The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail is an historic and diverse long distance walking trail which combines inland heritage and coastal beauty.
Graded as easy (as it's flat) it is one of the National Trails that many people walk in one go, whether you decide to finish in Cromer or carry on walking right around the Norfolk coast to Hopton-on-Sea. You can see the varying options that Explore Norfolk UK can offer you here.
Both the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path are so different in their own very special way.
Explore Norfolk UK offers varying options for walking the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail:
All of these options start at the beginning of the Peddars Way in Knettishall Heath which is just outside Thetford.
Don’t forget that if you only want to walk part of these trails, we can tailor your trip to suit your requirements.
If you're still wondering what the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path have in store for you, you can read a little bit more of a summary of this National Trail here.
I have also written some blogs on the daily walks of both the Norfolk Coast Path and the Peddars Way, if you have time for a cup of coffee and a read!
For any of these walks, you can contact us via the enquiry form, booking form, or email/phone at the following:
Email: suzy@explorenorfolkuk.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 7765 668188
The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path combine two completely contrasting long distance trails, starting just outside Thetford at Knettishall Heath and ending on the pier at Cromer.
Trail length: 93 miles from Knettishall Heath to Cromer
Ease of walk: easy to moderate
Open from: any time of year
The Peddars Way forms an historic and at times dead straight path which will take you through pine forests, alongside heathland and MOD property, over board walks, along quiet country lanes and open countryside. It’s an extremely diverse walk with interesting historical roots and you’ll be following in the footsteps of Romans and Pilgrims. The Norfolk Coast Path, by contrast, is an incredibly beautiful path which will take you over sand dunes and beaches, national nature reserves, salt marshes and cliffs, coastal villages and Victorian towns as well as presenting you with amazing wildlife.
Prices:
NCPPW01 - 6 days walking – from £765 per person (based on 2 sharing)
NCPPW02 - 7 days walking – from £825 per person (based on 2 sharing)
NCPPW03 - 8 days walking – from £905 per person (based on 2 sharing)
Our prices for the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path combined walk are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £55 per person per night applies.
Trail Code: NCPPW01
Trail length: 93 miles
Trail duration:6 days walking, 7 night’s accommodation
Average miles: 15.5 miles/24.9km per day
Prices from: £765 per person (based on 2 sharing)
Our prices are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £55 per person per night applies.
Trail Code: NCPPW02
Trail length: 93 miles
Trail duration:7 days walking, 8 night’s accommodation
Average miles: 13.3 miles/21.4km per day
Prices from: £825 per person (based on 2 sharing)
Our prices are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £55 per person per night applies.
Trail Code: NCPPW03
Trail length: 93 miles
Trail duration:8 days walking, 9 night’s accommodation
Average miles: 11 miles/17.7km per day
Prices from: £905 per person (based on 2 sharing)
At Explore Norfolk UK we go the extra mile. And with our accommodation choices, this is what you’ll get. It’s very important to us that your stay is just what you expect and more.
We know that you want peace of mind that when you turn up to your accommodation you’ll be expected (!), that the owners will be extremely friendly and helpful and that nothing will be too much bother for them. We also know that you expect beautifully clean bathrooms and bedrooms. Quality is key these days so we’ve made sure you’ll be able to relax the minute you walk through the door as we know you’ll have weary feet.
All of the accommodation has been personally chosen by us. We’ve made sure we have visited each and every one of the accommodations that we have picked for you, to ensure that you have the best experience once you arrive after your long day’s walk. For owners that weren’t accommodating to our needs, we crossed them off the list, and there were a few!!
Most of the accommodation on the route is bed and breakfast, but in some village we have also picked hotels or pubs, should you require. It’s a personal choice, so please let us know if you would rather stay in a hotel where possible (prices are obviously higher in hotels and not all stages of the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path walk have hotels). There is one particular place I do transfer you as the pub in the village is not good and I would rather you had a good night's sleep and a decent cooked breakfast.
Once you have booked with us, we will send you confirmation so you can see where you’ll be staying.
Included:
Bed and breakfast accommodation in personally chosen B&B’s, pubs or hotels where all the owners have been met by us, and the accommodation has been vetted by us personally. We have taken the time to make sure you will be very happy with each and every night’s stay.
Baggage transfer from each night’s accommodation.
Taxi transfers to the start of the Peddars Way and to accommodation along the Peddars Way.
A detailed information pack with guide book, OS maps, itinerary with places of interest and places for possible lunches, as well as directions to the accommodation with the name and phone number of the owners where appropriate (1 guidebook and relevant maps for up to 4 people, 2 for 5-7 people and 3 for 8 or more people).
Emergency telephone support for us in the event of a problem.
Excluded:
Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.
Travel Insurance – please make sure you have travel insurance to cover this holiday.
Transport for any rest days. We will be happy to book you taxis should you require.
Travel to/from Thetford and to/from Cromer or Sea Palling.
Rest days -any costs for rest days or extra activities undertaken.
Extras:
Additional nights used other than on the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path combined walk itinerary (e.g. rest days, any additional days at the beginning or end of the walk for your own personal holiday not covered by the itinerary).
Rest days - suggest you add on approximately £60 per person per night.
Solo walker and single walker supplements - please add on approximately £55 per night to cover the cost of single occupancy, maps and guidebooks for one, and baggage transfers for one
Detailed information on how to reach your accommodation at the start of the walk by car, or on foot from the bus or train station in Thetford will be included in your holiday pack.
Getting there:
By Road:
Thetford is reached by road via the A11 or the A134.
Hunstanton is located in West Norfolk, 30 minutes north of King’s Lynn on the main coastal road of the A149.
Cromer is located on the North Norfolk Coast approximately 45 minutes north of Norwich on the A140/A149.
Car parking:
There is usually parking at your accommodation for the duration of your walk. However, there may be times when I need to ask a pub if you can park for in their car park whilst walking.
By Rail:
To/from Thetford: Thetford has a railway station served by the Southern network. Trains run to and from Cambridge/Norwich and Ely.
To/from Hunstanton: The nearest train station to Hunstanton is King’s Lynn (Great Northern network and has direct lines into and out of London Kings Cross
To/from Cromer: Cromer railway station (Abellio Greater Anglia network). Trains run to and from Norwich. To reach London you would need to change at Norwich for onward travel.
By Bus:
The local bus service runs from King’s Lynn to Wells serviced by Lynx No 36 (https://www.lynxbus.co.uk/bus-times-fares/) and then from Wells to Cromer on CH4 (https://www.sanderscoaches.com/copy-of-5-north-walsham---holt).
Norfolk Green bus service No 10. And 11 also run from King’s Lynn to Hunstanton. (http://www.norfolkgreen.co.uk/services)
By Air:
The nearest airport is London Stansted Airport.
There is so much to see in Norfolk that it makes sense to take a rest day or two during your walk. Or maybe you may choose to take a few days at the beginning or end of your walking trip.
If you would like suggestions for rest days, please add any comments on your booking form and we’ll be pleased to give you some ideas. As we are local, we know places that would fit in with your chosen itinerary and that you’ll be glad you saw.
We don’t want you to go away from Norfolk thinking that you were only able to see what was either side of the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path!
The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path combine two completely contrasting long distance trails, starting just outside Thetford at Knettishall Heath and ending at Hopton-on-Sea, where the Norfolk and Suffolk border meet.
Trail length: 128 miles from Knettishall Heath to Hopton
Ease of walk: easy to moderate
Open from: any time of year
The Peddars Way forms an historic and at times dead straight path which will take you through pine forests, alongside heathland and MOD property, over board walks, along quiet country lanes and open countryside. It’s an extremely diverse walk with interesting historical roots and you’ll be following in the footsteps of Romans and Pilgrims. The Norfolk Coast Path, by contrast, is an incredibly beautiful path which will take you over sand dunes and beaches, national nature reserves, salt marshes and cliffs, coastal villages and Victorian towns as well as presenting you with amazing wildlife.
Prices:
NCPPW08 - 11 days walking – from £1,090 per person (based on 2 sharing)
Our prices for the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path trail are based on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling on your own as a solo traveller, or if you are walking in a group but would like a single room, then the additional single supplement of £55 per person per night applies.
Trail Code: NCPPW08
Trail length: 128 miles
Trail duration:11 days walking, 12 night’s accommodation
Average miles: 12.5 miles/20.1km per day
Prices from: £1,090 per person
At Explore Norfolk UK we go the extra mile. And with our accommodation choices, this is what you’ll get. It’s very important to us that your stay is just what you expect and more.
We know that you want peace of mind that when you turn up to your accommodation you’ll be expected (!), that the owners will be extremely friendly and helpful and that nothing will be too much bother for them. We also know that you expect beautifully clean bathrooms and bedrooms. Quality is key these days so we’ve made sure you’ll be able to relax the minute you walk through the door as we know you’ll have weary feet.
Most of the accommodation on the route is bed and breakfast, but in some village we have also picked hotels or pubs, should you require. It’s a personal choice, so please let us know if you would rather stay in a hotel where possible (prices are obviously higher in hotels and not all stages of the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path walk have hotels).
Once you have booked with us, we will send you confirmation so you can see where you’ll be staying.
Included:
Bed and breakfast accommodation in personally chosen B&B’s, pubs or hotels where all the owners have been met by us, and the accommodation has been vetted by us personally. We have taken the time to make sure you will be very happy with each and every night’s stay.
Baggage transfer from each night’s accommodation.
Taxi transfers to the start of the Peddars Way and to accommodation along the Peddars Way as well as from Hopton to Gt Yarmouth at the end of the walk.
A detailed information pack with guide book, OS maps, itinerary with places of interest and places for possible lunches, as well as directions to the accommodation with the name and phone number of the owners where appropriate (1 guidebook and relevant maps for up to 4 people, 2 for 5-7 people and 3 for 8 or more people).
Emergency telephone support for us in the event of a problem.
Excluded:
Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.
Travel Insurance – please make sure you have travel insurance to cover this holiday.
Transport for any rest days. We will be happy to book you taxis should you require.
Travel to/from Thetford and to/from Cromer or Sea Palling.
Rest days -any costs for rest days or extra activities undertaken.
Extras:
Additional nights used other than on the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path combined walk itinerary (e.g. rest days, any additional days at the beginning or end of the walk for your own personal holiday not covered by the itinerary).
Rest days - suggest you add on approximately £60 per person per night.
Solo walker and single walker supplements - please add on approximately £55 per night to cover the cost of single occupancy, maps and guidebooks for one, and baggage transfers for one
Detailed information on how to reach your accommodation at the start of the walk by car, or on foot from the bus or train station in Thetford will be included in your holiday pack.
Getting there:
By Road:
Thetford is reached by road via the A11 or the A134.
Hunstanton is located in West Norfolk, 30 minutes north of King’s Lynn on the main coastal road of the A149.
Cromer is located on the North Norfolk Coast approximately 45 minutes north of Norwich on the A140/A149.
Car parking:
There is usually parking at your accommodation for the duration of your walk. However, there may be times when I need to ask a pub if you can park for in their car park whilst walking.
By Rail:
To/from Thetford: Thetford has a railway station served by the Southern network. Trains run to and from Cambridge/Norwich and Ely.
To/from Hunstanton: The nearest train station to Hunstanton is King’s Lynn (Great Northern network and has direct lines into and out of London Kings Cross
To/from Cromer: Cromer railway station (Abellio Greater Anglia network). Trains run to and from Norwich. To reach London you would need to change at Norwich for onward travel.
By Bus:
The local bus service runs from King’s Lynn to Wells serviced by Lynx No 36 (https://www.lynxbus.co.uk/bus-times-fares/) and then from Wells to Cromer on CH4 (https://www.sanderscoaches.com/copy-of-5-north-walsham---holt).
Norfolk Green bus service No 10. And 11 also run from King’s Lynn to Hunstanton. (http://www.norfolkgreen.co.uk/services)
By Air:
The nearest airport is London Stansted Airport.
There is so much to see in Norfolk that it maays at the beginning or end of your walking trip.
Both the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path contrast so well, that to walk both of these long
distance trails will leave you with a lasting memory of such a diverse
county, you’ll be back for more!
From the beginning of the Peddars Way in Thetford, you’ll walk through woodland, cross rivers, walk past important heathland at Brettenham. You’ll amble alongside the training grounds of the MOD and often be party to deep booms from the tanks or quick machine gun fire – you don’t get that on many walks!
You’ll pass Norfolk songline sculptures which will keep your mind active in thought. There is also quite a bit of road walking from Lt Cressingham to just before Gt Massingham which can become a bit tedious, but once you've reached a point called Shepherd's Bush which is just after Castle Acre, you'll be on tracks pretty much all the way to the coast.
On this combined Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path walk there are many wooded paths and farm tracks which take you over the Norfolk countryside, but the peace that abounds on this particular trail is magical.
Castle Acre is one of the hightlights of this particular walk, as you pass the impressive ruins of Castle Acre Priory, and if you choose to take a rest day, this is an excellent place to stop.
For options on how you can walk the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path trail, click here.
You might decide you would just like to walk the Peddars Way and then come back again another time to walk the Norfolk Coast Path. Both of these options are perfectly possible with our walking holidays.
The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path meet at Holme-next-the-Sea on the North Norfolk coast. This next stretch of the walk is so hugely different to the Peddars Way, and this is what makes this particular long distance path so exciting. You’ll walk amongst the salt marshes of the North Norfolk coast, and along board walks, sea walls and cliffs.
You’ll stroll along wide open expanses of golden sand. You’ll come across lots of pretty coastal villages (especially if you choose to walk slightly off the path for lunch maybe), you’ll descend into Victorian seaside towns and occasionally have to walk in amongst caravan sites (my only bug bear on this walk!).
And the wildlife will keep you amused for hours!
This trail can take anywhere between 6 and 12 days. To walk this Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path trail with Explore Norfolk UK you can see the options we suggest above.
We also have a selection of other walks on our Norfolk Walking Holidays page here.
You will have hopefully seen from my individual Norfolk Coast Path page and my Peddars Way page what to expect from both of these differing walks as I go into more detail about what you will come across as you walk both of these trails.
Put the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path together and you have one fantastically interesting and beautiful long distance path!
You can find out more about the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast path options above.