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Moving to Hunstanton with Hamiltons Removals
As a removal company based in Norfolk, we feel we know the area pretty well. One of our favourite destinations in the county is Hunstanton. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Sunny Hunny’, the town is a popular seaside resort in West Norfolk.
Hunstanton’s History
The town has a long history, with late Neolithic or early Bronze Age origins dating back to 1500 to 2000BC. An element of its more recent history can be found in the ruins of St Edmund’s Chapel, pictured below. The chapel was built in 1272 in memory of England’s first ever patron saint and King of East Anglia, who landed in Hunstanton in 855AD.
Despite its current popularity, up until the year 1840 there was nothing to find where new Hunstanton now stands. With the popularity of seaside holidays on the rise during the Victorian era, a man named Henry Styleman Le Strange decided to create a new one on this otherwise untouched piece of land. In fact, the very first building, The Golden Lion Hotel, is still going strong today! Hunstanton Heritage Centre is located in the centre of town and here you can learn more about its interesting history.
Beaches Old and New
Hunstanton beach faces west across the Wash, making it the only resort in the east coast of England to face west. This means that the sun actually sets over the sea, creating a truly stunning view each day and earning Hunstanton the unofficial title as the sunset capital of the UK.
The town has two beaches: Old Hunstanton and New Hunstanton. The pair are, however, only a mile apart, and easily accessible via a train which runs between the two. New Hunstanton boasts huge sandy beaches, as well as a lively promenade, Hunstanton Pier and Rainbow Park. The Pier is a family entertainment centre, built where the original 1870 Victorian pier once stood, and has many arcade and video games, as well as a bowling alley. Similarly, Rainbow Park has many great fairground rides for children to enjoy. The promenade itself has plenty of stands where you can buy food, souvenirs and unique gifts, plus you can explore the Old Lighthouse and beautiful lavender gardens, both of which are nearby.
Old Hunstanton is less busy and is surrounded by uniquely striped cliffs made up of carrstone (a type of sandstone), white chalk and red limestone. The beach itself has many dunes and rock pools, and dogs are allowed on the beach all year round. And, when you get hungry, there is the Old Town Beach Cafe, a vegan-friendly family-owned spot to eat (as well an ice cream kiosk!).
An Active Destination
Hunstanton is also fantastic for exploring outdoors, and incredibly dog-friendly with many popular walking routes such as Peddars Way, a gorgeous hiking trail around 50 miles long. There is also the Hunstanton Wolf Trail, which is a great way to learn about St Edmund and his time spent ruling over East Anglia, as well as the legendary appearance of a wolf appearing to guard over his severed head.
The town centre is bustling and lively, with more than 100 shops. For a bite to eat, there are plenty of options for fish and chips by the sea, including Henry’s of Hunstanton, Sally’s Fish’n’Chips, and Fishers of Hunstanton – all have rave reviews on Tripadvisor. For a more high-end dining experience, try Chives Wine Bar and Brasserie, or Michelin-starred restaurant The Neptune.
There is plenty to do in Hunstanton, including an abundance of water sports – kayaking, windsurfing and kitesurfing are all available. You can also hire bikes at Open Sky Cycles, or try your hand at other activities such as roller skating or adventure golf. You can also watch a show at The Princess Theatre (where Princess Diana herself brought young William and Harry to watch a performance of Cinderella) or take a stroll around the Boston Square Sensory Garden, which stimulates the senses of touch, sight, smell and sound.
Hunstanton is also one of the best places in Norfolk to go seal watching. With around 3,000 seals living around the Wash, it has one of the largest common seal colonies in the UK, perhaps even in the world. You can see the seals up close if you book a trip on one of the Wash Monsters – amphibious vessels which cruise along the coast – which makes for a brilliant day out.
Moving to Hunstanton with Norfolk Removal Company Hamiltons Removals
If you are interested in moving to Hunstanton, call us at Hamiltons Removals. We can organise commercial or domestic removals to the town, as well as all parts of Norfolk, including Cringleford, Trowse, Taverham, Wroxham and Wells-next-the-Sea. If you’d like to know more, you can call us on 01379 855203 or follow this link to find out about our video surveys and online quotes.
Norwich – A Fine City
Hamiltons Removals’ main office is located in Harleston, Norfolk. The ‘fine city’ of Norwich (as dubbed by the writer George Borrow in 1851) is our closest hub of activity and the go-to location for many of our employees.
There are a multitude of reasons to consider moving to Norwich. From the wide range of shops and restaurants to the extensive history and annual festivals, Norwich is a thriving and exciting city.
The city has a population of around 145,000 and attracts many students, with the University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich University College of the Arts and Norwich City College of Further and Higher Education based here. In fact, many students opt to stay on in the city after completing their further education course.
It is also a popular place to go for a city break and for some retail therapy – Norwich was identified in 2006 by the Javelin Group as one of the top places to shop in the UK. You will find many high street chains and independent stores here as well as interesting boutiques. In addition to the shops, Norwich also has a traditional outdoor covered market, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
Other popular places to go for a spot of retail therapy are the Castle Mall, which opened in 1993, and Chantry Place (formerly the Chapelfield Mall) which opened in 2005 and includes the department store House of Fraser. The city also boasts many cafés where you can relax and unwind with friends after pounding the streets with your bags.
Norwich hosts a vibrant, lively nightlife with many bars, pubs and nightclubs. These can principally be found on the Prince of Wales Road, Tombland and the Riverside area near Norwich railway station.
There is certainly no shortage of things to do in the city if you are relocating here. In addition to all the bars and clubs, there are several live music venues as well as eight theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Maddermarket Theatre, CCN Drama Centre, Norwich Puppet Theatre, Sewell Barn Theatre, Norwich Playhouse, The Garage and the Norwich Art Centre. The city also has a number of museums and art galleries including the Castle Museum, The Bridewell Museum in Bridewell Alley and the Dragon Hall in King Street. The city has also been recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature.
Norwich is a very beautiful city with many attractive old buildings including the majestic 11th century Norwich Cathedral, the 12th century Norman castle and Elm Street, a superb (and largely intact) medieval street. It is also home to 30 impressive medieval churches and the Cow Tower, a historic military tower which stands on the banks of the River Wensum.
House prices are quite reasonable in Norwich compared to other parts of the country, with average prices for a terraced property currently standing at around £250,000.
It has good access to London with hourly train services to London Liverpool Street and the journey time is around two hours. Norwich is linked to Cambridge via the A11, which leads on to the M11 motorway to London and the M25. It also has easy access to the neighbouring county of Suffolk via the A140. Norwich has an international airport which flies to selected UK and European destinations.
Moving to Norwich with Hamiltons Removals
Hamiltons Removals can help if you are interested in moving to Norwich – and that includes commercial and specialist moves, as well as domestic ones.
We can offer a comprehensive package which includes packing and unpacking, as well as removals insurance in the unlikely event of anything going wrong. You can fill in one of our online removals forms to receive a quote; we also offer video surveys so you can pick a time which suits you.
For us, removals to Norfolk means a move to any part of the county – not just Norwich but also Cringleford, Trowse, Wymondham, Taverham, Wroxham, Aylsham, Fakenham and all of the county’s many attractive towns and villages. Call us on 01379 855203 to find out more.