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{{short description|Coastal town in Norfolk, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox UK place
|static_image_name= Cromer, Church St.JPG
|static_image_caption= Church Street, Cromer (2012)
|country= England
|official_name= Cromer
|coordinates= {{coord|52.931|1.302|display=inline,title}}
|area_total_km2= 4.66
|population= 7683
|population_ref= (2011 census)
|civil_parish= Cromer<ref>{{cite web |title=Cromer Town Council Website |url=https://www.cromer-tc.gov.uk/ |website =Cromer Town Council |access-date=17 August 2022}}</ref> 
|shire_district= [[North Norfolk]]
|shire_county= [[Norfolk]]
|region= East of England
|constituency_westminster= [[North Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|North Norfolk]]
|post_town= CROMER
|postcode_district= NR27
|postcode_area= NR
|dial_code= 01263
|os_grid_reference= TG219422
}}
'''Cromer''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|r|oʊ|m|ər}} {{respell|KROH|mər}}) is a coastal town and [[civil parish]] on the north coast of the [[North Norfolk]] district of the county of [[Norfolk]], England.<ref>Ordnance Survey, Explorer Sheet 252, Norfolk Coast East, {{ISBN|978-0-319-46726-8}}</ref> It is {{convert|23|mi|km|abbr=off}} north of [[Norwich]], {{Convert|9|mi|km}} northwest of [[North Walsham]] and {{convert|4|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=}} east of [[Sheringham]] on the [[North Sea]] coastline.
The local government authorities are [[North Norfolk]] District Council, whose headquarters is on Holt Road in the town, and [[Norfolk County Council]], based in Norwich. The civil parish has an area of {{convert|4.66|km2|sqmi|frac=32|abbr=on}} and at the 2011 census had a population of 7,683.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11122465&c=Cromer&d=16&e=62&g=6449527&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1441029098156&enc=1|title=Town population 2011|access-date=31 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105902/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11122465&c=Cromer&d=16&e=62&g=6449527&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1441029098156&enc=1|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The town is notable as a traditional tourist resort and for the [[Cancer pagurus|Cromer crab]],<ref name="Cromer Crab">{{cite web|url=http://www.eatmytown.co.uk/What_is_Cromer_crab.html|author=eatmytown.co.uk - What is Cromer crab|publisher=eatmytown.co.uk|title=eatmytown.co.uk - What is Cromer crab|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023163510/http://www.eatmytown.co.uk/What_is_Cromer_crab.html|archive-date=23 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Protection wanted for Cromer Crab">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8195000/8195279.stm|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|title=BBC - Norfolk - Protection wanted for Cromer Crab|date=11 August 2009 |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> which forms the major source of income for local fishermen. The motto ''Gem of the Norfolk Coast'' is highlighted on the town's road signs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/content/northnorfolknews/content/community/aboutarea.aspx|title=Gem of the Norfolk coast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927094309/http://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/content/northnorfolknews/content/community/aboutarea.aspx |archive-date=27 September 2009|access-date=20 January 2010}}</ref>

==History==

[[File:From E. Cliff, I, Cromer, England-LCCN2002696630.jpg|thumb|245px|A late 19th-century postcard of the view from the East Cliff]]
[[File:Cromer View from East Cliff.jpg|thumb|245px|East Cliff, Cromer (2021)]]
The town has given its name to the ''[[Cromerian Stage]]'' or ''Cromerian Complex'', also called the ''Cromerian'', a stage in the [[Pleistocene]] glacial history of north-western Europe.

Cromer is not mentioned in the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' of 1086. The place-name 'Cromer' is first found in a will of 1262<ref name=Cromerhistory /> and could mean 'Crows' [[Mere (lake)|mere]] or lake'.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Eilert|last=Ekwall|author-link=Eilert Ekwall|title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names|journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1937 |volume=90 |issue=3 |page=131|doi=10.2307/1787617 |jstor=1787617 |bibcode=1937GeogJ..90..266W }}</ref> There are other contenders for the derivation, a north-country word 'cromer' meaning 'a gap in the cliffs' or less likely a direct transfer from a Danish placename.

It is reasonable to assume that the present site of Cromer, around the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul, is what was in 1337 called Shipden-juxta-Felbrigg, and by the end of the 14th century known as Cromer.<ref name=Cromerhistory>{{cite web |title= Cromer medieval history |access-date=14 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024064202/http://geocities.com/cromerhistory/medieval.html |archive-date=24 October 2009 |url=http://www.geocities.com/cromerhistory/medieval.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> A reference to a place called Crowemere Shipden can be seen in a legal record, dated 1422, (1 Henry VI), the home of John Gees.<ref name="uh">{{cite web|url=http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no647/aCP40no647fronts/IMG_0135.htm|publisher=aalt.law.uh.edu|title=Plea Roll of the Court of Common Pleas; National Archives; 4th complete entry, containing "Norff" in the margin. |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> The other Shipden is now about a quarter of a mile to the north east of the end of Cromer Pier, under the sea. Its site is marked by Church Rock, now no longer visible, even at a low spring tide. In 1888 a small pleasure steamer called ''Victoria'' struck the remains of the church tower, and the rock was subsequently blown up for safety. In the present day, members of [[Great Yarmouth]] sub-aqua club dived at the site, and salvaged artefacts from both the medieval church and the wreck of ''Victoria.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/20830639.weird-norfolk-lost-village-shipden/|title=Weird Norfolk: The lost village of Shipden|date=18 August 2017|website=Eastern Daily Press}}</ref>

Cromer became a resort in the early 19th century, with some of the rich Norwich banking families making it their summer home. Visitors included the future King [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]], who played golf here. The resort's facilities included the late-[[Victorian era|Victorian]] Cromer Pier, which is home to the Pavilion Theatre. In 1883 the London journalist [[Clement Scott]] went to Cromer and began to write about the area. He named the stretch of coastline, particularly the [[Overstrand]] and [[Sidestrand]] area, "Poppyland",<ref>''Poppyland - Strands of Norfolk History'', Stibbons and Cleveland, Pub: Poppyland Publishing, Fourth ed. 2001, {{ISBN|0-946148-56-2}}</ref> and the combination of the railway and his writing in the national press brought many visitors. The name "Poppyland" referred to the numerous poppies which grew (and still grow) at the roadside and in meadows.

Cromer suffered several bombing raids during the [[Second World War]]. Shortly after one raid, Cromer featured as the location for an episode of ''An American In England'', written by [[Norman Corwin]] with the narrator staying in the ''Red Lion Hotel''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkc/cromer/cromrlh.htm|title=The Red Lion Hotel|access-date=3 April 2010}}</ref> and retelling several local accounts of life in the town at wartime. The radio play first aired in the United States on 1 December 1942 on the CBS/Columbia Workshop programme starring Joe Julian. The account mentions some of the effects of the war on local people and businesses and the fact that the town adopted a {{sclass|Bangor|minesweeper}}, {{HMS|Cromer|J128|6}}.<ref name="tennesseebillsotr">{{cite web|url=http://tennesseebillsotr.com/otr/American%20In%20England/An%20American%20in%20England%20421201%2007%2029m43s%20Cromer.mp3|publisher=tennesseebillsotr.com|title= An American In England: Cromer |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref>

On 5 December 2013 the town was affected by a [[North Sea flood of 2013|storm surge]] which caused significant damage to the town's pier and seafront.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/photo_gallery_update_look_at_the_gaping_holes_in_cromer_pier_theatre_bar_and_decking_festive_show_in_doubt_1_3084730|title=Look at the gaping holes in Cromer pier theatre bar and decking. Festive show in doubt.|access-date=9 December 2013|publisher=Eastern Daily Press}}</ref>

In 2016, the [[Cromer shoal chalk beds]], thought to be Europe's largest chalk [[reef]], were officially designated as a [[Marine Conservation Zone]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/cromer_s_chalk_reef_thought_to_be_europe_s_largest_is_now_a_protected_area_1_4382112|access-date=19 January 2016|date=17 January 2016|title=Cromer's chalk reef, thought to be Europe's largest, is now a protected area|publisher=Eastern Daily Press}}</ref>

==Economy==
Traditionally, Cromer was a fishing town. It grew as a fishing station over the centuries, and was a year-round fishery into the 20th century, with crabs and lobsters in the summer, drifting for longshore herring in the autumn and long-lining, primarily for cod, in the winter. The pattern of fishing has changed since the 1980s, and it is now almost completely focused on crabs and lobsters. The town is famous for the Cromer [[Cancer pagurus|crab]],<ref name="Cromer Crab"/> which is now the major source of income for the local fishermen. In 2016, about ten boats plied their trade from the foot of the gangway on the east beach, with shops in the town selling fresh crab, whenever the boats go to sea.<ref name="cromeronline">{{cite web|url=http://www.cromeronline.co.uk/pages/crab.html|publisher=cromeronline.co.uk|title=Cromer Crab - A Norfolk Favourite|access-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812204647/http://www.cromeronline.co.uk/pages/crab.html|archive-date=12 August 2016|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref name="wordpress">{{cite web|url=http://moretea.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/cromer-crabs-and-more/|publisher=moretea.wordpress.com|title=Cromer Crabs and more &#124; more tea please|date=18 May 2008 |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> By 2018, experienced crabmen were having difficulty attracting young people to the business, perhaps because of the long working hours required during the season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cromer crab fisherman shortage as young people 'won't stick at it'|date=28 August 2018|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/29/cromer-crab-fisherman-shortage-young-people-wont-stick/|work=The Telegraph|access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref> Lobster trapping was also continuing.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/inspire/a-z-lobsters-and-crabs.aspx|date=1 March 2018 |title=L IS FOR LOBSTERS AND CRABS |publisher=Visit Norfolk |access-date=13 January 2019 |quote=the chalk reef – which is just 200 metres off the shoreline and up to 20 miles long - is so important}}</ref>
[[File:Teal_blue_sea_(20578198155).jpg|thumb|245px|Aerial view of [[Cromer Pier]] (2015)]]

Tourism developed in the town during the Victorian period and is now an important part of the local economy.<ref name=nccmarket>[http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC151813 Market Towns Survey, 2013]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, [[Norfolk County Council]], 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2015.</ref> The town is a popular resort and acts as a touring base for the surrounding area. The coastal location means that beach holidays and fishing are important, with the beach and pier being major draws.<ref name=nccmarket /> Visitor attractions within the town include [[Cromer Pier]] and the [[Pavilion Theatre, Cromer Pier|Pavilion Theatre]] on the pier. Close to the town's pier the [[RNLI]] Henry Blogg Museum is housed inside the early 21st century Rocket House. The museum has the [[RNLB H F Bailey (ON 777)|Cromer Lifeboat ''H F Bailey III'' (ON 777)]] as its centrepiece and illustrates the history of the town's lifeboats and lifeboatman [[Henry Blogg]]'s most famous rescues.<ref>[http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/the_heritage_trust/henry-blogg The RNLI Henry Blogg museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125174419/http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/the_heritage_trust/henry-blogg/ |date=25 January 2012 }}. Retrieved 12 February 2010.</ref>

The [[South America]]n themed Amazona [[zoo]] park opened to the public in 2006 and is to the south of the town. The park covers {{convert|10|acre|ha|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} of former [[Brick Kiln|brick kilns]] and woodland on the outskirts of the town and includes animals including [[jaguar]] and [[cougar|puma]].<ref>[http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/amazona.html Amazona zoo park]. Retrieved 17 February 2016.</ref>

==Culture and community==
[[File:Church Street Cromer.jpg|thumb|245px|Church Street (2021)]]
For one week in August the town celebrates its Carnival Week. Attractions include the crowning of a 'royal family' including carnival queen, a street parade and a fancy dress competition. The event's 50th anniversary was held in 2019.

Cromer is twinned with [[Nidda, Hesse|Nidda]], [[Germany]] and [[Crest, Drôme|Crest]], [[France]]. The town has an [[Air Training Corps]] [[Squadron (aviation)|Squadron]] and an [[Army Cadet Force]] Platoon, based at [[Cromer High School]].

The town has a Friday market and a number of independent retailers in its centre.<ref name=nccmarket /> [[Cromer Hospital]] provides services across the North Norfolk area. It includes a minor injuries unit and is run by the [[Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust]].

Cromer Museum opened in 1978 and is housed in former fishermen's cottages adjacent to the parish church on Church Street. The museum managed by [[Norfolk County Council]] contain items relating to the history of Cromer, including paintings and [[Poppyland]] china. It has two permanent galleries on the pioneering photographer, [[Olive Edis]] - Britain's first female war photographer. A mock-up of a Victorian cottage and galleries containing geology and fossil remnants of the area which include part of the [[West Runton Mammoth]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Cromer Museum|url=https://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/cromer-museum|website=Norfolk Museums|access-date=12 September 2017}}</ref>

==Landmarks==
Cromer stands between stretches of coastal cliffs which, to the east, are up to {{convert|70|m|ft|-1}} high. According to palaeontologist Dr James Neenan, from the [[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]], the cliffs are part of a Norfolk coastline area rich in [[Pleistocene]] fossils. In 2017 a prehistoric rhino was found in [[West Runton]], dating back 700,000 years to the [[Cromerian Stage|Cromerian Interglacial]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-norfolk-38856438|title=Norfolk beach rhino fossil revealed by storm surge|work=BBC News Norfolk|date=5 February 2017|access-date=5 February 2017}}</ref>

[[Cromer Pier]] dominates the sea front and is {{convert|151|m|ft}} long. It features the [[Pavilion Theatre, Cromer Pier|Pavilion Theatre]] and dates from 1901. [[Cromer Lighthouse]] stands on the cliffs to the east of the town. The tower is {{convert|18|m|ft}} tall. and stands {{convert|81|m|ft}} above sea level. The light has a range of {{convert|21|nmi|km|abbr=off}}.

[[File:Cromer Church 23rd Oct 2007.jpg|thumb|245px|Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Cromer (2007)]]
The Church of St Peter and St Paul dates from the 14th century and is in the centre of the town. After falling into disrepair it was rebuilt in the late 19th century by architect, [[Arthur Blomfield]]. At {{convert|158|ft|m|abbr=on}} the [[Bell tower]] is the highest in the county. Also, of note are the vast [[stained glass]] windows which commemorate various members of the [[Cromer Lifeboat Station|lifeboat]] crew and other features of the resort.<ref>[http://www.cromer-church.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108&Itemid=105 The church of St Peter and St Paul] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719200725/http://www.cromer-church.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108&Itemid=105 |date=19 July 2011 }}. Retrieved 3 February 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/cromer/cromercofe.htm Norfolk churches]. Retrieved 3 February 2010.</ref>

The [[Hotel de Paris, Cromer|Hotel de Paris]] was originally built in 1820 as a coastal residence for [[Lord Suffield]]. In 1830 the building was converted into a hotel by Pierre le Francois. Norfolk-born architect [[George Skipper]] extensively remodelled the building between 1895 and 1896.<ref name=Pev>{{cite book |title=[[Buildings of England]]: Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East|last1= Pevsner |first1= Nikolaus |author-link= Nikolaus Pevsner |first2= Bill |last2=Wilson |year= 1997 |publisher= Penguin |isbn= 0-300-09607-0|pages=441–445 }}</ref> Today, the hotel which occupies an elevated location overlooking the town's pier still provides accommodation to visitors.<ref>[http://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkc/cromer/cromhdp.htm Hotel de Paris]. Retrieved 8 February 2010.</ref> Other notable hotels include the 17th century [[Red Lion Hotel, Cromer|Red Lion Hotel]], the Victorian [[Sandcliff Hotel, Cromer|Sandcliff Hotel]] and the Edwardian [[Cliftonville Hotel, Cromer|Cliftonville Hotel]].

[[Cromer Hall]] is located to the south of the town in Hall Road. The original hall was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1829 in a [[Gothic Revival]] style, by Norfolk architect [[William Donthorne|William John Donthorne]]. [[Henry Baring]], of the Baring banking family, acquired the estate around this time. [[Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer]] was born at the hall in 1841. In 2010 the building was the home of the Cabbell Manners family.<ref name="literarynorfolk">{{cite web|url=http://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/cromer_hall.htm|publisher=literarynorfolk.co.uk|title=Cromer Hall &#124; Literary Norfolk |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> In 1901, author [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] was a guest at the hall. After hearing the legend of the [[Black Shuck]], a ghostly black dog, he is thought to have been inspired to write the classic novel ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles]]''.<ref>[http://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/cromer_hall.htm Literary Norfolk]. Retrieved 16 February 2010.</ref>

[[File:The Old Town Hall (geograph 6814403).jpg|thumb|245px|The [[Old Town Hall, Cromer|Old Town Hall]] (2019)]]
The [[Old Town Hall, Cromer|Old Town hall]], which was once the main public events venue in the town, was completed in 1890.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Old Town Hall|num= 1171785 |access-date=27 February 2022}}</ref>

===Lifeboat station===
{{Main|Cromer Lifeboat Station}}
The fishermen also crewed Cromer's two lifeboats. Most famous of the lifeboatmen was [[Henry Blogg]], who received the [[Awards of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution#Medal of the RNLI|RNLI gold medal]] for heroism three times, and the silver medal four times. Cromer Lifeboat Station was founded in 1804, the first in Norfolk. Rowing lifeboats were [[Cromer Lifeboat Station|stationed]] there through the 19th century.

In the 1920s a [[Cromer Lifeboat Station|lifeboat station]] was built at the end of the pier, enabling a [[Cromer Lifeboat H F Bailey III|motor lifeboat]] to be launched beyond the breakers. A number of notable rescues carried out between 1917 and 1941 made the lifeboat and the town well known throughout the United Kingdom and further afield. The area covered by the station is large, as there is a long run of coastline with no harbour – Great Yarmouth is 40 miles (65&nbsp;km) by sea to the south east and the restricted harbour of [[Wells next the Sea]] 25 miles (40&nbsp;km) to the west. Today the offshore lifeboat on the pier performs about a dozen rescues a year, with about the same number for the inshore lifeboat stationed on the beach.

The [[Duke of Kent]] officially named the town's new lifeboat, [[Cromer Lifeboat Lester ON 1287|''Lester'']], in a ceremony on 8 September 2008.<ref>[http://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/content/northnorfolknews/news/story.aspx?brand=NNNOnline&category=news&tBrand=NNNonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED08%20Sep%202008%2017%3A10%3A19%3A330 North Norfolk News report]{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved 9 September 2008.</ref>

==Transport==
[[Cromer railway station]] is a stop on the [[Bittern Line]], which provides generally hourly services between {{rws|Norwich}} and {{rws|Sheringham}}. Services are operated by [[Greater Anglia]].<ref>{{Cite web |work=Greater Anglia |title=Timetables |date=10 December 2023 |access-date=9 May 2024 |url= https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables |quote=}}</ref>

The [[Railway stations in Cromer|railway came to Cromer]] in 1877, with the opening of [[Cromer High railway station|Cromer High station]] by the [[Great Eastern Railway]]. Ten years later, a second station, ''Cromer Beach'', was opened by the [[Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway]], bringing visitors in from the [[East Midlands]]; only this station remains today and it was renamed ''Cromer'' in 1969, following the closure of Cromer High station. Direct services were operated from [[London]], [[Manchester]], [[Leicester]], [[Birmingham]], [[Leeds]], [[Peterborough]] and [[Sheffield]]. The now-closed [[Cromer tunnel]] linked Beach station with the [[Mundesley]] line to the east; it was the only railway tunnel to be built in Norfolk.

Bus services are provided by [[Sanders Coaches]], which link the town with local destinations including Norwich, Sheringham, [[Holt, Norfolk|Holt]], [[Wells-next-the-sea]] and [[North Walsham]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stops in Cromer|url=https://www.bustimes.org/localities/cromer-norfolk| website=Bustimes.org|access-date=6 May 2023}}</ref>

The [[A140 road|A140]] links Cromer with Norwich, the [[A148 road|A148]] (direct) and [[A149 road|A149]] (coast road) to [[King's Lynn]], and the A149 to the [[Norfolk Broads]] and [[Great Yarmouth]]. The [[B1159 road|B1159]] is a coastal road out towards [[Mundesley]].

The nearest airport is [[Norwich International Airport]]. A private airfield, [[Northrepps Aerodrome]], is located {{convert|3|mi|km|0|spell=on|abbr=off}} south-east of the town.

==Education==
[[Cromer Academy]] is the town's only secondary school. It educates children aged 11 to 16. For sixth-form education, children travel to [[Sheringham High School|Sheringham]], [[Paston College]] in [[North Walsham]], or [[Norwich]]. The town also has a junior school educating children from 5 to 11 years of age, an infants school (Suffield Park infants) and an attached nursery.

==Media==
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC East]] and [[ITV Anglia]]. Television signals are received from either one of the two local relay transmitters (Overstrand<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Overstrand|title=Freeview Light on the Overstrand (Norfolk, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=4 December 2023}}</ref> and West Runston<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/West_Runston|title=Freeview Light on the West Runston (Norfolk, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=4 December 2023}}</ref>). 

Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Norfolk]] on 95.6 FM, [[Heart East]] on 102.4 FM, [[Greatest Hits Radio East]] (formerly [[North Norfolk Radio]]) on 103.2 FM, and Poppyland Community Radio, a community online based station which broadcast from the town.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news/22788019.new-radio-station-launch-north-norfolk/|title=New radio station to launch in north Norfolk|first= Stuart|last=Anderson|date=3 February 2022 |website=North Norfolk News|accessdate=4 December 2023}}</ref>

The town is served by the local newspapers, ''[[North Norfolk News]]'' and ''[[Eastern Daily Press]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-eang/north-norfolk-news/|title=North Norfolk News|date=4 February 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=4 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/england-eang/eastern-daily-press/|title=Eastern Daily Press|date=21 June 2014|website=British Papers|accessdate=4 December 2023}}</ref>

==Sport and leisure==
[[File:-2018-12-24 Royal Cromer Golf Club, Overstrand Road, Cromer (1).JPG|thumb|245px|Royal Cromer Golf Club (2018)]]
Cromer has sports clubs and leisure facilities. Situated on the cliffs between the town and [[Overstrand]] to the east, the Royal Cromer Golf Club was founded in 1888 and given royal status by the [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]], one of the founding members, in the same year.<ref name=tg>[http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/courses-and-2-fore-1/united-kingdom/england/east/norfolk/royal-cromer-golf-club/ Royal Cromer Golf Club], Today's Golfer. Retrieved 17 October 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.royalcromergolfclub.com/pages.php/index.html Royal Cromer golf club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216062352/http://www.royalcromergolfclub.com/pages.php/index.html |date=16 February 2010 }}. Retrieved 23 February 2010.</ref> The course was originally designed by [[Old Tom Morris]]<ref name=tg /><ref name=top100>[http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/productdetails.asp?id=351 Royal Cromer, England], Top 100 golf courses. Retrieved 17 October 2015.</ref> and hosted the [[British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship]] in 1905, before which an unofficial match was held between British and American ladies, the first international golf match to be played.<ref name=tg /><ref name=herald8feb61>McKinley. S.L, The vital weapons for the hunt, ''[[The Glasgow Herald]]'', 1961--5-08 ([https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P0w1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=CaYLAAAAIBAJ&pg=3827%2C4979185 available online]). Retrieved 17 October 2015.</ref><ref name=golfdict>Mallon. B, Jerris. R, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5d71iha1Q-YC&dq=first+international+golf+match+cromer+1905&pg=PR26 Historical Dictionary of Golf] p.xxvi. Retrieved 17 October 2015.</ref> The club, which is the second oldest in Norfolk, has hosted PGA events.<ref name=edp24may13>[http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/region_s_stars_are_set_for_royal_cromer_golf_club_challenge_1_2209803 Region’s stars are set for Royal Cromer Golf Club challenge], ''[[Eastern Daily Press]]'', 24 May 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.</ref>
[[File:2018-04-19 Cromer Cricket club, Warnes Close, Cromer (4) (cropped).JPG|thumb|245px|Cromer Cricket Club (2018)]]
Cromer Cricket Club is an [[England|English]] amateur [[cricket]] club that is based on The Norton Warnes Cricket Ground on Overstrand Road.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cromercc.play-cricket.com/Aboutus |title=Cromer CC |website=cromercc.play-cricket.com |publisher=cromercc Cricket Club |date= |accessdate=14 October 2022 }}</ref>
Cromer CC have 2 Saturday senior XI teams<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cromercc.play-cricket.com/Teams |title=Cromer Cricket Club Teams |website=cromercc.play-cricket.com |publisher=Cromer Cricket Club |date= |accessdate=14 October 2022}}</ref> that compete in the Norfolk Cricket Alliance League,<ref name='ncal'>{{cite web |url=https://norfolkca.play-cricket.com/home |title=Norfolk Cricket Alliance |website=norfolkca.play-cricket.com |publisher=Norfolk Cricket Alliance |date= |accessdate=14 October 2022}}</ref> a Women's softball team in the NCB Women’s Softball Cricket League,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ncbwscl.play-cricket.com/home |title=NCB Women's Softball Cricket League |website=ncbwscl.play-cricket.com |publisher=NCB Women’s Softball Cricket League |date= |accessdate=14 October 2022}}</ref> and a junior section that play competitive cricket in the Junior Tier Groups of the Norfolk Cricket Alliance League.<ref name='ncal' />

Cabbell Park has been the home of [[Cromer Town F.C.]] since 1922. The long established club plays in the Premier Division of the [[Anglian Combination]].<ref>[http://www.pyramidpassion.co.uk/html/cromer_town.html Cromer Town Football Club]. Retrieved 22 February 2010.</ref> The town's tennis and squash courts are located at Norwich Road and are open to the public.<ref>[http://www.northnorfolk.org/cromertennis/ Cromer Lawn tennis club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418155752/http://northnorfolk.org/cromertennis/ |date=18 April 2009 }}. Retrieved 23 February 2010.</ref>

The [[Norfolk Coast Path]] passes through the town and is also the termination of the [[Weavers' Way]]. The {{convert|92|mi|km|abbr=off|adj=on}} Norfolk Coast Cycleway runs parallel to the coast and passes through a mixture of ''quiet roads'' and country lanes to link the town with [[Kings Lynn]] to the west and [[Great Yarmouth]] in the east.<ref>[http://www.norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk/mediaps/pdfuploads/pd000298.pdf Norfolk Coast Cycleway] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807055320/http://www.norfolkcoastaonb.org.uk/mediaps/pdfuploads/pd000298.pdf |date=7 August 2009 }}. Retrieved 24 February 2010.</ref>

Sea angling is popular and mixed catches including [[cod]] can be made from the town's beaches. The pier provides the opportunity to capture specimen sized [[European sea bass|bass]].<ref>[http://www.east-anglia-sea-angling.co.uk/Venue%20pages/Cromer.html Sea fishing]. Retrieved 25 February 2010.</ref> Established in 2007, the North Norfolk Surf Lifesaving Club (North Norfolk SLSC) has its clubhouse on the town's main promenade.<ref>[http://www.slsgb.org.uk/club.aspx?ClubID=81&ClubPageID=551 North Norfolk Lifesavers] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130423221849/http://www.slsgb.org.uk/club.aspx?ClubID=81&ClubPageID=551 |date=23 April 2013 }} Retrieved 18 January 2012.</ref> [[Surfing]] is also carried out on the town's beaches close to the pier. Equipment and lessons can be hired in season.<ref>[http://www.beachwizard.com/beach.asp?country=England&beachid=990 Surfing in Cromer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011111205/http://beachwizard.com/beach.asp?country=England&beachid=990 |date=11 October 2011 }} Retrieved 6 March 2012.</ref>

==Cultural references==

=== Literature ===
The town is featured as a location in the novels [[Emma (novel)|Emma]]'' by [[Jane Austen]] and [[North and South (1855 novel)|North and South]]'' by [[Elizabeth Gaskell]].

''[[Emma (novel)|Emma]]'' by [[Jane Austen]] Chapter XII
{{cquote|''You should have gone to Cromer, my dear, if you went anywhere. Perry was a week at Cromer once, and he holds it to be the best of all the seabathing places. A fine open sea, he says, and very pure air. And, by what I understand, you might have had lodgings there quite away from the sea quarter of a mile off, very comfortable. You should have consulted Perry.<ref>[http://www.jasa.net.au/seaside/SouthendCromer.htm Jane Austen society] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224150427/http://www.jasa.net.au/seaside/SouthendCromer.htm |date=24 February 2010 }}. Retrieved 9 March 2010.</ref>''}}

''[[North and South (1855 novel)|North and South]]'' by [[Elizabeth Gaskell]] Chapter XLIX
{{cquote|''There was no Spain for Margaret that autumn; although to the last she hoped that some fortunate occasion would call Frederick to Paris, whither she could easily have met with a convoy. Instead of Cadiz, she had to content herself with Cromer. To that place her aunt Shaw and the Lennoxes were bound. They had all along wished her to accompany them, and, consequently, with their characters, they made but lazy efforts to forward her own separate wish. Perhaps Cromer was, in one sense of the expression, the best for her. She needed bodily strengthening and bracing as well as rest.''}}

[[Edward Lear]] includes a [[Limerick (poetry)|limerick]] about Cromer in his ''[[s:Book of Nonsense|Book of Nonsense]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lear|first1=Edward|title=A Book of Nonsense|date=1846|publisher=Thomas McLean|location=London}}</ref>

===Film media===
In a ''[[Monty Python]]'' episode first shown in 1970 [[List of Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes|(Series 2, Episode 9, Skit: Cosmetic Surgery)]], the name on the "desk" of Professor Sir Adrian Furrows indicates that the character has a [[Bachelor of Science|B.Sc]] from, among sundry other places, Cromer.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ehKGlT2EW1Q Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20070228052038/http://youtube.com/watch?v=ehKGlT2EW1Q Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=Monty Python:Cosmetic Surgery|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehKGlT2EW1Q|website=You Tube| date=19 November 2006 |access-date=2 March 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In ''[[The Three Doctors (Doctor Who)|The Three Doctors]]'', a 1972–1973 serial in the long-running [[BBC]] television series ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the doctor's ally, [[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]] mistakes the surface of an alien planet for the town, famously uttering, "I'm fairly sure that's Cromer".<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4cDhBdvjxfMXJvgHrbr1rnK/the-fourth-dimension|publisher=bbc.co.uk|title=BBC One - Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor - The Fourth Dimension |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> Actor [[Nicholas Courtney]] improvised the line,<ref name="kaldorcity">{{cite web|url=http://www.kaldorcity.com/people/ncinterview.html|publisher=kaldorcity.com|title=Interview with Nicholas Courtney: 'Another time I put in a line was during "The Three Doctors," when the Brigadier looks out onto this alien landscape and says, "I'm fairly sure that's Cromer."' Nicholas Courtney interview, ''The Brig Remembered'' by Alan Stevens. This interview previously appeared in Celestial Toyroom Issue 400. |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref> name-checking the place where he got his first professional job as an actor-cum-assistant stage manager.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8343786/Nicholas-Courtney.html|publisher=telegraph.co.uk|title= Nicholas Courtney's obituary. The Telegraph. 23 Feb 2011. |date=23 February 2011 |access-date=29 December 2016}}</ref>

The final scenes of the David Croft and Jimmy Perry sitcom ''[[You Rang, M'Lord?]]'' were filmed on Cromer beach, shortly after the characters of Alf Stokes (played by ''[[Paul Shane]]'') and Ivy Teasdale (played by ''[[Su Pollard]]'') had left their jobs as butler and maid respectively to Lord Meldrum and had returned to their earlier careers in music hall theatre. The stage and audience seating are set up on the beach and Cromer town and Pier can clearly be seen in the background of some shots.

The final scenes of the 2013 film ''[[Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa]]'' were filmed on Cromer Pier.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/jul/24/alan-partridge-norwich-alpha-papa-movie-premiere | title=Alan Partridge goes back to Norwich roots for Alpha Papa movie premiere | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=24 July 2013 | access-date=31 August 2013}}</ref>

Filming took place in the town during November 2014 of the [[BBC 1]] series ''[[Partners in Crime (UK TV series)|Partners in Crime]]''.<ref>[http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/big_turn_out_in_cromer_for_bbc_one_agatha_christie_show_casting_call_for_extras_1_3830362 Eastern Daily Press news report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111130005/http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/big_turn_out_in_cromer_for_bbc_one_agatha_christie_show_casting_call_for_extras_1_3830362 |date=11 January 2015 }} Retrieved 8 April 2015.</ref>

A [[BBC One 'Oneness' idents|BBC short]] fantasy – ''Wonderland'', first aired 1 December 2018, was filmed in Cromer featuring the pier. It depicts the distant personal relationship between a busy mother's lifestyle working with [[IT]] bizarrely crossed-over to her son's video-game-driven lifestyle, causing the screens of both to display corrupted fragments of each other's content, and everyone else's real-time frame to freeze, allowing mother and son to enjoy unique quality time together.<ref>[https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/bbcs-christmas-ad-freezes-time-one-magical-day-seaside/1519976 BBC's Christmas ad freezes time for one magical day by the seaside] Campaign Live, 1 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018</ref> The [[Theme music|musical theme]] is [[Emmy the Great]]’s ''Lost in You''.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-norfolk-46421236 Seaside town is 'star' of Christmas TV] ''[[BBC News]]'', 2 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/bbc-one-christmas-film|title=BBC One launches Christmas film about cherishing time with loved ones|publisher=[[BBC]] Media Centre|date=1 December 2018|access-date=6 December 2018}}</ref>

Several scenes in the 2018 TV series ''[[Angry Birds#Television adaptations|Angry Birds on the Run]]'' were filmed in Cromer. <!-- Exact locations: 52.9324, 1.3002 (ice cream store, E12) | 52.9333, 1.3011 (pier, E22) -->

=== Music ===
The town is referenced in the song ''Norman and Norma'' by [[The Divine Comedy (band)|The Divine Comedy]].<blockquote>"Norman and Norma got married in Cromer, April 1983"<ref>{{Citation |title=The Divine Comedy – Norman and Norma |url=https://genius.com/The-divine-comedy-norman-and-norma-lyrics |access-date=2023-01-29}}</ref></blockquote>

== International relations ==
Cromer is [[sister city|twinned]] with:
* [[Crest, Drôme|Crest]], [[Drôme]], [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]], France
*  [[Nidda, Hesse|Nidda]], [[Hesse]], Germany

==Notable people==
<!-- New links in alphabetical order please -->
* [[Edward Bach]], creator of Bach flower remedies
* [[Henry Blogg]], most decorated lifeboatman of the [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution|RNLI]].
* [[Benjamin Bond Cabbell]], politician and philanthropist
* [[Henry Thomas Davies|Henry "Shrimp" Davies]], longest-serving coxswain of the lifeboat
* [[Emily Davison|Emily Wilding Davison]], women's rights campaigner.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fKY7AwAAQBAJ&dq=emily+davison+cromer&pg=PT104 Google books] Retrieved 17 August 2014.</ref>
* [[Teresa del Riego]], composer of ballads, lived at 'Sycamore', Mundesley Road, [[Overstrand]]
* [[James Dyson]], creator of [[Dyson (company)|Dyson]] vacuum cleaners
* [[John Henry Gurney]], banker and amateur ornithologist
* [[John Hurt]], veteran actor; had a home close to the town<ref>[http://www.edp24.co.uk/what-s-on/acting_legend_john_hurt_talks_about_his_upcoming_bafta_award_and_life_living_near_cromer_1_1198362 EDP news report] Retrieved 15 March 2012.</ref>
* [[Charles William Peach]], British naturalist and geologist
* [[Malcolm Sayer]], designer for Jaguar cars
* [[Simon Thomas (television presenter)|Simon Thomas]], television presenter
* [[Liam Walsh (boxer)|Liam Walsh]], the boxer is based in the town.<ref>[http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/other-sport/norfolk-boxing/cromer_boxer_wins_thriller_to_retain_his_title_1_1076888 News report] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120801160352/http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/other-sport/norfolk-boxing/cromer_boxer_wins_thriller_to_retain_his_title_1_1076888 |date=1 August 2012 }} Retrieved 21 March 2012.</ref>
* [[Charles Mayes Wigg]], artist

==Freedom of the Town==
The following people and military units have received the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Town]] of Cromer.

{{Incomplete list|date=August 2022}}

===Individuals===
* Anthony "Tony" Shipp: 15 August 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news/tony-shipp-cromer-carnival-freedom-town-9211100 |title=Tony Shipp given freedom of Cromer for carnival role  |last=Anderson |first=Stuart |date=15 August 2022 |website=The North Norfolk News |access-date=17 August 2022 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Cromerian Stage]]
*[[Cromer Ridge]]
*[[Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds]] – Natural History <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/documents/downloads/norfolks-unique-reef.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=11 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817093427/http://norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/documents/downloads/norfolks-unique-reef.pdf |archive-date=17 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Cromer, New South Wales]] – the suburb in [[Sydney]], Australia named after this north Norfolk town

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Bartell, Edmund, ''Observations upon the town of Cromer'', 1800, accessed on [https://books.google.com/books?id=dRIHAAAAQAAJ&q=cromer Google Books] 2015-08-23
* Leach, Nicholas & Russell, Paul ''Cromer Lifeboats 1804–2004'', Stroud: Tempus Publishing, 2004, {{ISBN|0-7524-3197-8}}
* Malster, R. ''The Cromer Lifeboats'', 4th ed. Cromer: Poppyland Publishing, 1994, {{ISBN|0-946148-21-X}}
* Pipe, C. ''A Dictionary of Cromer and Overstrand History'', 1st ed. Cromer: Poppyland Publishing, 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-946148-89-9}}
* Stibbons, Peter & Cleveland, David ''Poppyland – Strands of Norfolk History'', 4th ed., Cromer: Poppyland, 2001, {{ISBN|0-946148-17-1}} (1st ed. 1981)
* Warren, M. ''Cromer – Chronicle of a Watering Place'', 3rd ed. Cromer: Poppyland Publishing, 2001, {{ISBN|0-946148-55-4}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Cromer}}
{{Wikivoyage|Cromer}}
*[http://www.cromer-tc.gov.uk/ Cromer Town Council]
*[http://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/cromer.htm Cromer Literary History]

{{Norfolk}}
{{Civil Parishes of North Norfolk}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cromer| ]]
[[Category:North Norfolk]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in England]]
[[Category:Towns in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Beaches of Norfolk]]