A149 road
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The A149 is an 'A-class' road, and is one of the most scenic roads you may wish to travel along in Norfolk. It links the maritime towns of Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth, mainly hugging the North Norfolk coastline, as well as cutting through the Norfolk Broads.
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[edit] Kings Lynn to Wells next the Sea
Starting at its most westerly point, the A149 begins at a roundabout between Kings Lynn and South Lynn. From the roundabout, the A148 to Cromer takes the northern exit through King’s Lynn. The B1144 goes to Highgate area and the A149 heads east towards Hardwick Roundabout. Hardwick intersection is a major junction in West Norfolk with the A47 to Norwich and Wisbech crossing the Junction and the A10 running of to the south. The A149 heads North East signposted to Cromer. At rush hour the road can be extremely busy especially between the Hardwick intersection and the next two roundabouts at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (on your left) and the northern end of the Kings Lynn at its junction with the A148 Cromer road. At this roundabout you follow on towards Hunstanton. The road passes over the River Babingley past the Ruins of St Felix's church and the deserted village of Babingley, part of the Royal Estate of Sandringham which is on the right before reaching Dersingham, which the road now by-passes, along with the villages of Ingoldisthorpe and Snettisham and passing over the River Ingol. The road then reaches the village of Heacham. At Heacham there is a staggered cross roads junction with the B1454. The so-called Lavender junction (next to the Norfolk Lavender fields) has a wide central island with gaps to allow turning traffic. It’s got a bad accident record and is due to be replaced by traffic lights at a cost of £600,000[1]Just beyond the junction the road passes over the River Heacham and on the right is Caley Mill, the headquarters of Norfolk Lavender Ltd. Built in the local carrstone in the 19th century, and now set in its garden of lavender, roses and herbs, it has become a distinctive Norfolk landmark. In the grounds, they have the National Collection of Lavenders. Each variety or species has its own bed. There are over 100 different lavenders to see and smell. A short distance further on is the seaside town of Hunstanton on The Wash 15.7 miles from the start of the road. To the south of the town the road reaches a roundabout with the B1161 which features a rock garden. The road skirts the eastern side of the town and just before passing through Old Hunstanton gives a view of the sea. The road now turns easterly passing over the bridge of the River Hun, which is reputedly Roman, and passes through the Village of Holme next the Sea. It was here that in 1999 that a Timber Circle, nicknamed 'Seahenge', was removed for study and eventual restoration. The road now heads East across the Marshland of Brancaster Bay passing through the villages of Thornham, Titchwell and on to Brancaster (22.7 miles from start). The road now passes through an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The North Norfolk coastline is home to many plants, birds, insects and animals. This stretch of coast is very popular for bird and wildlife watchers alike.
After Brancaster the road passes through countryside that would have been familiar to Admiral Horatio Nelson who was born at the close by village of Burnham Thorpe. Between Brancaster and Brancaster Staithe the road widens and on your left lookout for the layby, which was the old road, and in which stands an old black AA call box from a by-gone motoring age, which now has listed building status. The hamlet of Brancaster Staithe is next, with access to Brancaster Harbour, and on to Burnham Deepdale, Burnham Norton, and Burnham Overy Staithe.
The road now runs along Holkham Bay towards Wells next the Sea. A mile and a half from Burnham Overy Staithe, on the right you pass the Holkham Estate, the home of Thomas, Viscount Coke, the Earl Of Leicester. On the left you pass the entrance to the beautiful beaches of Holkham, with there Pine backed sand dunes. The road now skirts around the south side of Wells next the Sea, (32 miles from start) and heads east again.
[edit] Wells next the Sea to Cromer
Just out of Wells, the road passes on the right, the delightful, Wells and Walsingham Light Railway. The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is a 10¼ inch gauge railway which runs between the coastal town of Wells and Walsingham which is further inland. The railway occupies a part of the trackbed also used by the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
From here the road runs south of Stiffkey Salt marshes. This stretch of the road runs parallel with the “Peddars Way” section of the North Norfolk Coastal Path, which is about a ¼ mile north and runs along the fringe of the marshes. In Stiffkey, the road narrows to a point were if you meet something coming the other way, one of you has got to give way as there is only a one vehicle width. Here there is a 20 mile per hour speed limit and some ‘soft’ traffic calming, with different coloured surfacing at the edges and the removal of the centre line which makes it seem even more narrow than it actually is. Beyond the village the road crosses the River Stiffkey. The next village on the road is Morston (38 miles from the start). From Morston, visitors can take boat trips out to near-by Blakeney Point to see the seals which gather on the sands at the entrance to Blakeney Harbour. About a mile further is the Village of Blakeney. The road skirts around the south of the village.
After Blakeney, the road descends into the Glaven Valley, and into view comes the landmark of Cley next the Sea Windmill. Again the road becomes a bottle neck in the summer months as it pass through the village of Cley next the Sea. The next stretch of the road between Cley and Sheringham is a very scenic part of the A149. After negotiating the narrow streets of Cley the road runs along the coast south of Cley and Salthouse salt marshes, the sea is hidden by a long bank of shingle that runs along the shoreline here. The marshes are a Nature Reserve and all along this stretch of the road there are lay-bys and car parks for people to stop and take in the views.
Sheringham is a seaside resort. The route now passes the terminus for the North Norfolk Railway on the left. The A149 runs south of the heart of the town, passing the prominent hill on the left known locally as "Beeston Bump". The road now also has a railway line running parallel on the seaward side. The Bittern Line links Sheringham to Cromer and Norwich. At 49 miles the road reaches the village of Beeston Regis followed by West Runton. The last village before Cromer is East Runton were the landscape of the coast is peppered with static caravans or mobile homes. The A149 now reaches the fading Victorian splendour of Cromer (52.3 miles). The road drops down in to the town, with a splendid view of the town’s pier, where it dog-legs through the town's one way system. This part of the road becomes congested in the summer months and long queues form in the one-way system. Cromer marks the end of the roads route along the coast, as it turns south-east to cut across Norfolk towards its end at Great Yarmouth.
[edit] Cromer to Stalham
The road climbs a hill southwards, out of Cromer, past Cromer High School and through a traffic calming measure. The next village is Northrepps and past the turning on the right of the A140 which is the main road to Norwich. Passing through well ordered arable farmland the road then reaches a cross roads, with the B1436 just before the village of Thorpe Market. The B1436 links the Cromer-Holt road to Mundesley on the coast. Out of the village the road runs along the boundary of Gunton Park, with some 800 acres of Deer park, on the right. Built in 1745, Gunton Hall was the Norfolk home for Sir William Harbourd, now the home of Lord Suffield. Further on is the village of Antingham before reaching North Walsham, (61 miles from Kings Lynn). At North Walsham there is a junction controlled with traffic lights. Here the road turn right and takes a new route around the western side of the Town, past the Bacton Gas terminal’s link to the rail network. The old route would have taken you through the busy town centre. This new route runs part of the way along what was the disused track bed of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GN) railway between Stalham and North Walsham. Heading towards the Norfolk Broads (part of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Authority [3], which has equivalent status to a UK National Park), the road passes the villages of Worstead and Dilham and then passes through Smallburgh were the road clips the The Broads. Just past Smallburgh the road turns left at a “T” Junction. The road to the right is the A1151, from Wroxham and Norwich, which terminates at this junction. The road now takes a large north easterly arch around Barton Broad, crossing the River Ant at Wayford Bridge. The road now curves back towards Stalham passing several Boat Hire yards. Stalham is 69 miles from the start of the A149, and from here the road cuts across the flatlands of Norfolk skirting the The Broads as it goes.
[edit] Stalham, across the Broads to Yarmouth
A roads in Zone 1 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme |
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| A1 • A10 • A11 • A12 • A13 • A14 • A15 • A16 • A17 • A18 • A19 • A100 • A101 • A102 • A103 • A104 • A105 • A106 • A107 • A109 • A110 • A118 • A120 • A124 • A127 • A129 |
| A130 • A135 • A140 • A143 • A146 • A148 • A149 • A151 • A153 • A156 • A157 • A158 • A159 • A160 • A165 • A167 • A170 • A171 • A172 • A173 • A174 • A177 • A179 |
| A180 • A182 • A183 • A189 • A194 • A1000 • A1018 • A1058 • A1066 • A1068 • A1073 • A1078 • A1079 |
| A1081 • A1082 • A1086 • A1101 • A1107 • A1151 • A1156 • A1198 • A1200 • A1202 • A1205 • A1231 • A1300 • A1303 • A1309 |
| List of A roads in Zone 1 |
