Blakeney Point (Norfolk) confusion!

[Rhodes Family]

Hi there,

I’m off on a trip birding in Norfolk over the summer and I have recently been inspired by Bill Oddie’s book, “Gone Birding”. For those of you that remember, the last chapter is about the reserve Cley his trip to Blakeney Point. While I am over there, I would like to attempt the sort of “pilgrimage” walk from Cley to Blakeney Point, and back (if I make it!!)
I have a few queries though:

The descriptions of “The Lupins”, an area of bushes surrounded by a straggly wire fence and “The Plantation”, a 20 ft square area of trees (mostly dead!) out on a promontory, are a bit bare. I feel as if I should visit them as they are recommended by not only Bill, but many birders themselves as they can hold tired migrants. Can anyone be more specific as to their where abouts? I have two possible areas after searching on Google Earth....

1. Are the Lupins the large green patch, about 200 meters to the North east of the lifeboat station, and the Plantation on the spit, 300 meters to the west of the lifeboat station

2. Or, the Lupins being the green patch just to the east of the life boat house, and the Plantation on the spit 400 meters to the south east?

It would be great if someone could clarify their positions, and it would be excellent if anyone has their own images/experiences of there....

Alex

[Dogghound]

What time of year (month) are you going?

[Adam Cheeseman]

Your best bet for migrants would be September/October after some strong NE winds. Its a c.3 mile walk each way on loose shingle from Cley to Blakeney. Better to get a boat from Marston Quay that will take you past the seals on the point.

[hatless]

I did it a few years ago. Adam Cheeseman is right to point out that it's a walk on loose shingle. It is hard going, and tires different muscles than walking on firm ground. However, walking on shingle is frustrating more than exhausting. If you accept you can only go slowly, you will get there in the end.

My main memories are of being drenched in sun. I actually read a book for part of the walk! Take plenty of water.

[Hobjob]

Check google maps. It is easier to take Beach road from Cley (and you can park on the beach to shorten it) and then walk along to the end.

Shingle is twice as easy to walk along below the high tide mark, so check the tides!

The boat from Morston, as Adam says, is much easeir!!!!!!!!

[johnoz]

Yes, certainly worth considering walking out to the end of Blakeney Point. Not easy, as mostly large pebbles / shingle en route, and a fair old way. We've done this twice, and carefully approached the end of the Point and sat down quietly to wait. Both times we've been rewarded by having curious seals swim over from the sand banks and approach us, getting to within 20 yards or so (staying in the water, of course, but popping their heads up high to see us) - as much them watching us as us watching them! Marvelous!

[captaincarot]

it's too big for most to do in one day, you could spend a day going round cley itself or you could do what we did on saturday, go early and have a tour of the cley reserve plenty of good birds about,

then off for one of the boat trips from moreston in the afternoon which if you get on the right one will give you an hour out by the lifeboat station , the end of the point is closed to people for the next few months to stop them causing disturbance to both the birds and the seals so you can't really pass the lifeboat station anyway

[paddy]

A while back i walked from Blakeney to Hunstanton in two big days. However, i'd recommend the Point as one day, and if you want to walk to Cley (or reverse), come back into Blakeney and follow the coast path, which skirts the saltings.
There's a great bus service called the Coasthopper (a little single decker) that you can catch to get you back to where you parked or are staying. Very regular service and used a lot by birders.