You’re hired! Capricorn Campers Planet 4

1. Planet Rock

Solitude and stillness

A starry night as black as pitch surrounded us as our headlights probed the empty landscape on our way south past Cley Marshes and I realised once more why this place is so rare amid the hurly-burly of modern England.

Not a light, not a sound, not even a soul could be seen or heard anywhere for the next couple of miles, as we headed toward Cromer with a sense of solitude and stillness that dated from a distant age. It is that unspoilt timelessness of so much of Norfolk that burns its way into the hearts of visitors and fills locals with such fierce pride about their birthplace.

Nelson: the Norfolk man

Nowhere is that better illustrated than in the words of England's great hero Nelson – born nearby at pretty little Burnham Thorpe – when he returned from his great victory at the Battle of the Nile and declared: 'I am myself a Norfolk man and glory in being so.'

Much has changed, but much remains the same as it was over 100 years ago when sailor and angler George Christopher Davis wrote: 'Often times within the circle of your sight there is neither house nor man visible. A grey church tower, a windmill, or the dark-brown sail of a wherry in the distance breaks the sense of utter loneliness, but the scene is wild enough to enchain the imagination of many.'

Norfolk beauty and pleasure

My own imagination was immediately 'enchained' by the county when I arrived there as a young journalist in the 1980s, advised to go by my then journalism mentor, Tom Taylor, (whose son Graham would go on to manage the England football team). "You'll get great training lad," he advised, "before you go off to London."

But London never happened. There was too much beauty and pleasure on the doorstep as I learned to sail the rivers and the tranquil Broads, to wander the wilds of the Brecklands and to enjoy the friendliness of villages where house doors are still left open all day. So, after work wrenched me away a decade ago, it was a real adventure to return for a week and view, through older eyes, a place I had long ago learned to love like no other.

2. Orbiting Norfolk

A tour in our hired camper

With my partner and photographer, Sue, (Nottingham born and bred with just a little past Norfolk experience) we opted to take our hired Capricorn Camper in a clockwise circle at campsites starting in the north at East Runton, swinging round to Ludham with the Broads and Norwich on our doorstep before venturing into 'enemy territory' just across the Suffolk border to the lovely little 'left-behind' resort of Kessingland.

After the handover from Capricorn's base in the North Norfolk village of Tuttington, I was soon enjoying the ease of driving the company's relatively compact Planet 2 model round the twisting local lanes.

Norfolk treats

Our aim was to try a few 'never-before' treats as well as savouring some of my old favourites, which every Norfolk visitor would love. So first stop was a true first-time treat, at glorious Morston Hall, the period country house hotel run by Michelin-starred chef Galton Blackiston, for his Afternoon Tea, including an opening glass of champers (sparkling water for me, the driver) to accompany such delights as quail scotch eggs, his own smoked salmon with lemon crème fraîche on Bavarian bread followed by such mouth-tingling wonders as passion fruit and yoghurt dome and freshly baked raisin and plain scones with clotted cream and Morston Hall Preserve. If that wasn't enough, along came the dessert of lemon meringue pie, lime zest and lemon balm. Yum!

That all-enveloping North Norfolk darkness had fallen as we wound down the coast-hugging A149 (always a delightful drive) and arrived at our first overnight, the popular Seacroft campsite, at East Runton.

19th Century Norwich

Next morning brought one of those wide blue skies so beloved of the Cotman, Chrome and the rest of the nineteenth century Norwich School of Painters (catch their work at the city's Castle Museum) and we headed south to Wroxham for one of those guided boat tours on the Belle of the Broads (another first for me).

Despite my many years sailing dinghies and small yachts along these waters, I had never become one of the eight million tourists who swarm in each year. As a result, I had never before seen ukulele star George Formby's old house nor did I know that the great crested grebes who glided past us had almost become extinct 125 years ago, as they were killed for their exquisite head feathers to be used to decorate hats. Fancy that!

The Kings Arms

A trip to the Broads is hardly complete without visiting a local pub and the Kings Arms, a short walk from our Ludham campsite, was bustling that evening. A live band was playing jigs and reels in memory of a recently deceased Irish regular, Pat Pooley, who had been a regular visitor for 40 years, along with her husband and their dog Murphy. With Guinness flowing and Irish stew topping the menu, we could have been in Lisdoonvarna instead of Ludham.

3. The centre of the universe

A fine city

At the beating heart of Norfolk is Norwich, accurately described 'a fine city' by local writer George Borrow (although he may well have pinched the term from fellow author William Cobbett). With its countless ancient buildings, museums, independent shops and pubs and restaurants, its relatively compact centre has as much to offer as York or Bath.

For Sue and I the city brought another couple of 'firsts' – a tour of the colourful market led by an old friend and expert guide, Paul Dickson, [web] pauldicksontours.co.uk who taught me far more than I had ever known about a market that is as alive today as when the conquering French moved it to the centre of the city in 1070.

It was easy to see why it won the British Open Air Market of the Year in the latest national awards, with so many stalls offering food and drink from across the world as well as quirky clothes, second-hand books, household vitals, flowers and the ubiquitous fruit and veg. Among the tastings, which are part of Paul's tours, we sampled very lively Kenyan Special Tipping tea from real flowered china cups and saucers at the Benchley's Loose Tea Stall.

Castles and cathedrals

Over two full days, Sue and I burnt shoe leather extensively touring the Castle Museum for those Norwich School paintings as well as a Viking exhibition of rare jewellery and artefacts that explain some of the period's myths, the city's self-guided Tudor Tour of largely hidden buildings and glorious Evensong at the Norman Cathedral (I once climbed its 315-foot spire for a newspaper feature!).

Food was back on our menu, though, on the second day when we performed another first by lunching at the Britons Arms Coffee House and Restaurant, a wonderful Grade II thatched and timber framed place that stands resplendently on a corner of cobbled Elm Hill. It is now thought by English Heritage to date from 1347 and is Norwich's only survivor of the Great Fire, which consumed the city centre in 1507.

Campervan parking

As with many cities, Norwich presents problems for campervan parking, so we opted to use one of the Park and Rides in the suburbs. Weirdly, though, there were no large parking bays at the Sprowston site and I had to call the admin office hotline to ensure we didn't get fined or clamped for using two bays!

4. A cosmic conclusion

Basking seals

Next day came yet another 'first' for both of us when we headed south to regularly flooded Horsey on the coast and took the short walk through the dunes to view the large group of seals that were basking on the sands.

It was mid-morning and they looked like they were resting after a big herring breakfast. Sue's attention was taken by a large pup, although she obeyed the ten-metre distance rule and managed to keep her finger ends intact!

Buckets and spades

A quick look at the huge 16th century Paston Great Barn followed (it's closed due to being a roost for rare Barbastelle bats) was followed by an even quicker look as we drove through big and brash Great Yarmouth heading south to little Kessingland, one of the quaintest of tiny bucket and spade resorts.

With the campsite backing onto the shingle beach, this was an idyllic place for a couple of tranquil days, despite being just across the Suffolk border (like most places, there is a friendly rivalry between the two counties – far less friendly when it comes to the two main football teams, high-flying Norwich City and lowly Ipswich Town).

We wandered the local streets, chatted to the owner of the tiny and last remaining Beach Shop (where I used to take the children for ice creams) and enjoyed tea and teacakes at the nearby cafe, where locals were as much in evidence as tourists.

Royal footsteps

As we headed north again, we stopped off at lovely Holt to follow in the footsteps of Prince Charles and Camilla and to check out the renowned charity shops for any goodies – I got a Timberland jacket for £6! Then came Sheringham steam railway, which is a great view of the coast, and yet another dining extravaganza.

Our final feast was at Galton Blackistone's fish restaurant along the coast at Cromer, Norfolk No 1, which has gained a national reputation for its fine fish and seafood, at affordable prices and in a spectacular cliff-top location. No wonder such celebrities as TV chef James Martin, comic David Walliams and ex-cricketer Freddie Flintoff have passed through its doors…

Tanned and full of joy

When we arrived back at Capricorn Campers, we were tanned, much heavier and glowing brightly after a gentle journey that had been as full of as many surprises as it had held memories of a place that will always fill my heart with joy.

Campervan Hire Details

The campervan:

We hired: Auto Trail Tribute 669 from Capricorn Campers.

The campervan hire company:

Capricorn Campers offers three range categories, which are based on length (Star: 5 metres, Planet: 6m, Galaxy: 7 to 7.5m) with 9 different layout options and with most models also available in automatic.

We had the Planet 4, which came with a manual six-speed and a 2300cc low emission diesel engine and boasted a sizeable shower and toilet, as well as a decent-sized fridge/freezer and an efficient gas cooker with an oven for those meals in. Although we didn't need it, a double bunk bed could have been fitted above the transverse double bed if there had been four of us.

What's included

• Fully comp insurance for one driverand unlimited mileage
• Flatscreen TV with Freeview and DVD player
• Free membership to the Camping and Caravan Club
• Kitchen pack with kettle, cups, plates, cutlery, dishcloths, cleaning products, etc.
• UK road map
• Gas canisters
• First Aid kit

Optional extras

• Meet and greet airport and Eurostar service
• Additional drivers
• Sat-nav
• Awning
• Bike rack
• Outside table and chairs
• Bedding (duvets, pillow, sheets)

Costs

Hire prices (in 2019) start from £63 per day. The minimal hire period is four days in low season and seven days in high season. A £750 refundable deposit is taken on collection.

About Capricorn Campers

Capricorn Campers is based in the north Norfolk village of Tuttington, has a wide range of vehicles from compact campervans to six-berth family motorhomes with all the mod cons and all less than two-years-old. The company also has convenient links for drop-off and collection across the South East of England. A few minutes south of Gatwick Airport, international travellers can pick up vans when they arrive off the plane, while in Ebbsfleet, Kent, a pick-up point makes a convenient collection place for those en-route to Dover.

Website: Capricorn Campers

Email: [email protected]

Tel:(01692) 538 948

James and Sue's verdict

As all campervanners know, it's vital to know everything about your vehicle inside and out, like a special friend – which is why hiring an unfamiliar one needs special attention. So we were impressed by the talk-through by Kelly at Capricorn Campers when she introduced us to the finer points of our Planet. On top of that came her specially designed and illustrated instruction manual to make queries and trouble-shooting much simpler than ploughing through those huge manufacturer booklets that can often leave us scratching our heads!

The Planet was easy to drive with good GPS, which is vital for those far-flung parts of Norfolk, where lanes get narrower and road signs get quirkier. We also found it very comfortable, and enjoyed its swivel cab seats that were handy for dining at the table as well as reading and relaxing, together with the flexible lighting and the audio system – hooked into our IPod for Spotify Jazz sessions!

Campsites Visited

All three sites we visited are run by the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Web: caravanclub.co.uk

• Seacroft

Seacroft is a on the seafront, a brisk walk from Cromer, and boasts a lively bar and restaurant as well as a play area and dog-walking site.

Address: Runton Road, East Runton, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9NH

Tel:(01263) 514 938

• Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads has a boules pitch, dog-walking and a playground as well as several good walks nearby. It is also in walking distance of Ludham shops and the Kings Arms pub.

Address: Johnson Street, Ludham, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR29 5NY

Tel:(01692) 630 357

• White House Beach

White House Beach has a choice of beachfront or wooded pitches and is alongside the shingle beach as well as being in walking distance of the popular Sailors' Home pub. It also has a playground and is close to several key attractions, including the Africa Alive Safari Park and Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park.

Address: Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 7RW

Tel:(01502) 740 278

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