From shipwreck ruins to forgotten building, if you look closely enough Norfolk has a wealth of hidden treasures to discover during a stay at Searles Leisure Resort. Read on and see if you can spot them all!

North Norfolk’s shipwrecks

You don’t need to go far to find history in Norfolk, and while you are in Hunstanton, be sure to pop into the Heritage Centre where you can learn more about the town’s past and plans for the future. Searles has been part of Hunstanton’s story for over 70 years, and you can read more about what life was like here in the 1950s in our blog.

With its sandy beach and stripy cliffs, many people consider Hunstanton to be one of England’s quintessential seaside towns, but during the two World Wars, The Wash was closely defended to keep the enemy from landing on British shores.

A reminder of this important sea defence can be spotted during low tide, embedded in the sands near St Edmund’s Point at Old Hunstanton, where the bony remains of The Sheraton, a steam trawler used to patrol the waters, was washed up in 1947. Built in Yorkshire in 1906, The Sheraton was requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1915 as a protection vessel during World War I and, after the conflict ended in 1918, continued to be used as a trawler on the east coast.

Then, during World War II, The Sheraton was requisitioned again to patrol the North Sea for submarines and enemy vessels and after the conflict ended in 1945 was retained and used in The Wash as a target practice vessel. On 23 April 1947, a strong gale parted The Sheraton’s anchor and the trawler moved across The Wash before it beached at Old Hunstanton. Attempts to free her failed and the 120-tonnes, 130ft x 23ft boat was stripped of its metal shortly after. Almost 80 years later, amazingly, the keel, ribs and part of the hull remain and the trawler’s whale-like skeleton is often visible when the tide is out.

A second shipwrecked vessel, the SS Vina, can also be spotted further along the coast at Brancaster. The Latvian-registered ship is older still, built in 1894, and used to carry cargo between the Baltic and the North Sea until it was repurposed as a target for bombing practice by the Royal Air Force in World War II. It was accidentally sunk in 1944 and drifted before running aground on a sandbank just off the coast, although the shifting sands and fast-rising tides in the area make exploring the wreck unsafe.

One of the best ways to see the sights is on a coastal trip aboard The Wash Monster with Searles Sea Tours – the iconic amphibious vessels leave regularly from the promenade throughout the spring and summer season, so book a voyage and learn more about the coastline with our expert guide!

If you take a walk along the Norfolk Coast Path, you may spot another key feature of Britain’s coastal defences during World War II. During the conflict, the government issued a set of designs for the construction of pillboxes across the country, small concrete bunkers to house troops and machine guns. While many have been left to ruin, several are still visible at Holme-next-the-Sea, Burnham Overy Staithe and Cley-next-the-Sea, while a rare circular pillbox – Type 25 – can be seen in Docking. Keep your eyes peeled for more while you are out and about.

Relics and ruins in North Norfolk

The royal Sandringham Estate is undoubtedly one of the jewels in Norfolk’s crown and a a leafy walk through the parkland or a visit to Sandringham House and gardens is a brilliant way to spend a day during your stay at Searles Leisure Resort. Venture slightly further along the B1440 and you might spot a curious building poking above the tree line, across the fields.

The Victorian structure is Appleton Water Tower, built in 1877 to supply clean water to Sandringham House. The ornate tower is 60ft tall, topped by a 32,000-gallon cast iron tank, and was constructed to satisfy the royal family’s health concerns after the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, contracted typhoid in 1871. You can also see an adjoining turret, which used to house the tower’s caretaker, and a cast-iron spiral staircase leads to a viewing platform with panoramic views over the estate.

Step even further back in time at Castle Rising, just a short distance away off the A149 on the way to King’s Lynn, which was built in 1140 by William D’Albini to impress his new wife, Henry I’s widow, Alice of Louvain, and later in the 14th century was home to Queen Isabella, widow of Edward II. Surrounded by 12 acres, the elaborately decorated castle is still owned by D’Albini’s descendant, Lord Howard, and the incredibly well-preserved site is well worth a visit. Special reenactments take place throughout the year, so check the website for event details.

Or visit Castle Acre Priory and Castle, built by William de Warenne, an ally of William the Conqueror, just after the Norman Conquest, and once a stopping point for royalty and nobility, along with pilgrims travelling Europe’s monastic network. The medieval monks which once occupied the priory grew herbs here for medicinal and culinary purposes and the garden has been restored at this gloriously well-preserved site.