Making Busy Around Cromer

Monday – Salt Marshes & Rescue Animals

On Monday, a Bank Holiday in the UK, we drove 15 miles west to the Blakeney National Nature Reserve administered by, who else, the National Trust.  We spent some time at Morstan Quay walking the Stiffkey salt marshes.  At high tide there are seal viewing trips available in small boats, but, as you can see in the pictures, we were there at dead low tide.  No boats are moving at low tide.  The salt marshes run for miles, and walking them is only possible at low tide except on some administered trails.  We walked a bit and chatted up some young kids who were crabbing off one of the few pedestrian bridges.  They use bacon for bait, and catch them just for fun in competition to see who can get the most.  In the end, the crabs all go back into the thin (at low tide) streams of salt water.  We had our picnic lunch at the tables provided at Morstan Quay.

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National Trust Sign

The Salt Marshes

On the Dock

One of Few Bridges

Elaine and Friend

Crabbing

No Boats at Low Tides

Busy Place When Tide Comes In

The Ground Underfoot

Picnic

From there we headed back toward Cromer Lighthouse, first stopping at the Hillside Shire Horse Sanctuary.  At one time this was a sanctuary just for retired shire horses, a British breed of draught horse.  They are beautiful animals.  Now the facility houses a very large rescue operation for animals of all types.  Quite obviously the rescued animals thrive here.  Many will live here permanently but adoptions are also arranged.  We walked about the huge grounds and saw animals of all types.

Then it was home to Cromer Lighthouse for naps.  Dinner was at home.

Tuesday – Military Might

Having done lots of walking lately, we decided on a quiet day.  The fog and mist has descended onto the Norfolk coast once again.  We visited the Muckleburgh Military Collection, just 10 miles up the road in Weybourne.  It is the largest private collection of military gear in the UK: tanks, anti-aircraft guns, missiles, and a plethora of military gear.  You can reserve to drive a tank.  I did not.  There is a life size model of Copenhagen, the horse that the Duke of wellington rode at the Battle of Waterloo.  Copenhagen lived to the ripe old age of 28 at the Duke’s estate. Pictures tell the story.

Cocktails and dinner at home once again.  On the way home I stopped at the Rocky Bottoms in Cromer and bought dressed crabs for appetizers.  Yum!  Dinner was beef bourguignon.