Stiffkey is one of the few coastal villages . . . |
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. . . in North Norfolk that has no tradition as a port, of fishing, nor more recently as a base for yachtsmen. However, it does have a reputation for its cockles and bait-diggers have long used its expanse of seashore beyond the salt marsh. It is a very pretty village with its flint and brick cottages along a narrow stretch of the coast road, as it follows the course of the River Stiffkey. In the centre of the village the Binham road turns off inland and up the hill.
 At the east end of the village is its church, St. John the Baptist, while in the churchyard is the remains of St. Mary's. Just the round tower remains. The tower, nave and chancel of St. John's are late 13th century / early 14th century, though the chancel was largely restored in 1848. Back from the church is the 16th-century Stiffkey Hall.
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But it is the salt marsh that is its glory, accessed from footpaths off the coast road. Under the care of the National Trust, summer brings to it a riot of colour.
Contrast the purple carpet of Sea Lavender (Limonium vulgare) and the aromatic, grey-green Sea Wormwood (Artemesia maritima). On the shingle at the sea's edge, the spectcular Yellow Horned Poppy (Glaucium flavum). While all around is the perpetual sound of its birdlife. Not so easily seen without binnoculars, but the vast marsh and shore-bird population creates an evocative aural backdrop. But keep to the footpaths, as the winding, muddy creeks can quickly fill with the tide and leave one stranded.
On the western edge of the village, north of the road, is Warborough Hill, the remains of an Iron Age barrow. John Lewis
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