20 Attractions to Explore Near Bure Valley Railway (Aylsham station)

Blickling is a majestic Jacobean house built in 1619-20 by Robert Lyminge, the architect of Hatfield, for Sir Henry Hobart. As well as an iconic historic Jacobean hall, there are 55 acres of wonderful gardens and hundreds of acres of parkland to roam in. With a pub on-site and events happening all year round, you'll discover something new every time you visit.

Whitwell and Reepham railway station, also known as Whitwell station, is a former station situated in Norfolk, England. The station closed in 1959 and is a notable stop on the Marriott's Way long-distance footpath. It is being restored as a railway museum, including the re-laying of track.

Marriott’s Way is a 26-mile footpath, bridleway and cycle route. It provides a lovely green corridor from the heart of Norwich into the countryside along a disused railway. The surrounding area is rich with wildlife, including jays, magpies, wrens, primroses and wild strawberries. Several concrete public works of art can be seen along the way a constant reminder of the lines connection with the concrete industry and of its last days as a freight line carrying concrete products.

The City of Norwich Aviation Museum is located on the northern edge of Norwich International Airport and is reached by road through the village of Horsham St. Faith. There is a good collection of aircraft including an Avro Vulcan B.2 which flew into the airport after its retirement from service in 1983. The museum welcomed its newest exhibit in October 2020 when it received EL-RJN this aircraft is 21 years old and is an Avro RJ85.

The beautiful Hoveton Hall Estate covers 620 acres of parkland, gardens, woodland, arable and grazing land. This fine Regency Hall was built between 1809-1812 and has been owned by the Buxton family since 1946. Its 19th-century iron glasshouse is a must-see for all visitors to the gardens. Throughout the year the gardens host many different events most of which are free to Historic Houses members.

Felbrigg Hall is a beautiful country home full of hidden delights. It has fabulous gardens and endless acres of parkland to explore and enjoy. The house and grounds were bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969 by Robert Ketton-Cremer. The hall is Grade I on the National Heritage List for England. Most of the grounds are part of Felbrigg Woods, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Baconsthorpe Castle is a moated and fortified 15th century manor house, that are a testament to the rise and fall of a prominent Norfolk family. It was established in the 15th century on the site of a former manor hall, probably by John Heydon I and his father, William. Part of the castle was later converted into a textile factory, but it fell out of use in the 20th century. Today Baconsthorpe is one of the most picturesque - and relatively unknown - moated castles in England.

Foxley Wood is a nature reserve in Foxley, Norfolk, England, the largest ancient woodland and coppice in Norfolk. The Wood is thought to be about 6,000 years old, and is even mentioned in the Doomsday book! In 2002 it was recognized as a National Nature Reserve. It is a hotspot for butterflies including a white admiral, meadow brown, speckled wood, ringlet, purple hairstreak, and silver-washed fritillary.

Amazona Zoo is home to over 200 animals from tropical South America including jaguars, parrots, moneys, snakes, flamingos, guinea pigs and tapirs. There is also a large well-equipped indoor soft play area, for under-12’s. The park style zoo, has a network of paths and viewing areas, where visitors can see the animals close-up; signs tell you what you are looking at and help you understand about their natural habitat and how they relate to more well-known animals.

Sheringham Park is an adventure playground for all ages, with some of the best walking and running trails in Norfolk across its 1000 acres of varied terrain. There are fine mature woodlands and a large variety of rhododendrons and azaleas. In the early 20th century, Henry Morris Upcher obtained rhododendron seeds of various types from plantsman Ernest "Chinese" Wilson. The hall is privately occupied, but Sheringham Park is in the care of the National Trust and open to visitors.

Mundesley is a Sandy beach located near North Walsham in Norfolk. It is backed by a raised promenade lined with colourful wooden beach huts. Cliffs form the backdrop to the beach with pretty cliff top gardens where visitors can shelter and sit. The village was a popular seaside resort in Victorian times, benefiting from its own railway station which closed in 1964.

Explore this cosy Victorian fisherman's cottage and imagine what it was like to live in Cromer at the end of the 19th century. Cromer Museum is located along Church Street, near the church in the town’s centre. Browse in the Old Cromer Gallery with its huge archive of historic photographs and illustrations of the town. Discover Cromer's history as a Victorian seaside resort with its fine hotels and scandalous mixed bathing.

A beautiful museum that tells fascinating history of the lifeboats and crew that worked out of this seaside town, and showcases the incredible conditions and risks they had to work in. This family-friendly museum tells the courageous history of saving lives at sea in Cromer. The first lifeboat was brought to Cromer in 1805 and the incredible volunteers have won 64 medals for their amazing efforts through the past 200 years.

Holt Country Park is set in 100 acres of mixed woodland and is a Green Flag award winner. Open all year round for the public to enjoy. It is situated on the edge of the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They regularly offer seasonal activities during half terms and other holidays always aimed at kids, and they can include things like mini-beast safaris, treasure hunts, guided ranger walks learning about conservation, natural material arts and crafts sessions plus shelter building

Cromer is a traditional Victorian seaside resort, with a wide sand and shingle beach popular for swimming and surfing. Its popular activities include building sandcastles, swimming, watersports and rock pooling at low tide. The chalk cliffs are very steep and care should be taken when walking. Fishing is a treasured activity for both locals and tourists.

A huge, award winning forest of family fun and outdoor adventure. Treehouses, Wobbly Wires, Slippery Slopes, Crocklebogs, Twiggles and Boggles, storytelling, boat rides, marsh walks and really yummy food. The whole family can spend hours running, whizzing and clambering on the sustainable wooden play structures, from aerial ropewalks to climbing walls, balancing logs and muddled mazes in a beautiful forest setting.

Bircham Gallery is a light and spacious contemporary art gallery situated on the Market Place in the Georgian town of Holt on the North Norfolk coast. The gallery was established in 1988 by Christopher and Deborah Harrison and over 25 years has developed an enviable reputation for exhibiting the best of contemporary and modern British art.

The Royal Air Force Air Defence Radar Museum is a museum on the site of the former Royal Air Force radar and control base RAF Neatishead. The Museum tells the story of Air Defence and Radar from 1935 to date. Using a combination of a guided tour and over 23 themed rooms, the visitor is encouraged to find out about this previously Secret World. It includes a complete Cold War-era Operations Room from which the air defense of Britain was conducted for several decades and so more.

The North Norfolk railway line is an 8km-long heritage line running between Sheringham and Holt. It passes through Weybourne and Kelling Heath. It offers a spectacularly scenic ride from Sheringham along the coast to Weybourne and through the heathland to Holt. It was described by the Daily Telegraph as one of the UK's great five heritage railways

Barton Broad is a 164-hectare nature reserve north-east of Norwich in Norfolk. It is owned and managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It is part of the Ant Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserve. The Broad was created in the Middle Ages by digging for peat and the River Ant was later diverted through it, which allowed navigation. It has diverse aquatic plants and fish, and the surrounding fens have nationally rare plants and invertebrates.