Tombs to churches – unusual sights to visit in Norfolk
Here are seven unique, strange and wonderful must-see destinations.
1. Langham Dome
Where: Cockthorpe Road, Langham, Holt NR25 7BP
Langham Dome, a famous north Norfolk air museum just three miles from Blakeney, is one of the best-known individual airfield buildings in Britain.
The airfield was active for 18 years and played a key role in the Second World War and the Cold War.
Enjoy displays and hands-on activities at the museum which has displayed a replica Spitfire aeroplane since 2020 to honour the dome’s history.
The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, plus all bank holidays.
2. Church of St Mary the Virgin, Burgh St Peter
Where: Church of St Mary the Virgin, Burgh St Peter, Beccles NR34 0DD
Sat two miles from the village, by the River Waveney, is the unique Church of St Mary the Virgin.
The oldest parts of the church date from c1200, with the roof from the 15th century and the tower from the late 18th century.
After the original tower had fallen down, a new one said to be based on the Ziggurat temples of Mesopotamia in Iraq, was built, and made the church a must-see sight.
3. The Blickling Mausoleum
Where: Blickling Estate, Blickling, NR11 6NF
The Blickling Mausoleum was commissioned by Lady Caroline Suffield in 1793.
The grade-two listed building was built as a tomb for Lady Suffield’s father John Hobart, Blickling’s owner and the second Earl of Buckinghamshire, and his two wives Mary Anne and Caroline.
Made of 190,000 Portland Stone blocks which originally gleamed white, the mausoleum is based on the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome, which was built around 18BC and is also still standing.
4. Second World War tanks on the beach
Where: Titchwell beach
Titchwell beach was used as a military firing range by the Royal Tank Regiment during the Second World War.
There are crumbling pillboxes to be seen, and occasionally at low tide, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the remains of two Covenanter tanks.
5. The world’s smallest public railway
Where: The Light Railway Station, Stiffkey Rd, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1QB
Travel between Wells and Walsingham on the small steam train – taking a pit stop at The Signal Box Cafe in Wells.
In 1982, services officially began and it claims to be the longest 10¼” narrow gauge steam railway in the world.
The railway is open daily until the end of October. A child return fare is £8.50 and an adult is £10.50.
6. The Shell Museum
Where: Church House, Hurdle Lane, Glandford, Holt, NR25 7JR
Admire all sorts of shells at the oldest purpose-built museum in Norfolk.
The beautiful building is set close to a ford through the pretty river Glaven, and houses an impressive seashell collection plus fossils, local archaeological finds and a world-famous embroidery by a fisherman artist.
It is open until the end of October, Tuesday to Saturday, from 10am to 3pm. Admission is £3.
READ MORE: 5 historic places you can visit underground in Norwich
7. Norwich’s underground tunnels
Where: All under the city
As a medieval city rich with history, there are many secrets of the past to be discovered underground.
There are crypts, dungeons, tunnels and hidden streets to explore under Norwich Guildhall, The Halls and Castle Meadow, as well as visiting The Undercroft Gallery.
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