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North Norfolk Coast Path

• We liked it so much we did it twice...

The Peddars Way and North Norfolk Coast Path, running from Knettishall Heath near Thetford up to Holme-next-the-Sea, then taking an abrupt right-hand turn for Cromer, are joined together to make one National Trail of around 95 miles in length. We like the North Norfolk section of this so much that we have done it twice so far - left to right, or Hunstanton to Cromer both times - and are vaguely considering the possibility of doing it the other way around. Our first attempt was in July 1992 and it was the first long-distance walk we had ever done.

We have a vague memory of not even bothering with waterproofs, and we thought it was cool to carry camping equipment - a notion that was knocked out of us more or less on the first day we set foot on the South West Coast Path and encountered hills. And we hadn't had much practice of working out sensible stages either. But we did manage to get ourselves to Cromer without too much unseemly incident.

Our second attempt was at Easter 2001 when our progress on the SWCP had been rather badly held up by a combination of vertigo and foot-and-mouth restrictions, so we were pretty keen to get out there. We chose Norfolk again because we wanted something that we could conveniently fit into four days, including travel. And it was every bit as nice.

This path is not the Pennine Way - in the literal sense that it's in Norfolk not Yorkshire, but also in that it is not one of the country's epic walking challenges. No, its attractions are far subtler. If you're the kind of walker that is only happy putting in 20-mile bursts then you need to combine it with the Peddars Way and see if you can set a speed record.

Needless to say, you'll be missing a lot that way. You are far more likely to want to walk this path in 10- to 15-mile bursts for its stunning scenery - bleak marshes, bird-spotted mudflats, lush green fields rolling inland and sea-scapes stretching literally for miles. Also, for the less experienced, it is very user-friendly. You are never all that far from civilisation, there is plentiful accommodation along the route, good transport links at each end and it is almost without exception flat (although the Beeston Bump can give you a nasty moment at the end of a long day...)

So don't make the mistake of underestimating this path. It's a great walking experience.

Future plans: This section is due to be expanded to contain a proper walking diary and photographs. And if we ever get round to doing Cromer to Hunny then I expect we'll be giving an account of that too.

Other stuff: We are lucky enough to have a traditional wooden yacht moored on the Norfolk Broads. Learn more about her here.

• Fancy stretching your legs a bit further?

There are several long-distance paths in Norfolk. The Coast Path is approximately 45 miles long and runs between Hunstanton on the west coast and Cromer on the north coast. As its name suggests, it is an almost entirely coastal walk.

The Weavers Way is approximately 60 miles long and runs through Broadland between Cromer and the resort of Great Yarmouth on the east coast - including the Halvergate Marshes, internationally renowned for their bird life and stunning scenery.

The Angles Way runs between Yarmouth and Thetford, is approximately 75 miles long, and crosses from Broadland into the sandy soils, heaths and coniferous trees of Breckland, the landscape of west Norfolk.

The Peddars Way starts from Knettishall Heath, in a country park near Thetford. It covers approximately 50 miles, crossing Breckland to return to the coast at Holme-next-the-Sea, almost three miles from the start of the Coast Path at Hunstanton.

The combined distance of these four paths is around 225 miles.