A visitors guide to the old smuggling village of Thornham, located on the North Norfolk Coast. Thornham encapsulates the tranquillity of the Norfolk coast a place that once thrived as much on smuggling as it did on other activities.  Nowadays it is renowned for its natural beauty and is a a popular place for bird watchers with mile upon mile of beautiful marshes etched by veins of salt water.

Artists also come with brush and palette to capture the enchantment of this village. Here you can enjoy coastal and countryside walks and for the ornithologist amongst you the RSPB reserve at Tichwell is just half a mile away.  
 
Secluded beaches with excellent sands can be reached after a mile long walk out along the Norfolk Coastal Path.  During the 18th and 19th centuries Thornham benefited from a large harbour and was a popular place with smugglers. These smugglers would sink their contraband off the coast, in water proof containers, then when the tide had receded the locals would recover the goods. 

The Old Lifeboat Inn located down by the marshes is said to have been the place where the smugglers dished up their ill gotten gains. You can still stay or eat at the Lifeboat Inn and its not necessary to be a 'Smuggler'!

In the village itself is another traditional country pub and an inn and the Old Coach House, which has a Mediterranean style.    For holiday accommodation in Thornham or closeby - self catering - holiday cottages - bed and breakfast -  hotel - pubs and inns, look at our accommodation pages.

The larger seaside resort of Hunstanton is just four miles away further round the coast, a centre for windsurfing, yachting and access to golf courses.  It also has a theatre, a Sea Life Centre, crazy golf, a Funfair and other seaside attractions.

Titchwell Marsh under two miles away is one of the RSPB's most visited reserve with hundreds of thousands of migrating birds passing through in spring and autumn. Unrivalled opportunity to see many species of ducks, waders, seabirds and geese. 

Inland is the village of Docking with its charm and history, village stocks, old lock up and carefully hidden village stores. One of Norfolks unsung heroes was born here in 1845, George Smith the youngest son of the local shoemaker He went to Natal as a missionary in 1871 when the Zulu war started seven years later he became attached to the British Army as a temporary chaplain and played a prominent part in the defence of Rorkes Drift.