Late afternoon on 11th March we walked up Staithe Lane to Thornham Old Harbour. Thornham, like many North Norfolk coastal villagers, once had a working harbour; it was the main connection with the wider world until 1887 when the railway arrived at Hunstanton. The harbour is now silted up and accessible only to small boats at high tide. The Coal Barn, built by George Hogge, is a remnant and reminder of those sea trading days: grain was sent north to Hull and Newcastle; coal and essential supplies came south. There was once a mill and a granary by the staithe, the latter demolished in 1953 after the great floods. The gaunt stumps that rise out of the marsh may once have acted as stays for boats. The North Norfolk Coastal Path runs by the harbour.
