Shopping and Entertainment in West Norfolk
West Norfolk shopping varies depending on the town or village you may be in. It will be a unique experience for the most part wherever you are. The reason for this is that you see so many boutique style individual shops, each with their own personal charm. Small town High Streets such as Hunstanton have a selection of niche market shops. A good example of this is Hunstanton Models, especially as the number of real model shops, offering personal service, seem to be reducing in recent years.
Contained within the key West Norfolk attractions are a great many high quality gift shops such as Snettisham Park where you can purchase fresh Norfolk venison and other game in season. Pensthorpe hosts a large and varied gift shop with something for all the family - particularly the nature and bird lover.
The internationally reknowned Norfolk Lavender has some fantastic shopping experiences on its estate. The long established - and now newly refurbished - Norfolk Lavender Gift Shop is a delight to browse round and offers some wonderful gift ideas and tempting goodies to pamper yourself with too. However, you will also find the individually run Walsingham Farmshop with its excellent range of Norfolk produce, Unique Gifts & Interiors.
Bircham Windmill is a unique windmill attraction, ideal for all the family to relax over afternoon tea but they also have a small souvenir and toy shop as well as a baking and gift shop. They also boast their own gallery (and hopefully, this season, a second hand book, toy and bric a brac shop – watch this space).
The Gift Shop at Sandringham’s Visitor Centre is open every day all year round, not just when Sandringham House is open, and parking is free. As well as a wide range of Sandringham souvenirs, the Gift Shop stocks an extraordinarily wide range of china, glass, toys and games, collectables and kitchen accessories – it’s always worth a look. Also at the Sandringham Visitor Centre is a new shop, “Everything Outdoor”. Here you can find good-looking country clothing from top to toe – coats and jackets, knitwear and gloves, and a good range of boots. If you’re walking, golfing, birdwatching or just out with the dog, there’ll be something here for you. Next to “Everything Outdoor” is the Plant Centre; as well as cut flowers and indoor plants raised in Sandringham’s glasshouses, the Plant Centre stocks seeds and bulbs in season, garden plants and gardening tools and accessories. It also has the full range (14 flavours!) of Sandringham’s apple juice, pressed in variety on the Estate.
Visit a Real Glassmaking Experience in West Norfolk at the Caithness Crystal Visitor Centre in King's Lynn Open 7 Days a Week! With free admission, free parking and free glassmaking demonstrations the Caithness Crystal Visitor Centre is well worth a visit! During the week experience glassmaking first hand, where you will marvel at this master craft, enjoy free demonstrations from our master glassmaker watch as he makes a wide variety of crystal products which can be purchased in our gift shop.
The Caithness Crystal Visitor Centre is the perfect indoor tourist attraction for all the family even in wet weather! Both adults and children can experience the art by blowing their very own glass tumbler, friendship ball, vase or having their hand or foot cast in glass, we also have other experiences available, all under the careful guidance of our master glassmaker. Experiences start from just £6 and can be purchased at the Centre on arrival or as gifts beforehand; they make excellent and unusual presents.
Viewing in the glasshouse is free to all visitors there is no time limit – you can watch for as long as you like. Coaches and Group Bookings, including school visits are welcome. If you would like to organise a visit for your own club, society or school, please contact us and we will do all we can to ensure that you have a great experience at the Caithness Crystal Visitor Centre, booking is advisable on 01553 765111.
A visit to Caithness Crystal should be rounded off with a browse around their gift shop where you will find many famous name brands of glass, crystal, cookware as well as Caithness Crystal's own products. You will also find a large selection of gifts including books, jewellery, ornaments, fragrances and cards. There is also a trophy and engraving shop, where they offer in-house hand engraving service as well as a sand blasting service.
The Gift Shop at Holkham Hall is just perfect to find that memento of your visit to this magnificent stately home. We’ve brought together a tempting and eclectic blend of souvenirs and a range of exclusive gifts from local Norfolk producers, to ensure we have something for everyone. Or why not visit the specialist shops at Ancient House in Holkham village where you will find Adnams Cellar and Kitchen Store, Mark Elliot Furniture and the quaint coastal gallery, Bringing The Outside In.
RSPB Titchwell has a well stocked shop with something for everyone. There is an extensive range of binoculars and telescopes with expert advice always available and a a large selection of natural history books, DVD and CD's, outdoor clothing and everything you will need to feed the birds in your garden. As well as stocking everything for the bird watcher/nature lover there are some great gift ideas to suit all. Open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Entertainment in West Norfolk naturally includes a range of hostelries or watering holes in the form of inns and pubs - of which there are many to choose from. Popular West Norfolk choices include The Rose & Crown at Snettisham, The King William IV at Sedgeford, The Lord Nelson at Burnham Thorpe, The Lifeboat at Holme, The Hoste Arms at Burnham, The Mariners (at Le Strange Arms Hotel) in Hunstanton, and Knights Hill Hotel in Kings Lynn. There are also places like Searles Leisure Resort, a holiday resort in it's own right and a great venue for cruise ship style cabaret, entertainment for children and theme weekends featuring some of the country's best tribute acts.
In coastal locations such as Hunstanton you will find the usual seaside gaming arcades. Thomas' Entertainment offers loads of fun for all the family with a range of slot machines, bowling and more.
The newest addition to the Oasis Leisure Centre in Hunstanton is the Fun Castle children’s indoor adventure play area which is a breathtaking 30,000ft³ play space! Set over four fantastic floors, the Fun Castle has been designed to ignite your children’s senses, allow their imagination to run wild and provide hours of fun that they will want to enjoy over and over again.
The Oasis Sports & Leisure Centre's pool swimming programme includes general public sessions, length swimming, parent and toddler sessions, water aerobics, swimming lessons, and family fun sessions so for further information including opening times visit www.oasisleisurecentre.com. If getting wet isn’t your thing, then the state-of-the-art Bodyworks fitness suite and aerobics studio, an indoor bowls hall and a glass-backed squash court are alternative sources of entertainment.
If that's not enough, the Oasis also boasts Norfolk’s only environmentally friendly ice-skating rink! Unlike most real ice-skating rinks, our synthetic version provides a completely flexible and eco-friendly alternative to real ice, whilst providing just as much fun and excitement of the real thing. Eco-ice-skating offers family ice-skating fun for all ages and abilities. We even have special skates for toddlers to attach to their own shoes so that they can join in too. So whether you’re a whiz on the ice or if you’ve never skated before, there’s never been a better time to come along and give it a try.
