The Crown at Wells 2010

.. and three blokes, ten years older.

After a bite to eat in the very straightforward and popular restaurant The Ancient Mariner at Old Hunstanton (no braying city folk here, but good fish and chips at a very fair price) and night's rest on my four blisters Sunday morning sees us back at Holkham and heading for the beach again under cloudy skies and then a heavy shower.

As you head east the character changes from green National Trust chic and pine trees on sand to jolly pink candy floss and caravan parks (usually well disguised in khaki and green). Here is The Bosom of Abraham Fun Park (pause for titters from small children) and horse-riding makes way for bank holiday motorbikes (though they are ageing sober bikers).

Along the new embankment, past the Wells Beach Railway to Wells itself, where we started out Four Blokes walks ten years ago.
The picture, left, is a rather realistic fibreglass model in Wells, not one us dressed up....

The Crown was rather shabby genteel when we were first here, comfortable, popular, but a little run down. 5 years later we dropped in for lunch and found it pretentious and gone gastro.

Now (2010) we find it attractive, accommodating of family groups and four blokes with walking boots, with a good variety of eating and drinking areas and four real ales.

The Crown seems not at all pretentious, very elegant, light and welcoming and surprisingly good value for my crab salad. Recommended.

And so we end part 3 of our 4 part walk along the Peddars Way and North Norfolk Coastal Path. Final leg, Wells to Cromer, with a new pair of boots for me.

The half way point on the Path. Only 24 miles to go.