Day 4, Sunday 4 September

Horsey to Wortwell

I took no photographs at all so I’m relying on my memory about how the day went. I think the weather had cleared up, which was a relief, so after a hearty breakfast in the hotel and clearing up our room (ever-diligent) we retraced our steps to Sea Palling and rejoined Route 30 for the rest of the day. Shortley after rejoining the route, as we approached Horsey we came across the Poppylands 1940s Tearoom, so stopped for morning coffee and crumpets at this delightful emporium of wartime memorabilia. There was a 12 inch black and white television playing episodes of Dad’s Army, all hung about with union flags and Keep Calm and Carry On posters etc.

By now the route was turning south,through Caister-on-Sea and on to the suburbs of Great Yarmouth that were not enjoyable. Sustrans Route 30 comes to an abrupt halt north of the town centre, so we made our way across the busy road bridge onto the west bank of the River Yare and got onto the promenade beside Gorleston Cliffs and eventually struggled up a flight of steps to a main road and joined Sustrans Route 1. The route twists and turns trying to avoid the main road to Lowestoft where again we were engulfed by suburbia. Across the harbour bridge alongside the A12, Route 1 eventually rejoins Route 30, which leads into quiter country.

And that was the end of the coastal route as we turned west and inland towards Beccles. We must have had lunch somewhere but the memory has gone, but I do remember stopping for tea and cakes at a hotel by the roadside and spending about an hour there just to gather ourselves together before the final hour’s push to the campsite at Wortwell.

Having pitched the tents, showered, done the laundry and hung it all up, we walked back to the road and and up to Wortwell Hotel only to find that the chef had gone home for the evening. However, there was a community grocery in the bar so we bought various packets of crisps and nuts and tucked into them, washed down by some good beer. I thought afterwards that we should have bought some tinned food and a bottle of wine and cooked up supper on my stove at the campsite.