set into the ground. This sculpture was unveiled in 2005 to celebrate 200 years of Cromer lifeboats. Can you spot the stylised hands symbolising prayer and remembrance? The lines radiating outwards p... When we reach the end of the Pier, pause for a moment to look at the compass, set into the ground. This sculpture was unveiled in 2005 to celebrate 200 years of Cromer lifeboats. Can you spot the stylised hands symbolising prayer and remembrance? The lines radiating outwards point in the direction of lifeboat rescue missions.

Turn left here and walk along the seafront towards the Rocket House building which houses the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum.

As we walk, I'll tell you about the museum's namesake, local hero Henry Blogg. Henry was born in 1876, left school at 11 to work with his stepfather on crab boats, and became a lifeboatman in 1894. At this time lifeboats were powered by oars and wind. It was difficult and dangerous work.

One stormy January night in 1917 Henry and his crew launched their boat to come to the aid of Pyrin, a ship in difficulty. They rowed hard and eventually rescued the ship's crew. As they reached the shore, another vessel, Fernebo, struck a mine and was blown in half. The winds were against them and it took three attempts to successfully launch the lifeboat. It wasn't until the night after they first rescued the Pyrin that the crew were able to reach the Fernebo and rescue its crew. By this point, the lifeboatmen, led by Henry, had been working for nearly 24 hours straight. Henry earned his first Gold lifeguard medal.

In 1939, a month after the outbreak of World War Two, Henry and his crew were called to assist Mount Ida which had run aground in bad weather. During the rescue the lifeboat was so badly damaged that Cromer's second boat had to be sent to bring the rescued sailors ashore. All 29 crewmen were brought to land, though one later sadly died from injuries sustained in the perilous rescue mission.

For these and many other brave rescues, Henry earned praise and medals, including the George Cross, the highest award given by the British government for bravery outside of combat. In all, Henry served for 53 years including 38 years as coxswain. With the help of his crew, he saved eight hundred and seventy-three lives at sea. He is the most decorated lifeboatman in RNLI history and you can see some of his medals in the museum on the ground floor of the Rocket House ahead. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Cromer Pier
Cromer Esplanade
RNLI Henry Blogg Museum
The Red Lion Hotel
Red Lion Food & Rooms
Cromer Museum
Cromer Parish Church (St Peter and St Paul)
North Norfolk Visitor Centre
Mary Jane's Fish Bar
No.1 Cromer
Cromer Beach
Cromer Artspace on the Prom

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Pier, Cromer NR27 9HE, UK
Total distance

3km
Final location
27-33 Garden St, Cromer NR27, UK
Distance back to start location

78.65m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins on Cromer Pier, with your back to the Pavilion Theatre, you are facing the shore.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are dozens of lovely cafes, pubs and restaurants to choose from, making it hard to choose a favourite recommendation.

For the best ice-cream, stop at Harris and James. The Art House Cafe does tasty cake and you can browse art by local artists while you rest, or enjoy fabulous views of the church. For fish and chips, try takeaway from Mary Jane's or No1 Cromer or sit down at the Rocket House cafe with sea views.

Best time of day

Cromer is busiest during the summer months of May to October. During the winter, you can avoid the crowds but be aware that some attractions and cafes may be closed or operating reduced hours.

Precautions

Don't forget your suncream and hat or raincoat depending on the weather. Being costal, Cromer can be windy so it's worth having an extra layer available.

Cromer is popular with dog owners, note that dogs are not allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.

This tour is not safe during storms when you should avoid the sea front and seek shelter!

Cromer is generally a very safe town. If you wish to swim, be aware that the lifeguard season for the beach is 25 May to 8 September.

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