Its strategic location at a crossing on the Norfolk Broads has helped it become one of the county's most popular and thriving villages.
But, say many of its residents, Coltishall's blessing is becoming its curse.
Villagers say the once quiet riverside community is increasingly becoming a bottleneck for huge volumes of traffic travelling between Norwich and a large area of north Norfolk.
Cars, lorries and farm vehicles funnel through the village rather than surrounding ones, because it has a humpback bridge over the River Bure.
Those heading between Norwich and places like North Walsham would otherwise have to take much longer routes via Wroxham or Aylsham or onto tiny backroads to cross the river.
Locals say the situation has worsened since the opening of the Northern Distributor Road, which is sending more motorists their way.
And they fear that plans to build thousands more homes in towns and villages north of the river will create further problems.
The village lies close to the border between two council areas - North Norfolk and Broadland - and some in the village say the authorities are not doing enough to co-ordinate their housing and traffic policies.
They warn the twin communities of Coltishall and Horstead, on opposite side of the riverbank, are struggling to cope, and that accidents are becoming increasingly frequent.
'THIS VILLAGE WAS BUILT FOR THE HORSE AND CART'
Bill Musson, 63, a former airman who was based at nearby RAF Coltishall, is now trying to bring attention to the problems.
“It’s not just the bridge which is an issue, it’s the turning next to the garage on the High Street and the bend on Station Road further up as well.
“We are not the only village in Norfolk with a traffic problem but the situation here is only going to get worse and worse.
“It’s said we have got this pretty little village in the Broads National Park, but we are losing our identity.”
Mr Musson’s big concern is the 1,800 homes expected to be built in North Walsham.
The proposals have been set out in North Norfolk District Council’s (NNDC) local plan, which says where homes should go by 2036.
“Obviously NNDC doesn’t want anything to get in the way of the local plan, but we need the infrastructure. They want to build houses but there seems to be nothing to help us cope with it,” Mr Musson said.
“This village was built for horse and cart, not this level of traffic.”
In the morning rush hour, the road is largely used by people travelling towards Norwich for work, but there is no let up throughout the day, with farm vehicles and HGVs frequent users.
Queues of lorries crossing the bridge in both directions can bring traffic to a standstill.
Larger vehicles often have to mount pavements to make it around tight corners.
And even crossing the road can take an age during busy periods.
THE B1150 GROUP
Mr Musson, who has lived in the village for 30 years, is part of the Coltishall and Horstead B1150 Group, which is campaigning for something to be done about the road.
They argue there is not enough cooperation across council boundaries, arguing that NNDC is not communicating with Broadland District Council enough over the impact of new housing. This has been denied by NNDC.
“For two years our district councillors, Jo Copplestone and Fran Whymark, have been trying to engage with North Norfolk, but it just hasn’t been happening,” he said.
And a request for information submitted by Mr Musson to NNDC, asking for details on the cooperation has so far gone unanswered.
Some mitigation measures have been suggested, including removing some parking spaces from the village, to increase the space for traffic, and adding in a new right turn lane next to the garage on the High Street.
Mr Musson fears this would see land taken away from the common and would not properly mitigate the problem, only “enable the flow of traffic”.
One suggestion that has long been mooted is a bypass around the village, but Mr Musson was doubtful it would ever be built.
“I don’t expect a bypass, but I do think it is the only real solution,” he said.
“Look at Long Stratton and how long it has taken to get one there. History is not on our side.
“It wouldn’t just be good for the village, wouldn’t all the drivers coming through want a more direct route?”
MORE TRAFFIC HEADING VILLAGE'S WAY
Ms Copplestone, a Broadland councillor and chair of the B1150 group, said: “North Walsham is already the largest town [in the area] with 13,000 plus residents at the last census.
“The former RAF Base north of Coltishall is now home to HMP Bure, a main employer, and the Scottow Enterprise Park in north Norfolk is operating at capacity.
“When further planned development in North Walsham of circa 2,000 new homes comes forward, without any meaningful funding to improve the road infrastructure and bridge in Coltishall, traffic chaos will be exacerbated.”
Paul Thomas, a local resident and B1150 group member echoed calls for a relief road.
“Now, particularly with the bigger and bigger HGVs using it more and more as new building work demands, at times traffic amounts are getting crazy – and dangerous," he said.
“We realise a relief road would be expensive – but could not a percentage of the cost be met by the developers spending millions on future housing?
"We raise these points, ask of authorities – but get no replies or offers of help.”
Mr Thomas also feared the bridge, which is over a century old, would not be able to be able to withstand additional traffic, especially as HGVs continue to get larger.
The B1150 group are hoping to meet up with their MP, Jerome Mayhew, later this month to discuss their concerns.
A NNDC spokesman said the local plan has been submitted to an independent examiner and will be subject to hearings later this year.
He said: "The plan includes proposals for large-scale development including approximately 1,800 new homes, community facilities and employment development at North Walsham.
“The plan recognises that this is likely to have traffic impacts elsewhere and particularly on the commuter route into Norwich via Coltishall.
“In response to these concerns, the plan specifically requires that these impacts are addressed and North Norfolk will shortly be consulting on mitigation proposals for Coltishall to ease traffic congestion."
He said consultation details are currently being finalised with expected publication in early September and they will be engaging with Broadland District Council, which has been briefed on the forthcoming consultation.
Concerned residents will also be included in meetings as part of the process.
Further details on the local plan are available on NNDC's website.
'IT TAKES SIX MINUTES TO CROSS THE ROAD'
All locals seem to acknowledge the problem. But opinions differ on the solution.
Tom Grant, 35, owner of Hewitt and Grant Heritage Butchers, said a bypass was "a double-edged sword".
"As a business, you want more exposure to passing trade but equally the road is not fit for purpose, the village was not built for this.
“And as soon as the roads are not full of traffic, we have a terrible speeding problem.
“A bypass for the village, from my perspective, would be a bad thing, but I don’t know what the solution is.
“If you take away passing trade it could kill the village.”
Mr Grant suggested more traffic calming measures and better signage could help, but would not be a complete solution to the village’s traffic woes.
Jean Addison said since she and her husband moved to the village around 25 years ago the traffic has become "worse and worse”.
She said: "Trying to get off our drive onto the street is a nightmare and the more houses they build in North Walsham the worse it will get.
“Having a relief road would have to be better than what we have now.
"I don’t think there’s anything else that could be done that would fix the issue.”
William Addison added: “I walk to get the paper every morning, it can take six minutes to cross the road because no one will slow down and let you cross. How bad will it be if new homes are built?
“The 20mph speed is a joke, no one slows down, people speed round."
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