Heacham

Heacham actually has two beaches, Heacham North Beach and Heacham South Beach located about 5 mins drive from the cottage or you can walk to North Beach via the footpath. There’s a great promenade walk from Heacham into Hunstanton too.

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Snettisham

Abouth 4 miles south from Britannia Cottage, Snettisham beach is a natural haven and largely unspoiled. The extensive sand and mud flats are frequented by various wading birds such as avocets, knots and bar-tailed godwit which can be seen from the RSPB reserve.

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Hunstanton

2 miles north of Britannia Cottage, Hunstanton – known locally as ‘Sunny Hunny’, offers 2 beaches. Hunstanton Beach is a predominantly shingle beach, by the popular resort with its arcades and holiday attractions and when the tide is out offers wonderful rock pools to be explored amongst the boulders. There is lots to amuse all ages including crazy golf, Sea Life Sanctuary , fun fair and the sea provides a vast playground for sailing, jet skiing and windsurfing, with Hunstanton offering excellent wind conditions for this popular sport.

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Further along you walk past the spectacular ‘stripey’ cliffs formed of white chalk and Norfolk carstone and on to Old Hunstanton where the wide sandy beach is backed by dunes, and is a popular spot for holidaymakers and kite surfers. Near the entrance to the beach is a café and Hunstanton Lifeboat Station.

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Heading east round the coast the numerous beaches are wonderful stretches of golden sands and dunes backed by huge horizons and a wonderful sense of space where, even in high summer, you can feel totally free and relaxed.

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Holme-next-the sea

A fabulous sandy beach with a boardwalk that takes you through the dunes towards Thornham and the NWT Visitor Centre and café.

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Thornham

Park at the old Coal Barn in the Harbour and walk out along the newly refurbished boardwalk across marshland to the most wonderful expanse of dunes and gold sands. Even in August, Thornham Beach is pretty much deserted. Great for birdwatching or getting away from it all!

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Titchwell

The beach at Titchwell is accessed via a public right of way that’s also the main west bank through the RSPB Titchwell Marsh Reserve. It’s the perfect spot for birdwatching as well as discovering old wrecks from WW2!

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Brancaster

A beautiful sandy beach, Brancaster Beach stretches for miles and with its own car park makes it easily accessible and a popular choice for families. In the summer there’s a kiosk too selling drinks and ices. Take note of tide times though as at high tide the access road is impassable by vehicles.

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Brancaster Staithe

A busy, coastal creek harbour where you can watch the world of boating alongside the Sailing Club and savour the fare of nearby fish sheds. Branta Cruises also operates from here taking groups out to Scolt Head island and offering a fascinating insight into the birdlife and this beautiful landscape.

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Burnham Overy Staithe

Burnham Overy Beach, the dunes at Gun Hill and Scolt Head Island  are reached from the Staithe, a popular harbour for swimming ‘messing about in boats’, paddle boarding, kayaking etc. when the tides allow. You can also access by foot at low tide or by Ferry boat in the summer season.

 

Holkham

Holkham Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches on the North Norfolk Coast and indeed in the British Isles. It is the most extensive, diverse and dramatic nature reserve in Norfolk, with windswept sand dunes, a maze of creeks, shady pinewoods, green pastures and marshes.

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Holkham Bay Beach has been used as a setting for many major TV productions and most notably, in the film Shakespeare in Love, actress Gwyneth Paltrow was filmed walking along the beach in the closing scenes. Holkham Beach was also the back-drop for the music video for the All Saints single, Pure Shores (soundtrack to the 2000 film, The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio).

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You can access Holkham beach from the west along the Coastal Path walking from Burnham Overy Staithe or from the east and Wells-next-the sea. Access directly is via Lady Anne Drive, part of the Holkham Estate with parking available. There is the Look Out café and loos at the bottom of the drive.

 

Wells-next-the sea

Wells beach is a wonderful spot for all ages with a golden sands that stretch for miles (linking up to Holkham) and colourful beach huts on stilts (some available for hire for the day/week) set against a backdrop of pine woods.

 

When the tide is out, you can enjoy swimming in the channel or venture across it for yet more sand and big skies (but listen out for the klaxon that tells you the tide has turned and to get back across the channel). There are public loos and a great café and beach shop next to the Car Park and a boating lake.

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And onwards to Morston, Blakeney,, Cley and Salthouse…………..

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****Just please keep in mind that part of the beauty of all these beaches is the amazing tides that reveal golden sands and pools. Please be wary, particularly with children, of the tide timetables and how quickly water rises and goes out.****