Popular Norfolk gem is perfect for winter

Blakeney village attracts visitors in their droves in summer, but locals feel priced out, says Milo Boyd

- 

POPULAR Warm welcome

In the summer, Blakeney in North Norfolk is a hive of activity. The visitors come in great numbers when the sun is shining, attracted to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its pretty stone homes, as well as hotel named the best in the country, and its large seal population.

The village also has cottages that are rented out privately for less than £500 a month. What's not to like?

But in the winter, it's a different matter. Visitor numbers plummet and many of the former fishing cottages stand empty. It's a dilemma for those who work in the area's hospitality industry, like Manor Coastal Hotel worker Tore Hill, who told me: "It is a double-edged sword for me."

It's obvious why people come. Blakeney is a lovely place. Just metres from the front of the award-winning Manor Coastal Hotel and Inn is the River Glaven, which winds its way through the National Nature Reserve. Blakeney Point is renowned for its seal colonies, too, with Beans Boats offering guided tours throughout the year.

In the 19th Century, the coastal village was much closer to the sea than it is today. The estuary has silted up over the past 100 years, coinciding with the decline of the fishing industry in the area, which has prevented all but the smallest boats from reaching the quay.