Just one mile back from the coast and off the main coastal road is the village of Ridlington, a neat little village set in glorious green countryside made up of conservation farmland and acres of common and heath land.

The village of Ridlington has a real mix of houses with in all shapes and sizes including some large and rambling ones, meaning a good choice of places to stay on holiday.

 Winding country lanes burrowing between high earth banks with canopies of trees overhead, where you can wander or cycle through the byways of Norfolk. This part of Norfolk has quite a good range of walking possibilities from gentle strolls to long hikes. Its rolling countryside and civilised small villages linked by pleasant minor roads make for attractive drives. The countryside here is very relaxing, with gently appealing partly wooded landscapes, small villages built of Norfolk flint and fine East Anglian Churches.

Close by are the sandy beaches of delightful seaside villages and towns with rolling white horses breaking on their sandy shores. As you travel up the coast you can sense the sea as much as actually see it for this part of the coastline is protected by high dune banks hiding the view, but enticing investigation.

Although the village does not have its own inn, there are some good watering holes scattered about.  The Norfolk Broads are under five miles away an extensive network of rivers and shallow lakes with small waterside villages. Nearby is the coastal village of Happisburgh with its red and white lighthouse, topped in height by Happisburgh's church St. Mary.

Both towers command fine views out to sea and over the village below.  Happisburgh's other claim to fame are its past visitors including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle writer of the Sherlock Holmes. In one of his stories, written at an inn in Happisburgh, entitled The Dancing Men, Hilton Cubit one of the characters discovers a string of strangely coded messages around a place called Riddling Thorpe manor, it may be that Ridlington village provided Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with the name. 

Also close by is The Old Vicarage, an 18 acre garden at East Ruston, a multi-faceted garden that has been designed and created by Alan Gray and his partner Graham Robeson.

Inland is the market town of North Walsham with its large supermarket and further shops and facilities including a bustling Thursday market that fills the streets with colourful stalls. The town also has a ten-pin bowling facility and an indoor swimming pool. Bacton Wood is the place to take the family on a fine day, owned by the Forestry Commission it covers an area of low hills and contains many different species of trees.