Overstrand: Why wet and windy British weather still couldn’t ruin our fun on family half-term trip to Norfolk village near Cromer

Norfolk famously promotes itself as the driest and sunniest county in England but as anyone who lives anywhere in the United Kingdom knows, nothing can be guaranteed when it comes to the weather.

That was unfortunately the case during our family’s recent half-term trip to the lovely village of Overstrand on the outskirts of Cromer where ambitions of long coastal walks and days on the beach were somewhat stopped in their tracks by wet and windy weather.

However despite the inclement conditions, our family-of-five (including children of eight, six and two) managed to really enjoy a three-night stay in a lovely corner of the world.

Our stay was through Crabpot Cottages, an independent holiday cottage agency serving the Norfolk coast.

After a fairly simple drive of around three hours from South Yorkshire, we stayed in a beautifully-decorated and appointed two bedroom apartment in Overstrand, a small village just outside the bustling seaside town of Cromer.

The flat, close to the local village cricket ground and less than five minutes walk from the beach, was perfect for what we needed although it was up two flights of quite steep flights of stairs so would not be ideal for anyone with mobility issues.

For our purposes though it was a fantastic base and after getting the suitcases in and having a cup of tea, we headed towards the direction of the beach to get our bearings on our first evening.

Unfortunately high tide being in meant we couldn’t actually get onto the beach, with a biting wind and slippery underfoot conditions also not helping matters.

However we managed to venture far enough down the path to the beach to see Cromer pier in the distance a couple of miles away and give us inspiration to attempt the walk the following day.

Back at the apartment, we discovered it helpfully had a games cupboard underneath the television which was a really hit with the kids.

They were particular fans of the ocean edition of a game called I Saw It First! where players draw out the chips featuring different sea creatures and race each other to spot them amongst the 300 others drawn on the board in what is essentially a fish version of Where’s Wally?

Sometimes simplicity can bring the most joy – something that applies not only to games but also to family time. You don’t always need a grand day or evening out to have a good time and spending some precious time together was lovely.

The following morning we walked down to the Cliff Top Cafe, which has been serving locals and visitors to Overstrand for 99 years and counting.

After a tasty breakfast we attempted to set off on a walk to Cromer but the extremely high winds and choppy seas meant the high prospect of getting soaked ruled out walking along the beach while a back-up idea of trying to walk along the cliffs instead had to be swiftly abandoned due to mud making it effectively impassable. It was unfortunately a case of ‘British Weather 1 – Burn Family 0’.

Not to be entirely defeated we walked back to our car outside the flat and drove the short distance into Cromer instead.

After parking up and a distinctly windswept walk down a clifftop path, we decided to skirt the pier and head instead to that staple of any British seaside holiday resort – the amusement arcade.

The children enjoyed a surprising amount of success on the 2p machines, each managing to win a teddy (no easy task!) and we celebrated with an ice cream at the neighbouring Crazy Cow cafe.

After a wonder around the bustling streets of the town centre, which is packed with charming independent shops and dominated by the historic Church of St Peter and St Paul with its 158ft Bell Tower, we headed back to Overstrand. The busyness of Cromer, even during a wet and windy weekday, made us further appreciate the tranquility offered by Overstrand.

With the weather cheering up slightly, we booked in a relatively early tea at the village’s White Horse pub.

They offered a delicious and affordable selection of food, along with having a sizeable kids’ menu to choose from.

But most notably from the children’s perspective, the outside area included an excellent play area and they greatly enjoyed making friends with other young guests and running around with them.

Again, like the night before in our apartment, the pleasure they all got from that fairly simple thing was one of the unanticipated highlights of the holiday.

The following day while the skies were still grey, the rain held off enough that we braved a trip to Cromer’s Amazona Zoo, with a family ticket costing £48.

The South American-themed zoo was a real hit with the kids who enjoyed seeing a jaguar, pumas and monkeys up close.

But they particularly loved the play areas, especially the giant ‘Jumping Pillow’ trampolines outside and the indoor soft play section.

After a full day out at the zoo, we headed back to The White Horse pub again in the evening for a drink and another run around that playground before going back to the apartment for a final tea.

On our final morning, we were determined to make it down to the beach and thankfully the weather complied with the sun coming out. After lots of fun playing in the sand and running back and forth trying to ‘escape’ the incoming waves, it was time for a swift change of clothes and the journey back to Yorkshire.

Our two older children described it as a 10 out of 10 holiday, despite the weather challenges. You can’t ask for much more than that.

For more information, visit https://www.crabpotcottages.co.uk/ or call 01263 579435.