Great Yarmouth

Time moves differently here in the watery flatlands where medieval churches rise from marshes like ships from morning mist. Great Yarmouth's postcode might suggest suburbia, but step into this corner of the Norfolk Broads and you're in proper wilderness territory - all reed beds, meandering waterways and enormous skies that dwarf everything beneath them.

The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin in nearby Martham anchors this landscape with proper Norman gravitas, while Potter Heigham's village sign tells stories of centuries past. But it's the water that defines everything. Ross' Wildlife Boat Trips will get you properly acquainted with this maze of channels, where bitterns boom in the reeds and marsh harriers patrol overhead.

Hickling Broad stretches endlessly northward - one of the largest broads and frankly the best for serious wildlife watching. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve here protects everything from rare swallowtail butterflies to that most elusive of birds, the bittern. It's a bit of a trek from the main road, but well worth it for the boardwalk trails that take you deep into the heart of the marsh.

Getting here requires patience. The A149 coastal road connects to smaller lanes that seem to lead nowhere until suddenly you're at Broads Haven Marina, watching sailing boats navigate channels that Vikings once used. Norwich is the nearest proper city, about 45 minutes by car.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense - you'll want early mornings on the water when the mist clears and the wildlife's most active. Plus, nowhere does a proper East Anglian sunset quite like the Broads.