BY A VISITOR;                               “Music is in thy billows, Grandeur doth walk thy beach, sit on thy cliffs, Wave in thy woods, and Nature’s smile or frown, As cast o’er thee, is beautiful.” PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY LEAK, CROMER; JERROLD, AND STEVENSON, MATCHATT, & STEVENSON, NORWICH; SHALDERS, HOLT; BLYTH, NORTH-WALSHAM; CLEMENTS, AYLSHAM; AND SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & CO. LONDON. 1841. LONDON: PRINTED BY JOSEPH RICKERBY SHERBOURN LANE....

A Guide to Cromer and its immediate neighbourhood having been long desired, the following is presented to the Public.  The Author pretends to no originality, nor offers the present as perfect in its kind.  It was undertaken simply because a deficiency was expressed, and a few hours of recreation gave the opportunity of attempting to supply it.  All criticism therefore, it is hoped, will be spared as to the execution of the design, and that the intention only will be regarded.  Sincere thanks are

There are few places in this kingdom which combine to a greater degree the advantages of a salubrious and invigorating air, a fine and open sea, or more pleasing scenery than Cromer.  The lover of nature, the student, or the invalid may frequent its shores with equal benefit, and with equal gratification.  That it is not more known, or become a place of more general resort, is the result rather of circumstances, than of any deficiency in itself.  True, indeed, it has not the metropolitan luxurie

The drives about Cromer are far more agreeable than persons have generally been led to suppose.  The appearance of the country is picturesque and diversified; the roads themselves are good, and the sea, which is never long concealed from the view, forms at all times a beautiful object, sometimes appearing in wide expanse before us, sometimes seen only through an opening in the woods or over a rich valley, and at others breaking suddenly upon the eye, yet ever harmonizing most delightfully with t

The drive from Cromer to Mundesley presents some of the finest sea-views imaginable.  The road runs almost entirely along the coast, taking in its course the villages of Overstrand, Syderstrand, and Trimmingham. About two miles E. by S. of Cromer, is the small parish of Overstrand, which extends two miles along the sea-cliffs, and is bounded inland by a lofty range of hills.  On the beach is a hamlet, and fishing-station, commonly called Beck Hoy, with a curing-house, and a free-school, the latt

A short and very pleasant drive may be made, by taking the road to Northrepps, and having passed the Hall, and Hill House, both belonging to Richard Gurney, Esq., returning by the road leading to the Cottage.  This mansion, which is sometimes also called the Hermitage, is inhabited by Miss Gurney, and for its romantic situation is greatly admired.  It stands in a deep valley, opening towards Overstrand and the sea.  It is flinted in the Gothic style, and with the porch is thatched and fitted up

Taking the Norwich road, we proceed to the village of Northrepps, which is divided into two parts, called Church Street and Far Street, containing about two thousand six hundred acres of land, picturesquely broken into hill and dale, and belonging chiefly to Lord Suffield.  The church, dedicated to St. Mary, though not equal to Southrepps, is a noble building, with a lofty square tower.  The patronage is vested in the crown.  The rectory-house and free-school, which he also endowed, were both er

The drive to Runton is by some considered the least pleasing of any round Cromer.  We hardly know how to subscribe to this opinion, for the sea-view is extremely fine, and there are points of inland beauty belonging to it which are very striking.  As we before observed, the town itself, to be seen to advantage, should be viewed from this road. Runton parish comprises two small villages, called East and West Runton, and is from one to two miles distant from Cromer.  It contains about one thousand

Having already noticed Roughton, we proceed without anything particular to observe, till we are within a short distance of Erpingham, when we pass, on the left, the rectory-house of Hanworth, which is very delightfully situated on the verge of Gunton-park, about two miles from Erpingham, which place lies to the right. To those versed in chivalric lore, this village will be interesting;—Sir Thomas de Erpingham, the gallant favourite of the renowned John of Gaunt, and one of the sharers of the glo

A pleasant excursion may be made to Bacton, a village twelve miles from Cromer, on the low road to Yarmouth, where the ruins of Bromholm Priory deserve attention. This priory was founded by William de Glanville, for Clugniac monks, as a cell to Castleacre Priory, in 1113, and dedicated to St. Andrew.  Like many others, it owed much of its former wealth to fraud and superstition.  A cross was here preserved, which was said to be made of the wood of that on which our Saviour suffered, and which wa

We may without fear or hesitation promise the visitor the greatest enjoyment from this excursion, whether the charms of a rich and highly cultivated country, the view of ruins “graceful in decay,” or the works of art be most accordant with his taste. Having taken the Holt-road for three miles, we turn off to Gresham, and proceed to Barningham-town, or Barningham Wintes, a village consisting of about five hundred acres, belonging to John Thurston Mott, Esq.  On entering the grounds, we are instan

No person of taste will willingly leave Cromer without having visited the beautiful ruins of Beckham church, which are the most picturesque of any in the neighbourhood. Having proceeded four miles on the Holt-road, we turn to the left, and at the distance of a mile the ruins present themselves, standing in a vale, where the waving of the corn, the song of the birds, or the sighing of the trees alone disturb their loneliness, and silence.  The walls of the middle aisle and the chancel are remaini

As North Walsham and Holt are both within a morning’s drive from Cromer, a brief notice of each may not be unacceptable;—the principal places lying on the road, or near it, have already been mentioned. North Walsham stands on an eminence with a declivity northward to the river Ant, and is distant fifteen miles from Norwich, and nine from Cromer, and is a pleasant and handsome, though irregularly built market-town, consisting chiefly of three streets.  It has a neat cross, built by Bishop Thurlby

Holt is a remarkably clean and neat town, built on a rising ground, with a market on Saturdays: it is twenty-four miles from Norwich and ten from Cromer.  The air of Holt is reckoned particularly salubrious, and its situation very agreeable.  It has much increased of late in population, and several excellent houses have been built in or near it.  In the year 1708 it suffered greatly from an accidental fire, which destroyed great part of it. A fine spring issues out of a gravel hill on Sprout Com

Excursion to Felbrigg .—Page 24 . Cromer to Felbrigg 2½ miles Extent of drive, returning by Aylmerton Church 6 miles Over the Beeston Hills 7 miles Excursion to Mundesley .—Page 30 . Cromer to Overstrand 2 miles — Syderstrand 3 miles — Trimmingham 5 miles — —  Beacon 6 miles — Mundesley 8 miles Extent of drive, returning by Southrepps 17 miles Excursion to Thorpe and Gunton Hall .—Page 35 . Cromer to Thorpe 5 miles — Gunton Hall 6½ miles Extent of drive, returning by Roughton 14 miles Excursion

Page Line For Read 2 19 Scarboro’ Yarmouth. 4 three hundred and twenty two hundred and twenty. 5 11 two hundred and fifty three hundred. 6 17 Happisburgh Mundesley. 7 23 Simm’s Simons’s. 22 8 leave out last ten words.   26 Maria Cecilia. 23 21 Simms Simons. 34 17 nine seventeen. 44 16 North Walsham Aylsham. — 13 five ten 14 six twelve. 15 eight fifteen. 52 4 Thomas Wodehouse Sir Thomas Woodhouse. 62 2 Stisted or Sustead and. 63 14 Stisted Stustead. — 16 eleven twelve....