The village of Docking is an ideal base for exploring the delights of North West Norfolk, surrounded by undulating countryside, yet situated only seven miles from Hunstanton and its seaside hubbub. The village has lots of charm and history, with its village stocks, old lock up and carefully hidden village stores.  

Its central location makes is a good base for the holiday maker wishing to explore both the coastline in this part of Norfolk and also Norfolk's pretty inland villages. Docking has a variety of shops and services with a grocers / post office, fishmonger, fish and chip shop, inn, and specialist fresh fishmonger. 

Much of the nearest coastline is owned by the National Trust and has miles of sand dunes and saltmarshes.  Brancaster Staithe on the north coast of Norfolk has a beautiful estuary and is very popular with sailors. Mussels and cockles are raked out of the sands here.

Under six miles away is vibrant Burnham Market with its good collection of shops including delicatessens, wine merchants, galleries, homemade bakery, antique shops, as well as many others. For golf enthusiasts there is the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club at Brancaster, which also has mile upon mile of white sand.

George Smith - George was born in Docking in 1845 to the local shoemaker William Smith and his wife Frances of Ringstead. George became a missionary in 1871 and went to Natal in Africa. When the Zulu wars started he became attached to the British Army as their temporary chaplain. So it was that on 22nd January 1879 George was present at "he battle of Rorke's Drift", the famous Zulu engagement.

The battle was immortalized in film, one of which released in 1964 starred Michael Caine. "A rousing recreation of when an army of 4,000 Zulu warriors who had already decimated a huge British garrison; decided to attack the much smaller garrison at Rorke's Drift".

 For a full account of what happened to our George Smith look at our Yesterday Pages.