A149 ROAD

'The A149' is one of the most scenic roads you may wish to travel along in East Anglia and links the towns of Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth mainly hugging the coastline as well as cutting through the Norfolk Broads.

Contents

Kings Lynn to Cromer

Cromer to Stalham

Stalham, across the Broads to Yarmouth.

References

Kings Lynn to Cromer

Starting at its most westerly, the road begins at the intersection of the A47 and A10 roads at a junction called the Hardwick Roundabout on the southern outskirts of Kings Lynn. At rush hour the road can be extremely busy especially between the start and the next two roundabouts at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (on your left) and the northern end of the Kings Lynn at its junction with the A148 Cromer road. At this roundabout you follow on towards Hunstanton. The road passes over the River Babingley and past the Royal Estate of Sandringham which is on the right before reaching Dersingham, which the road now By-passes, along with the villages of Ingoldisthorpe and Snettisham. The road then reaches the village of Heacham. At Heacham there is a staggered cross roads junction with the B1454. The so-called Lavender junction (next to the Norfolk Lavender fields) has a wide central island with gaps to allow turning traffic. It’s got a bad accident record and is due to be replaced by traffic lights at a cost of £600,000^[1] Just beyond the junction the road passes over the River Heacham and on the right is Caley Mill, the headquarters of Norfolk Lavender Ltd. Built in the local carrstone in the 19th century, and now set in its garden of lavender, roses and herbs, it has become a distinctive Norfolk landmark. In the grounds, they have the National Collection of Lavenders. Each variety or species has its own bed. There are over 100 different lavenders to see and smell. A short distance further on is the Seaside town of Hunstanton on the wash 15.7 miles from the start of the road. To the south of the town the road reaches a roundabout with the B1161 which features a rock garden. The road skirts the eastern side of the town and just before passing through Old Hunstanton gives a view of the sea. The road now turns easterly, and passes through the Village of Holme next the Sea. It was here that in 1999 that a Timber Circle nicknamed 'Seahenge', was removed for study and eventual restoration. The road now heads East across the Marshland of Brancaster Bay passing through the villages of Thornham, Titchwell and on to Brancaster (22.7 miles from start). The road now passes through an area of outstanding natural beauty. The North Norfolk coastline is home to many plants, birds, insects and animals. This stretch of coast is very popular for bird and wildlife watchers alike. After Brancaster the road passes through countryside that would have been familiar Admiral Horatio Nelson who was born at the close by village of Burnham Thorpe. Between Brancaster and Brancaster Staithe the road widens and on your left lookout for the layby, which was the old road, and in which stands an old black AA call box from a by-gone motoring age, which now has listed building status. The hamlet of Brancaster Staithe is next, with access to Brancaster Harbour, and on to Burnham Deepdale, Burnham Norton, and Burnham Overy Staith.
The road now runs along Holkham Bay towards Wells next the Sea. A mile and a half from Burnham Overy Staithe, on the right you pass the Holkham Estate, the home of Thomas, Viscount Coke, the Earl Of Leicester. On the left you pass the entrance to the beautiful beaches of Holkham, with there Pine backed sand dunes. The road now skirts around the south side of Wells next the Sea, (32 miles from start) and heads east again. Just out of Wells, the road passes on the right , the delightful, Wells and Walsingham Light Railway. The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is a 10¼ inch gauge railway that runs between the coastal town of Wells and Walsingham which is further inland. The railway occupies a part of the trackbed also used by the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
From here the road runs south of Stiffkey Salt marshes. This stretch of the road runs parallel with the North Norfolk coast path “Peddars Way”, which is about a ¼ mile north and runs along the fringe of the marshes. In Stiffkey the road narrows to a point were if you meet something coming the other way, one of you has got to give way as there is only a one vehicle width. Here there is a 20 mile per hour speed limit and some ‘soft’ traffic calming, with different coloured surfacing at the edges and the removal of the centre line which makes it seem even more narrow than it actually is. Beyond the village the road crosses the River Stiffkey. The next village on the road is Morston (38 miles from the start). From Morston, visitors can take boat trips out to near-by Blakeney point to see the seals which gather on the sands at the entrance to Blakeney Harbour. About a mile further is the Village of Blakeney. The road skirts around the south of the village. After Blakeney the road descends into the Glaven Valley, and into view comes the landmark of Cley next the Sea Windmill. Again the road becomes a bottle neck in the summer months as it pass through the village of Cley next the Sea. The next stretch of the road between Cley and Sheringham is a very scenic part of the A149. After negotiating the narrow streets of Cley the road runs along the coast south of Cley and Salthouse salt marshes, the sea is hidden by a long bank of shingle that runs along the shoreline here. The marshes are a Nature Reserve and all along this stretch of the road there are lay-bys and car parks for people to stop and take in the views. This stretch of coast is very popular with bird watchers; there are several R.S.P.B. hides along the road. The next village is Salthouse, with its small village green fringed with a pub, café and post office. The road now rises away from the marshes and twists and turns into the next village of Kelling. The next few miles dispel the idea that Norfolk is flat, as the road now passes through the gentle hills and heaths of Kelling and Weybourne. Just before entering the village of Weybourne the road pass Weybourne Camp on the left. This is the home of the Muckleburgh Collection’the largest privately-owned collection^[2] of tanks, armoured cars and other military vehicles used in wars across the globe. During the Second World War Weybourne Camp was a highly secret site and was an Anti-Aircraft Artillery range and defences were constructed around Weybourne as a part of British anti-invasion preparations of World War II. The road now passes through the village of Weybourne (45.5 miles) and up a hill past the village Windmill. As the road stretches of to Sheringham it passes under a railway bridge and if you are lucky you may see one of the steam trains of the North Norfolk Railway pass over head. The line runs from Sheringham to Holt and passes over this bridge. The road now passes through a stretch of land that is owned by the National Trust. The land on the right is part of Sheringham Park although you can only access the park by foot from the A 149. Vehicular access is from the A 148, Holt to Cromer road further south. As you near Sheringham, the North Norfolk Railway runs right along side the A 149, squeezed between the road and the Sheringham Golf Club which is Set on the cliffs in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The mini roundabout At Sheringham it is 48.2 miles from the start of the A 149 at Kings Lynn. Sheringham is a seaside resort. The route now passes the terminus for the North Norfolk Railway on the left. The A 149 runs south of the heart of the town, passing the prominent hill on the left known locally as “Beeston Bump”. The road now also has a railway line running parallel on the seaward side. The Bittern Line links Sheringham to Cromer and Norwich. At 49 miles the road reaches the village of Beeston Regis followed by West Runton. The last village before Cromer is East Runton were the landscape of the coast is peppered with static caravans. The A 149 now reaches the fading Victorian splendour of Cromer (52.3 miles). The road drops down in to the town, with a splendid view of the town’s pier, were it dog-legs through the town's one way system. This part of the road becomes congested in the summer months and long queues form in the one-way system. Cromer marks the end of the roads route along the coast, as it turns south-east to cut across Norfolk towards its end at Great Yarmouth.

Cromer to Stalham

The road climbs a hill southwards, out of Cromer, past Cromer High School and through a traffic calming measure. The next village is North Repps and past the turning on the right of the A 140 which is the main road to Norwich. Passing through well ordered arable farmland the road then reaches a cross roads, with the B 1436 just before the village of Thorpe Market. The B 1436 links the Cromer-Holt road to Mundesley on the coast. Out of the village the road runs along the boundary of Gunton Park, with some 800 acres of Deer park, on the right. Built in 1745, Gunton Hall was the Norfolk home for Sir William Harbourd. Further on is the village of Antingham before reaching North Walsham, (61 miles from Kings Lynn). At North Walsham there is a junction controlled with traffic lights. Here the road turn right and takes a new route around the western side of the Town, past the Bacton Gas terminal’s link to the rail network. the old route would have taken you through the busy town centre. This new route runs part of the way along what was the disused track bed of the M&GN railway between Stalham and North Walsham. Heading towards the Norfolk Broads, the road passes the villages of Worstead and Dilham and then passes through Smallburgh were the road clips the Norfolk Broad National Park. Just past Smallburgh the road turns left at a “T” Junction. The road to the right is the A 1151, from Wroxham, which terminates at this junction. The road now takes a large north easterly arch around Barton Broad, crossing the river Ant at Wayford Bridge. The road now curves back towards Stalham passing several Boat Hire yards. Stalham is 69 miles from the start of the A 149, and from here the road cuts across the flatlands of Norfolk skirting the Broads National Park as it goes.

Stalham, across the Broads to Yarmouth.

Long straights characterise this 5 mile stretch from Stalham to Potter Heigham. The straights pass through the villages of Sutton and Catfield. This part of the A 149 has a bad reputation for fatalities and care should be taken at all the junctions that dissect this five mile stretch. Most of this section is not the original route of the road. That runs parallel on the right, the new route cutting out the Villages, and at Potter Heigham Bridge (74 miles) the two roads converge. After Potter Heigham the next village is Repps with Bastwick followed by Rollesby (77 miles). At Rollesby the road crosses Ormesby Broad were there is parking if you wish to visit this broad. Past the large water works on the left and the road now passes through Ormesby st Michael and then Ormesby st Margaret. Before coming to another roundabout junction. This is the terminus of the A 1064 which has come across the Broads from Acle a distance of 7.2 miles in all. Looking straight across the roundabout is the site of Caister Castle. Caister was built in 1432 by John Falstaff, under the reign of Henry VI (1422-60). The most interesting thing about Caister is the fact that it is built out of Brick, and is one of the very few to be built that way. The entire castle was moated, and is well defended with gun ports. The A 149 takes the left exit at the roundabout and heads east to Caister on Sea. At Caister there is another roundabout were the road takes the right exit and skirt the town in a south easterly direction until it reaches another roundabout that marks the northern end of Great Yarmouth. Taking the right exit from the roundabout the road now heads south, past the greyhound track, and Heliport at Great Yarmouth - North Deans Airfield, on the left. On the right is Great Yarmouth race course (Horses), and then the road enters the northern suburbs of Yarmouth. As the end of the A 149 approaches the road enters Yarmouth town along the east bank of the River Bure. At the large roundabout the A 149 comes to an end, as does the A 47 that runs into Yarmouth from the west. The total milage from Hardwick flyover to this roundabout in Great Yarmouth is 85.237 miles (Goggle Pedometer)

References

1. Page 7 Paragraph 5.6.7|[1]
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