Top Things to do in Norfolk
Top 8 Castles in Norfolk, England
A holiday in Norfolk is not a glamorous break. While the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia are a beautiful part of the UK, they represent a relaxing rural getaway rather than a high-powered city-break. Although its reputation is mostly rural, with people associating the county mostly with the wetlands of the Norfolk Broads, there are also towns such as Norwich and King's Lynn to visit, both of which provide shopping opportunities, nightlife and entertainment. Norfolk also contains a large stretch of coastline, and seaside destinations such as Cromer and Great Yearmouth mean there are great beaches to be found as well. Many areas of the Norfolk Broads and the coastal region are sites of outstanding natural beauty, and are also protected as bird reserves, so take a pair of binoculars on holiday. There are also popular wildlife attractions such as Banham Zoo, with a great collection of big cats, and Great Yarmouth's Sea Life Centre, one of the biggest of its kind in the country, complete with tropical sharks and conger eels. And of course, if any of your family are interested in boating, you'll need to rent a boat and explore the waterways of the Broads themselves!
Restaurants in Norfolk
1. Thetford Castle
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By AngusRetsbew
The second largest man made mound in Europe - the Normans really meant to stamp their authority on this place! And ramparts that Boudicca, Queeen of the Iceni, would have stode along! Not bad for a public park (yes, it does have a very decent play area too) just a stone's throw from the shops. Makes a lovely day out with the kids (yes there is a loo too) and a real workout if you climb right to the top for 360 degree views of the town.
2. Norwich Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,233 reviews
Built as a Norman Royal Palace and once a prison, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery is packed with treasures, including fabulous fine art, archaeology, and natural history. During 2020 and 2021 construction work will be underway on the exciting Norwich Castle: Royal Palace Reborn project to transform the Castle’s Norman Keep. During these works some areas of the Castle are not accessible and this includes the main Castle Keep.
Reviewed By Sunshine25580300779 - York, United Kingdom
Fascinating visit on a wet dreary autumn day. Art gallery very good with excellent audio visuals. Historical display rooms surpassed excellent with audio visuals and commentary especially enjoyed Anglo Saxon display. Don’t miss visiting. Staff very pleasant too.
3. Norwich Castle Keep
4. Burgh Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
Reviewed By ChasingStars97 - England, United Kingdom
I'd not visited Burgh Castle/the ruins in almost 11 years so it was lovely to go back there again. The site was very clean and there was very little litter strewn around. The pathways were fairly clear although, because they are narrow, it was difficult to maintain a distance between others near to us. Due to the current situation, there were several covid safety reminders/posters around the site and wasn't overly busy either. It's great having the information boards around the site to have a read of and can help to imagine what it was actually like. The ruins are beautiful, I loved taking photos from different angles and have attached a few to this review. The walk around the ruins was really lovely and there was plenty of green open space for a run around. The only downside to the site is the fact that there are no public toilets to be used. Due to the size of the site and the amount of time that could be spent there, I do feel that having public toilets to use would be a good idea.
5. Baconsthorpe Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 118 reviews
Reviewed By 923Dan - Swindon, United Kingdom
Baconsthorpe Castle - really an old manor house with a moat is a wonderfully preserved ruin with the old moat. Out in the sticks (well it was originally for a sheep rearing family), its a little tricky to find outside the nearby village, along farmers tracks, but well worth the effort. Small free car park, and free to visit. Well maintained by English Heritage. No tourist trappings or rubbish here. Wonderful way to spend the morning watching swans on the moat!
6. Castle Acre Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 220 reviews
Reviewed By FMaryW - King's Lynn, United Kingdom
Lovely place to visit and spend half a day. Great to take a picnic to eat whilst enjoying the view! Castle Acre is a lovely village with lots to see. I recommend visiting the Priory and stopping for a drink at The Ostrich.
7. Castle Rising
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 585 reviews
Reviewed By ChrisF52_11 - Cambridge, United Kingdom
Live within 50 miles but had never visited before, spur of the moment on a cloudy day and we were not expecting too much. We were very pleasantly surprised: plenty of room in car park, everywhere very clean and tidy (spotless toilets), very pleasant ladies in the ticket office, and a lovely couple of hours wandering round (with dog on lead). We had one of the audio guides which provided interesting information. Definitely not the place to go in a wheelchair, and beware steps to enter the Castle and access each floor. We also went to the Unique tea rooms, but difficult to review because the garden was so full of wasps, partly perhaps not helped by the tables not being cleared promptly. Good flapjack though, but we had to retreat indoors to eat it.
8. Mileham Castle
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 2 reviews
