Living and Working in Cromer

Popular for its crab, this traditional North Norfolk town is popular with families and couples alike looking to live in a picturesque seaside town. With its historic Grade II listed pier, miles of beautiful coastline and local National Trust Sheringham Park, there’s plenty of beauty to enjoy in Cromer. 

Considering a role at Cromer Academy and thinking about living in the town? Here’s a little insight into what you can expect from life in Cromer…

History

As part of the Deep History Coast, Cromer is home to “Britain’s Great Barrier Reef”, with a stretch of 20 miles that can be seen by swimming and snorkelling. Along this stretch of North Norfolk Coastline, there are ancient 850,000-year-old footprints that have been discovered, and evidence suggests that it was once a great plain, much like the African Serengeti.

Predominantly known as a fishing town, Cromer has been recognised for crab and lobster fishing for many years and before specialising it was also known for cod, mackerel and other longshore catches from fishing.

Lifeboats are an integral part of the history of Cromer with the most decorated person in RNLI history, Coxswain Henry Blogg, memorialised in the town at the Henry Blogg Museum. Mr Blogg saved an impressive 873 lives in 53 years of service with the RNLI. At the museum, you can learn more about his life and the history of lifeboats in Cromer.

Lifestyle

Shopping in Cromer includes nearby supermarkets Morrisons, Co-Op and Lidl. For fresh produce, there is a market on the first and third Friday of each month, as well as plenty of fishmongers to get local seafood. There are a plethora of cafes and restaurants in town for grabbing a bite to eat by the seafront, with The Old Rock Shop Bistro, Crab Pot Cafe, The Foundry Arms, The Grove, and The Red Lion being some of the top-rated in the area.

Surrounding villages and towns are quiet and grow busier in peak season with lots of tourist destinations along the North Norfolk coastline. With market towns at Sheringham, Aylsham and Holt there is plenty on Cromer’s doorstep. In partnership with Sheringham, Cromer is home to the Crab and Lobster Festival and also hosts other events throughout the year such as Cromer & Sheringham Art & Literary Festival and Cromer Carnival.

The Pier, an icon of Cromer, is a Victorian Pier that still hosts shows at the Pavillion Theatre with Summer and Winter Variety “End of the Pier Shows”, which is one of the only of its kind still running in the world. There has been a pier in Cromer since 1391 in the form of a wooden jetty; the 500-foot iron pier was opened in 1901 and extended in 1905 to include a pavilion. Sustaining quite a lot of damage over its life, the pier has been repaired many times, with the most recent large-scale work announced in 2012 to improve the pier and sea defences.

Travel and Transport Links

Cromer has shops to satisfy all your essential needs but has fantastic transport links if you wish to travel further afield. Located just off the A140, Cromer has easy transport links to the nearby city of Norwich, just an hour away by train or a 50-minute drive. It also features an extensive bus service, with routes across Norfolk and Suffolk.

In the surrounding areas, there are the towns of Holt, Sheringham and Mundesley, the latter two boasting lovely coastal views and walks. 

Travelling from Norwich, there are train links to London Liverpool Street (2 hours), Cambridge (1 hour 20 minutes) and Ipswich (40 minutes).

House Prices (Rightmove - FEBrUARY 2024)

The average house price in Cromer over the last year was £297,357, with the majority of property sales being flats which sold for an average price of £200,100.

If you are looking for a detached property, these sell on average for  £411,875. Terraced properties in Cromer sell on average for £286,971.

Houses in Cromer are cheaper than average for Norfolk (£307,287) and the nearby town of Sheringham (£307,287) and North Walsham (£275,697) comes out slightly cheaper on average in the local area.

Want to know more about our school? We’re happy to have a chat - call 01263 511433.

You can check our latest vacancies here.