One of my favourite places to escape to for a weekend away is North Norfolk. It only takes about three hours to get there from London but you find yourself a world away with miles of unspoilt beaches, dramatic scenery, wind-swept villages and lively fishing towns to explore. There’s plenty to do but the pace is relaxed; take an exhilarating walk, find you have a beach to yourself, potter around some lovely, independent shops and spend a few hours over a well-earned pub lunch. Taking it easy in this part of the world is a synch.

One of my personal highlights is beautiful Holkham beach. This vast stretch of golden sand is lined by pine forests and last year it won ‘Best British Beach’ for the third year running. For the perfect sunset you need to head to Hunstanton, the only west facing resort on the east coast, and for a proper picture-postcard scene I love Happisburgh’s candy striped lighthouse.

For some liveliness Burnham Market has real character and is a pleasure to shop in with its high-end indy boutiques and interiors shops. Sheringham is also lovely and has buckets of old-fashioned charm. Then there’s Holt, crammed with art galleries, jewellery shops and cafes dotted around a maze of pretty cobbled streets and hidden yards.

Art and history lovers must venture further down the coast to the quaint village of Happisburgh, famous for its crumbling cliffs and coastal walks. You can even stay in a beautiful studio flat within the converted barn which once played muse to the likes of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore (Old Barn Studio Apartment, from £50 pn). Just ten minutes drive away in Horsey you will find seals littering the golden sands.

If you have kids to entertain then head to Cromer Pier. The Pavillion Theatre, perched on the end, plays host to the traditional end-of-pier show as well as a year-round calendar of theatre, music and comedy. Picturesque Blakeney Harbour is also a great place to amble around and try a spot of crabbing off the harbour wall. Trips to see the seal colony at Blakeney Point run all year round, and afterwards you must go to The Anchor Inn in the lively fishing town of Morston – the fish and chips are top notch!

Photo courtesy of Nick Garrod on Flickr